Narrative:

Clearance received from fll clearance delivery was 'cleared as filed, expect fll 8 departure, thndr transition, direct la belle, srq, flight plan route.' after takeoff on runway 9L, we were given several heading changes and altitude changes. We were then instructed to join the dhp 335 degree radial to thndr. We were advised of thunderstorms in the area. We asked to fly slightly left and were approved to deviate left of course, 'no more left than a heading of 310 degrees. Advise when able to fly a 325 degree heading.' we deviated as necessary and when we were clear of the thunderstorms, I instructed the first officer to advise ZMA that we could accept a 325 degree heading. His response was 'roger.' at that point we were approaching thndr (dhp 335 degrees at 57 DME). I asked the first officer to confirm that our clearance was 'thndr, direct la belle, srq, flight plan route.' mia responded by confirming our route of flight and said, 'expect direct srq in about 15 mi.' when we reached thndr, we turned left direct la belle. Soon after, mia asked us what our heading was. We responded that it was about 300 degrees, after which the ZMA controller said our assigned heading was 325 degrees and 'turn right to 340 degrees immediately, you have company aircraft 8 mi off your left.' first, our last clearance was to join the thndr transition. Second, we advised center (as he requested) when we could fly a 325 degree heading. We were never instructed to maintain a 325 degree heading. With recent FAA interps of readback errors being placed entirely on the pilot, it seems that the FAA controllers are becoming more and more lax on using proper phraseology. They seem to realize that they will be exonerated from any errors they may commit because the presumption is that the pilot was in error. In this case, ZMA was clearly in error. Supplemental information from acn 472137: his poor technique led to crew confusion about the clearance. The last clearance we received was 'intercept thndr transition, flight plan route' (prior to vectors for WX).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLC GETS CONFUSED OVER THE PHRASEOLOGY AS USED BY THE ZMA CTLR AND FLIES DIRECT TOWARDS LA BELLE WHEN THEY HAD ACCEPTED A HDG OF 325 DEGS OVER THNDR INTXN, FL.

Narrative: CLRNC RECEIVED FROM FLL CLRNC DELIVERY WAS 'CLRED AS FILED, EXPECT FLL 8 DEP, THNDR TRANSITION, DIRECT LA BELLE, SRQ, FLT PLAN RTE.' AFTER TKOF ON RWY 9L, WE WERE GIVEN SEVERAL HDG CHANGES AND ALT CHANGES. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO JOIN THE DHP 335 DEG RADIAL TO THNDR. WE WERE ADVISED OF TSTMS IN THE AREA. WE ASKED TO FLY SLIGHTLY L AND WERE APPROVED TO DEVIATE L OF COURSE, 'NO MORE L THAN A HDG OF 310 DEGS. ADVISE WHEN ABLE TO FLY A 325 DEG HDG.' WE DEVIATED AS NECESSARY AND WHEN WE WERE CLR OF THE TSTMS, I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO ADVISE ZMA THAT WE COULD ACCEPT A 325 DEG HDG. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'ROGER.' AT THAT POINT WE WERE APCHING THNDR (DHP 335 DEGS AT 57 DME). I ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM THAT OUR CLRNC WAS 'THNDR, DIRECT LA BELLE, SRQ, FLT PLAN RTE.' MIA RESPONDED BY CONFIRMING OUR RTE OF FLT AND SAID, 'EXPECT DIRECT SRQ IN ABOUT 15 MI.' WHEN WE REACHED THNDR, WE TURNED L DIRECT LA BELLE. SOON AFTER, MIA ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS. WE RESPONDED THAT IT WAS ABOUT 300 DEGS, AFTER WHICH THE ZMA CTLR SAID OUR ASSIGNED HDG WAS 325 DEGS AND 'TURN R TO 340 DEGS IMMEDIATELY, YOU HAVE COMPANY ACFT 8 MI OFF YOUR L.' FIRST, OUR LAST CLRNC WAS TO JOIN THE THNDR TRANSITION. SECOND, WE ADVISED CTR (AS HE REQUESTED) WHEN WE COULD FLY A 325 DEG HDG. WE WERE NEVER INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN A 325 DEG HDG. WITH RECENT FAA INTERPS OF READBACK ERRORS BEING PLACED ENTIRELY ON THE PLT, IT SEEMS THAT THE FAA CTLRS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE LAX ON USING PROPER PHRASEOLOGY. THEY SEEM TO REALIZE THAT THEY WILL BE EXONERATED FROM ANY ERRORS THEY MAY COMMIT BECAUSE THE PRESUMPTION IS THAT THE PLT WAS IN ERROR. IN THIS CASE, ZMA WAS CLRLY IN ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 472137: HIS POOR TECHNIQUE LED TO CREW CONFUSION ABOUT THE CLRNC. THE LAST CLRNC WE RECEIVED WAS 'INTERCEPT THNDR TRANSITION, FLT PLAN RTE' (PRIOR TO VECTORS FOR WX).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.