Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan to fly from goffs (gfs) to clarr then 'clarr one arrival' to north las vegas (vgt). On arrival at clarr I turned to join the 031 degree heading to skebr, 7 mi ahead. I was correcting to skebr on left at 0.1 mi from skebr to stay on 031 degree heading over skebr. The las vegas approach controller asked me if I was 'in a left turn?' and I answered that I was over skebr. Since I had not heard any radar vector given, I continued on a 031 degree heading for another few seconds or mins at 13000 ft and 210 KIAS. The las vegas controller directed me to turn left immediately to a 330 degree heading, which I did. The las vegas controller then wanted to know why I hadn't turned left earlier, and I told him that I had received no degree to turn to with the earlier question of was I 'in a left turn?' I believe the las vegas controller was confused or mixed up and thought I was going to las vegas mccarren (las) and not to north las vegas (vgt) which I had filed as my destination. The las vegas controller then directed me to call when I got on the ground. After I landed I called and was told this was las vegas TRACON. I waited and a supervisor came to the phone. I explained that I had approached skebr in a slight (10 degrees) left turn and did not understand the controller wanted me on a specific heading in the left turn. I did not hear or acknowledge a specific degree heading and my copilot did not hear a specific degree heading. I did turn left immediately when the controller told me to turn left immediately to 330 degrees. The supervisor informed me that I had read the clarr one arrival wrong and that from skebr I should have turned left to 345 degrees. I responded that I thought it was radar vectors from skebr to north las vegas. I also stated that if I was wrong I was sorry and I 'would never do it again.' supervisor said, 'that's all I wanted to hear.' I went back to my plane and looked at the 'clarr one arrival' again, as this had been my first time having flown this approach from goffs (gfs). My plate clearly indicates at skebr in a box, 'north las vegas after skebr intersection expect radar vectors to airport.' this is a clear miscom on my part and on the part of the las vegas approach controller. I did not clarify his question of my being 'in a left turn?' I should have asked for a specific heading and I did not because I was waiting for him to give me a radar vector after skebr on the 031 degree radial. The las vegas approach controller might have thought that I was landing at mccarren (las) which requires a left turn to 345 degree heading to issar. We should have confirmed earlier that I was filed and planned to land at north las vegas (vgt). Because of this miscom, I was headed into the departure area for mccarren (las), a very busy airport. I will endeavor to always confirm my communications with a readback when approaching a large busy airport in order to minimize miscom.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C501 INBOUND TO VGT EXPERIENCED CONFUSION WITH STAR DEPICTION AND ATC INTERP.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO FLY FROM GOFFS (GFS) TO CLARR THEN 'CLARR ONE ARR' TO N LAS VEGAS (VGT). ON ARR AT CLARR I TURNED TO JOIN THE 031 DEG HEADING TO SKEBR, 7 MI AHEAD. I WAS CORRECTING TO SKEBR ON L AT 0.1 MI FROM SKEBR TO STAY ON 031 DEG HDG OVER SKEBR. THE LAS VEGAS APCH CTLR ASKED ME IF I WAS 'IN A L TURN?' AND I ANSWERED THAT I WAS OVER SKEBR. SINCE I HAD NOT HEARD ANY RADAR VECTOR GIVEN, I CONTINUED ON A 031 DEG HEADING FOR ANOTHER FEW SECONDS OR MINS AT 13000 FT AND 210 KIAS. THE LAS VEGAS CTLR DIRECTED ME TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY TO A 330 DEG HDG, WHICH I DID. THE LAS VEGAS CTLR THEN WANTED TO KNOW WHY I HADN'T TURNED L EARLIER, AND I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD RECEIVED NO DEGREE TO TURN TO WITH THE EARLIER QUESTION OF WAS I 'IN A L TURN?' I BELIEVE THE LAS VEGAS CTLR WAS CONFUSED OR MIXED UP AND THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LAS VEGAS MCCARREN (LAS) AND NOT TO N LAS VEGAS (VGT) WHICH I HAD FILED AS MY DEST. THE LAS VEGAS CTLR THEN DIRECTED ME TO CALL WHEN I GOT ON THE GND. AFTER I LANDED I CALLED AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS LAS VEGAS TRACON. I WAITED AND A SUPVR CAME TO THE PHONE. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD APCHED SKEBR IN A SLIGHT (10 DEGS) L TURN AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CTLR WANTED ME ON A SPECIFIC HEADING IN THE L TURN. I DID NOT HEAR OR ACKNOWLEDGE A SPECIFIC DEG HEADING AND MY COPLT DID NOT HEAR A SPECIFIC DEG HEADING. I DID TURN L IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY TO 330 DEGS. THE SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD READ THE CLARR ONE ARR WRONG AND THAT FROM SKEBR I SHOULD HAVE TURNED L TO 345 DEGS. I RESPONDED THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS RADAR VECTORS FROM SKEBR TO N LAS VEGAS. I ALSO STATED THAT IF I WAS WRONG I WAS SORRY AND I 'WOULD NEVER DO IT AGAIN.' SUPVR SAID, 'THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO HEAR.' I WENT BACK TO MY PLANE AND LOOKED AT THE 'CLARR ONE ARR' AGAIN, AS THIS HAD BEEN MY FIRST TIME HAVING FLOWN THIS APCH FROM GOFFS (GFS). MY PLATE CLRLY INDICATES AT SKEBR IN A BOX, 'N LAS VEGAS AFTER SKEBR INTXN EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO ARPT.' THIS IS A CLR MISCOM ON MY PART AND ON THE PART OF THE LAS VEGAS APCH CTLR. I DID NOT CLARIFY HIS QUESTION OF MY BEING 'IN A L TURN?' I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A SPECIFIC HEADING AND I DID NOT BECAUSE I WAS WAITING FOR HIM TO GIVE ME A RADAR VECTOR AFTER SKEBR ON THE 031 DEG RADIAL. THE LAS VEGAS APCH CTLR MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT THAT I WAS LNDG AT MCCARREN (LAS) WHICH REQUIRES A L TURN TO 345 DEG HDG TO ISSAR. WE SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED EARLIER THAT I WAS FILED AND PLANNED TO LAND AT N LAS VEGAS (VGT). BECAUSE OF THIS MISCOM, I WAS HEADED INTO THE DEP AREA FOR MCCARREN (LAS), A VERY BUSY ARPT. I WILL ENDEAVOR TO ALWAYS CONFIRM MY COMS WITH A READBACK WHEN APCHING A LARGE BUSY ARPT IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE MISCOM.

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.