Narrative:

Arriving san on the baret 4 arrival, after passing baret intersection, another ATC approach control clearance was issued to which we believe was to descend to 3800 ft, then cleared for the localizer 27 approach. Maintain 170 KTS until swatt intersection, maintain 3800 ft until established. We were high and fast as the previous controller requested we maintain 300 KTS or greater and had delayed our descent until we were well above our optimal arrival path. We had recently returned from our company's training on the new non-precision approach training. The localizer 27 at san is a non precision approach, therefore, we were required to fly the pro. We continued, as we believe we were cleared to the 'ifhej' fix on the arrival and the FMS leads the turn to swatt. The controller then made a comment that we missed swatt by 5 mi. We asked the controller for clarification initially assuming we had a 'map shift' problem. The controller said we were cleared direct to swatt. We said we had not heard the direct part of the clearance. Often, when you are doing a new procedure at a challenging facility, you have to pay additional attention to the procedure, and could possibly miss a part of multi-part controller clearance. We do not believe we were out of the predicted airspace by more than a mi or two, if in fact that we were given a direct clearance. I believe clrncs with more than 3 items of new information should be broken up into smaller clrncs with 3 items of new information or less in any airspace with high pilot workload conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV WHEN THE FLT CREW OF AN A320 MISSES THE 'DIRECT SWATT' IN AN AMENDED CLRNC FOR A LOC APCH TO 27 AT SAN, CA.

Narrative: ARRIVING SAN ON THE BARET 4 ARR, AFTER PASSING BARET INTXN, ANOTHER ATC APCH CTL CLRNC WAS ISSUED TO WHICH WE BELIEVE WAS TO DSND TO 3800 FT, THEN CLRED FOR THE LOC 27 APCH. MAINTAIN 170 KTS UNTIL SWATT INTXN, MAINTAIN 3800 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED. WE WERE HIGH AND FAST AS THE PREVIOUS CTLR REQUESTED WE MAINTAIN 300 KTS OR GREATER AND HAD DELAYED OUR DSCNT UNTIL WE WERE WELL ABOVE OUR OPTIMAL ARR PATH. WE HAD RECENTLY RETURNED FROM OUR COMPANY'S TRAINING ON THE NEW NON-PRECISION APCH TRAINING. THE LOC 27 AT SAN IS A NON PRECISION APCH, THEREFORE, WE WERE REQUIRED TO FLY THE PRO. WE CONTINUED, AS WE BELIEVE WE WERE CLRED TO THE 'IFHEJ' FIX ON THE ARR AND THE FMS LEADS THE TURN TO SWATT. THE CTLR THEN MADE A COMMENT THAT WE MISSED SWATT BY 5 MI. WE ASKED THE CTLR FOR CLARIFICATION INITIALLY ASSUMING WE HAD A 'MAP SHIFT' PROB. THE CTLR SAID WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO SWATT. WE SAID WE HAD NOT HEARD THE DIRECT PART OF THE CLRNC. OFTEN, WHEN YOU ARE DOING A NEW PROC AT A CHALLENGING FACILITY, YOU HAVE TO PAY ADDITIONAL ATTN TO THE PROC, AND COULD POSSIBLY MISS A PART OF MULTI-PART CTLR CLRNC. WE DO NOT BELIEVE WE WERE OUT OF THE PREDICTED AIRSPACE BY MORE THAN A MI OR TWO, IF IN FACT THAT WE WERE GIVEN A DIRECT CLRNC. I BELIEVE CLRNCS WITH MORE THAN 3 ITEMS OF NEW INFO SHOULD BE BROKEN UP INTO SMALLER CLRNCS WITH 3 ITEMS OF NEW INFO OR LESS IN ANY AIRSPACE WITH HIGH PLT WORKLOAD CONDITIONS.

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.