B737 crew landing sav is informed of a missed heading assignment by ATC.

Attributes
ACN	603785
Time
Date	200312
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sav.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sav.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 36 other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	603785
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On descent into sav, approach controller advised us we had missed a turn issued by the previous controller to a 180 degrees (which would have given us a downwind to ILS runway 36). We complied with the heading instruction at that time and the rest of the approach and landing was uneventful. Neither the first officer or myself could ever remember the heading being issued. We presumed it was issued during earlier part of the descent. We were very busy because airport WX dropped from 1200 ft overcast/8 mi to 800 ft overcast/2 1/2 mi in a 27 min flight. This prompted a change in approach and runway -- a runway that was shorter, ungrooved and wet. We were very busy rebriefing the approach and discussing the proper flaps, autobrakes, etc. We can only surmise the heading was part of an intermediate descent clearance given during our revised approach brief. We found it odd that the issuing controller did not 'correct' us a few moment after giving us the heading. Instead we get a frequency change to a new controller who then waited a few moments before advising us we had not turned as instructed to do earlier.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW LNDG SAV IS INFORMED OF A MISSED HEADING ASSIGNMENT BY ATC.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO SAV, APCH CTLR ADVISED US WE HAD MISSED A TURN ISSUED BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR TO A 180 DEGS (WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN US A DOWNWIND TO ILS RWY 36). WE COMPLIED WITH THE HDG INSTRUCTION AT THAT TIME AND THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. NEITHER THE FO OR MYSELF COULD EVER REMEMBER THE HDG BEING ISSUED. WE PRESUMED IT WAS ISSUED DURING EARLIER PART OF THE DSCNT. WE WERE VERY BUSY BECAUSE ARPT WX DROPPED FROM 1200 FT OVCST/8 MI TO 800 FT OVCST/2 1/2 MI IN A 27 MIN FLT. THIS PROMPTED A CHANGE IN APCH AND RWY -- A RWY THAT WAS SHORTER, UNGROOVED AND WET. WE WERE VERY BUSY REBRIEFING THE APCH AND DISCUSSING THE PROPER FLAPS, AUTOBRAKES, ETC. WE CAN ONLY SURMISE THE HDG WAS PART OF AN INTERMEDIATE DSCNT CLRNC GIVEN DURING OUR REVISED APCH BRIEF. WE FOUND IT ODD THAT THE ISSUING CTLR DID NOT 'CORRECT' US A FEW MOMENT AFTER GIVING US THE HDG. INSTEAD WE GET A FREQ CHANGE TO A NEW CTLR WHO THEN WAITED A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE ADVISING US WE HAD NOT TURNED AS INSTRUCTED TO DO EARLIER.

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.