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B737 crew heard the ZTL radar controller, cleared to turn left. The crew complied. After questioning the crew the controller told them to turn right instead.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 622392 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200402 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ztl.artcc |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 247.16 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 622392 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 622391 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
Controller was working 2 frequencys. He called us and said, 'air carrier #1, turn left 5 degrees for traffic.' we both heard him say 'left' and confirmed my action of a left turn. Neither one of us was doing anything except flying. No other distrs at that time. The controller came back and said, 'air carrier #1 turn further left 10 degrees.' we complied again and rolled out on a heading of 040 degrees. I received a short call from the flight attendants in the back at that time and was preoccupied with that for about a min. When I came back, I saw the first officer turning the aircraft to the right heading 090 degrees. I asked him what was going on, and he said that the controller came back and said 'air carrier #1 you made a turn to the left didn't you!' the first officer replied yes and that the new heading was 040 degrees. The controller replied, 'well, I told you to make a right turn. Turn now to 090 degrees.' the controller apparently went on to change another aircraft's altitude, 2000 ft on the other frequency, we think to avoid ours. However, we saw no conflict on TCASII. We believe that we accurately heard and complied with the controller's initial instructions to turn left. I suspect that due to his personal traffic saturation (working 2 frequencys) that he said left when he meant right. Supplemental information from acn 622391: ZTL called back and asked if we had turned left? I replied, 'yes, we turned left and our heading was 040 degrees' (actually it was 042 degrees). The controller then stated that he had instructed us to turn right. He then said abruptly, 'turn right now to heading 090 degrees.' I complied. I believe there might have been a traffic conflict because the controller, who was working 2 frequencys at the same time, asked some type of cpr aircraft on the other frequency if it was capable of FL390. Evidently, it was unable and the controller then issued a descent clearance to FL350.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 CREW HEARD THE ZTL RADAR CTLR, CLRED TO TURN L. THE CREW COMPLIED. AFTER QUESTIONING THE CREW THE CTLR TOLD THEM TO TURN R INSTEAD.
Narrative: CTLR WAS WORKING 2 FREQS. HE CALLED US AND SAID, 'ACR #1, TURN L 5 DEGS FOR TFC.' WE BOTH HEARD HIM SAY 'L' AND CONFIRMED MY ACTION OF A L TURN. NEITHER ONE OF US WAS DOING ANYTHING EXCEPT FLYING. NO OTHER DISTRS AT THAT TIME. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID, 'ACR #1 TURN FURTHER L 10 DEGS.' WE COMPLIED AGAIN AND ROLLED OUT ON A HDG OF 040 DEGS. I RECEIVED A SHORT CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK AT THAT TIME AND WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THAT FOR ABOUT A MIN. WHEN I CAME BACK, I SAW THE FO TURNING THE ACFT TO THE R HDG 090 DEGS. I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND HE SAID THAT THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID 'ACR #1 YOU MADE A TURN TO THE L DIDN'T YOU!' THE FO REPLIED YES AND THAT THE NEW HDG WAS 040 DEGS. THE CTLR REPLIED, 'WELL, I TOLD YOU TO MAKE A R TURN. TURN NOW TO 090 DEGS.' THE CTLR APPARENTLY WENT ON TO CHANGE ANOTHER ACFT'S ALT, 2000 FT ON THE OTHER FREQ, WE THINK TO AVOID OURS. HOWEVER, WE SAW NO CONFLICT ON TCASII. WE BELIEVE THAT WE ACCURATELY HEARD AND COMPLIED WITH THE CTLR'S INITIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L. I SUSPECT THAT DUE TO HIS PERSONAL TFC SATURATION (WORKING 2 FREQS) THAT HE SAID L WHEN HE MEANT R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 622391: ZTL CALLED BACK AND ASKED IF WE HAD TURNED L? I REPLIED, 'YES, WE TURNED L AND OUR HDG WAS 040 DEGS' (ACTUALLY IT WAS 042 DEGS). THE CTLR THEN STATED THAT HE HAD INSTRUCTED US TO TURN R. HE THEN SAID ABRUPTLY, 'TURN R NOW TO HDG 090 DEGS.' I COMPLIED. I BELIEVE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TFC CONFLICT BECAUSE THE CTLR, WHO WAS WORKING 2 FREQS AT THE SAME TIME, ASKED SOME TYPE OF CPR ACFT ON THE OTHER FREQ IF IT WAS CAPABLE OF FL390. EVIDENTLY, IT WAS UNABLE AND THE CTLR THEN ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC TO FL350.
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.