Narrative:

Prior to departing cno; my copilot and I picked up the following clearance from chino ground. 'You are cleared to las vegas; maintain runway heading 260 degrees for radar vectors to pom VOR 295 degree radial; radar vectors to daggett; then direct climb to 4000 ft; expect FL230 10 mins after departure; squawk to be assigned by the tower.' after taxi we checked in with the tower and were informed that there was an amendment to the clearance. My copilot read back the amendment; which included the kepec 1 arrival into las. While holding short; I discussed this clearance with the copilot and thought it odd to receive 2 radar vectors in the clearance and a 295 degree radial to nowhere; as there was no fix after the 295 degree radial. We discussed what we believed to be the clearance; which was -- we'll receive radar vectors to dag for the kepec 1 arrival into las. We departed without incident. While continuing our climb; socal cleared us direct to pom. We were then handed off (again to socal) and told to climb to 7000 ft; cross pom at 7000 ft and cleared to 14000 ft. Upon reaching pom; we hadn't heard from socal; so I had my copilot query socal as to what they wanted us to do. It should have been clear to socal that there was some confusion. We asked if we were on radar vectors to dag. Socal did not respond to our questions; instead they handed us off to ZLA. Instead of helping with the apparent confusion we were turned over to another controller. After checking in with ZLA my copilot told them we were going direct to dag. We were asked if we had received the clearance 'direct dag.' we responded by telling them that we had asked the previous controller 'what was our radar vector?' but rather than respond they turned us over to ZLA. ZLA asked if we had the terrain in sight; which we responded 'yes' and that 'we were expediting our climb.' we were then cleared to FL230 and direct dag. The rest of the flight was uneventful. At no time during this flight was WX a contributing factor. Before reaching the pom VOR it became clear to me and the copilot that we had to go either left or right of our current heading; which was directly into the mountain range near ontario. That is why I asked the copilot to query socal as to what they expected us to do. We did not receive any further explanation from socal other than contact ZLA; at which time we informed ZLA we were heading to dag. After receiving instructions to call TRACON on the landline; it was apparent that they expected us to head outbound on the pom 295 degree radial. The individual at TRACON asked if the words 'outbound' on the pom 295 degree radial were given in the clearance; which we responded 'no.' at no time were the words 'outbound' given either by socal or the clearance given by chino ground. Had 'outbound' been given; there would have been no confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CE501 FLT CREW MISINTERPS THEIR CLRNC RESULTING IN A COURSE DEV AND A MISCOM WITH ATC.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEPARTING CNO; MY COPLT AND I PICKED UP THE FOLLOWING CLRNC FROM CHINO GND. 'YOU ARE CLRED TO LAS VEGAS; MAINTAIN RWY HDG 260 DEGS FOR RADAR VECTORS TO POM VOR 295 DEG RADIAL; RADAR VECTORS TO DAGGETT; THEN DIRECT CLB TO 4000 FT; EXPECT FL230 10 MINS AFTER DEP; SQUAWK TO BE ASSIGNED BY THE TWR.' AFTER TAXI WE CHKED IN WITH THE TWR AND WERE INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT TO THE CLRNC. MY COPLT READ BACK THE AMENDMENT; WHICH INCLUDED THE KEPEC 1 ARR INTO LAS. WHILE HOLDING SHORT; I DISCUSSED THIS CLRNC WITH THE COPLT AND THOUGHT IT ODD TO RECEIVE 2 RADAR VECTORS IN THE CLRNC AND A 295 DEG RADIAL TO NOWHERE; AS THERE WAS NO FIX AFTER THE 295 DEG RADIAL. WE DISCUSSED WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE THE CLRNC; WHICH WAS -- WE'LL RECEIVE RADAR VECTORS TO DAG FOR THE KEPEC 1 ARR INTO LAS. WE DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE CONTINUING OUR CLB; SOCAL CLRED US DIRECT TO POM. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF (AGAIN TO SOCAL) AND TOLD TO CLB TO 7000 FT; CROSS POM AT 7000 FT AND CLRED TO 14000 FT. UPON REACHING POM; WE HADN'T HEARD FROM SOCAL; SO I HAD MY COPLT QUERY SOCAL AS TO WHAT THEY WANTED US TO DO. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLR TO SOCAL THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION. WE ASKED IF WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS TO DAG. SOCAL DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR QUESTIONS; INSTEAD THEY HANDED US OFF TO ZLA. INSTEAD OF HELPING WITH THE APPARENT CONFUSION WE WERE TURNED OVER TO ANOTHER CTLR. AFTER CHKING IN WITH ZLA MY COPLT TOLD THEM WE WERE GOING DIRECT TO DAG. WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD RECEIVED THE CLRNC 'DIRECT DAG.' WE RESPONDED BY TELLING THEM THAT WE HAD ASKED THE PREVIOUS CTLR 'WHAT WAS OUR RADAR VECTOR?' BUT RATHER THAN RESPOND THEY TURNED US OVER TO ZLA. ZLA ASKED IF WE HAD THE TERRAIN IN SIGHT; WHICH WE RESPONDED 'YES' AND THAT 'WE WERE EXPEDITING OUR CLB.' WE WERE THEN CLRED TO FL230 AND DIRECT DAG. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AT NO TIME DURING THIS FLT WAS WX A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. BEFORE REACHING THE POM VOR IT BECAME CLR TO ME AND THE COPLT THAT WE HAD TO GO EITHER L OR R OF OUR CURRENT HDG; WHICH WAS DIRECTLY INTO THE MOUNTAIN RANGE NEAR ONTARIO. THAT IS WHY I ASKED THE COPLT TO QUERY SOCAL AS TO WHAT THEY EXPECTED US TO DO. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FURTHER EXPLANATION FROM SOCAL OTHER THAN CONTACT ZLA; AT WHICH TIME WE INFORMED ZLA WE WERE HEADING TO DAG. AFTER RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO CALL TRACON ON THE LANDLINE; IT WAS APPARENT THAT THEY EXPECTED US TO HEAD OUTBOUND ON THE POM 295 DEG RADIAL. THE INDIVIDUAL AT TRACON ASKED IF THE WORDS 'OUTBOUND' ON THE POM 295 DEG RADIAL WERE GIVEN IN THE CLRNC; WHICH WE RESPONDED 'NO.' AT NO TIME WERE THE WORDS 'OUTBOUND' GIVEN EITHER BY SOCAL OR THE CLRNC GIVEN BY CHINO GND. HAD 'OUTBOUND' BEEN GIVEN; THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO CONFUSION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.