Narrative:

We were approximately 150 mi southeast from tjig at FL260; when we were instructed by sju approach to descend to 10000 ft and cross an assigned waypoint (we believe; it was vedas) 70 mi before sju. This was a revised clearance. In accordance with mandatory replies; we read the altitude and the new clearance back to ATC. We (my first officer and I) confirmed the altitude. I set the new altitude in the altitude pre-selector and programmed the VNAV profile. In accordance with our procedures; we confirmed the new altitude between ourselves and commenced descent at this point. As we were cruising 10000 ft; we were queried by ZSU on our present altitude. We responded 10000 ft. The controller said that he told us to maintain 11000 ft. We stated that we would climb up to 11000 ft; but the controller said that we should maintain 10000 ft. Our altitude of 10000 ft complied with our direction of flight and we were following the instructions of ATC. Shortly after that; we were handed over to another ATC controller once we approached the island of san juan. Upon the initial contact; we advised that controller of our altitude; direction of flight; and the current ATIS at fern dominicci airport (tjig). The ATC controller gave us several descent altitudes and vectors; which we thought were for fern dominicco. The vectors appeared as though he was vectoring us around the west side of the island away from the final approach course to sju runway 8 arrs to our destination (fern dominicco). We followed ATC's instructions as he had given us a descent to an altitude of 1600 ft. I set 1600 ft in altitude pre-selector; confirmed with first officer and commenced descent. During the descent; we were advised that we were #2 for the airport and we were in trail of a citation. As we were VMC; we confirmed seeing the citation; and would position ourselves in sequence. We were then given a final vector to join an extended centerline for 'runway 8' at san juan after a citation. We (my first officer and I) knew that our destination had only 1 runway (runway 9/27) and my first officer immediately contacted ATC to confirm that our destination was fern dominicco airport. There was a short pause and we were given a left turn to a new vector and altitude of 2600 ft; and a frequency to contact another controller. These new directives were very immediate and with a sense of urgency. We were carrying passenger and were trying to make our turns; ascents; and dscnts as smooth as possible; however; these instructions caused us to make immediate corrective actions as we were within 10 mi of sju airport and on a final vector to join. We replied with confirmation of receiving and complying with the last directive. Within 60 seconds; we were turning and climbing; and contacting a new controller; our altitude was less than 2600 ft. In addition to the vectors; altitude and frequency given to us by the previous ATC; we were concerned that he had handed us over to another controller; and well within the boundaries of fern dominicco's airspace with no previous arrangements. In the confign altitude; and speed that we were traveling; the close proximity of the 2 airports it was likely that we would have violated class D airspace. We contacted the assigned controller and were reprimanded for not being at 2600 ft; although we were instructed by the previous controller to vacate that altitude for 1600 ft; and the newly assigned altitude of 2600 ft was after the confusion of our flight terminating at san juan. After we established the contact with the assigned ATC; we called him with the current ATIS letter identify and reported that we were currently overhead fern dominicco airport (tjig) and could proceed with visual approach. Approach ATC told us to contact us to tower without any other questioning or comments. We entered the left downwind and landed on runway 9 without incident. Once we cleared the runway; were not asked to call the tower or anyone; which we thought would at least provide some clarification of the confusion. We understood that we were on an IFR flight plan; and operating under a discrete transponder code. At no time during any of our xmissions with any of the controllers did we change our destination of our filed IFR flight plan. Additionally; we retained specific transponder codes assigned by ATC; until we landed. Our aircraft was fully occupied and we try to make our approach maneuvers as smooth as possible without any discomfort to our passenger; all the while complying with ATC instructions. We are still trying to understand where the confusion began with altitudes; and change of destination airport. This was difficult for us as pilots; and procedures we are required to follow per company policies. This was equally difficult for our passenger as we appeared to be in a landing confign; but at the last moment we were adding power; climbing and turning away from a runway. The sudden changes in direction and altitude required us to make abrupt changes to the aircraft attitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PC12 CREW RPTS BEING VECTORED BY SJU APCH TO TJSJ; WHEN THEIR FILED DEST IS TJIG.

Narrative: WE WERE APPROX 150 MI SE FROM TJIG AT FL260; WHEN WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY SJU APCH TO DSND TO 10000 FT AND CROSS AN ASSIGNED WAYPOINT (WE BELIEVE; IT WAS VEDAS) 70 MI BEFORE SJU. THIS WAS A REVISED CLRNC. IN ACCORDANCE WITH MANDATORY REPLIES; WE READ THE ALT AND THE NEW CLRNC BACK TO ATC. WE (MY FO AND I) CONFIRMED THE ALT. I SET THE NEW ALT IN THE ALT PRE-SELECTOR AND PROGRAMMED THE VNAV PROFILE. IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR PROCS; WE CONFIRMED THE NEW ALT BTWN OURSELVES AND COMMENCED DSCNT AT THIS POINT. AS WE WERE CRUISING 10000 FT; WE WERE QUERIED BY ZSU ON OUR PRESENT ALT. WE RESPONDED 10000 FT. THE CTLR SAID THAT HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT. WE STATED THAT WE WOULD CLB UP TO 11000 FT; BUT THE CTLR SAID THAT WE SHOULD MAINTAIN 10000 FT. OUR ALT OF 10000 FT COMPLIED WITH OUR DIRECTION OF FLT AND WE WERE FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF ATC. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; WE WERE HANDED OVER TO ANOTHER ATC CTLR ONCE WE APCHED THE ISLAND OF SAN JUAN. UPON THE INITIAL CONTACT; WE ADVISED THAT CTLR OF OUR ALT; DIRECTION OF FLT; AND THE CURRENT ATIS AT FERN DOMINICCI ARPT (TJIG). THE ATC CTLR GAVE US SEVERAL DSCNT ALTS AND VECTORS; WHICH WE THOUGHT WERE FOR FERN DOMINICCO. THE VECTORS APPEARED AS THOUGH HE WAS VECTORING US AROUND THE WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND AWAY FROM THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO SJU RWY 8 ARRS TO OUR DEST (FERN DOMINICCO). WE FOLLOWED ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS AS HE HAD GIVEN US A DSCNT TO AN ALT OF 1600 FT. I SET 1600 FT IN ALT PRE-SELECTOR; CONFIRMED WITH FO AND COMMENCED DSCNT. DURING THE DSCNT; WE WERE ADVISED THAT WE WERE #2 FOR THE ARPT AND WE WERE IN TRAIL OF A CITATION. AS WE WERE VMC; WE CONFIRMED SEEING THE CITATION; AND WOULD POS OURSELVES IN SEQUENCE. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A FINAL VECTOR TO JOIN AN EXTENDED CTRLINE FOR 'RWY 8' AT SAN JUAN AFTER A CITATION. WE (MY FO AND I) KNEW THAT OUR DEST HAD ONLY 1 RWY (RWY 9/27) AND MY FO IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ATC TO CONFIRM THAT OUR DEST WAS FERN DOMINICCO ARPT. THERE WAS A SHORT PAUSE AND WE WERE GIVEN A L TURN TO A NEW VECTOR AND ALT OF 2600 FT; AND A FREQ TO CONTACT ANOTHER CTLR. THESE NEW DIRECTIVES WERE VERY IMMEDIATE AND WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY. WE WERE CARRYING PAX AND WERE TRYING TO MAKE OUR TURNS; ASCENTS; AND DSCNTS AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE; HOWEVER; THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAUSED US TO MAKE IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS AS WE WERE WITHIN 10 MI OF SJU ARPT AND ON A FINAL VECTOR TO JOIN. WE REPLIED WITH CONFIRMATION OF RECEIVING AND COMPLYING WITH THE LAST DIRECTIVE. WITHIN 60 SECONDS; WE WERE TURNING AND CLBING; AND CONTACTING A NEW CTLR; OUR ALT WAS LESS THAN 2600 FT. IN ADDITION TO THE VECTORS; ALT AND FREQ GIVEN TO US BY THE PREVIOUS ATC; WE WERE CONCERNED THAT HE HAD HANDED US OVER TO ANOTHER CTLR; AND WELL WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF FERN DOMINICCO'S AIRSPACE WITH NO PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENTS. IN THE CONFIGN ALT; AND SPD THAT WE WERE TRAVELING; THE CLOSE PROX OF THE 2 ARPTS IT WAS LIKELY THAT WE WOULD HAVE VIOLATED CLASS D AIRSPACE. WE CONTACTED THE ASSIGNED CTLR AND WERE REPRIMANDED FOR NOT BEING AT 2600 FT; ALTHOUGH WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR TO VACATE THAT ALT FOR 1600 FT; AND THE NEWLY ASSIGNED ALT OF 2600 FT WAS AFTER THE CONFUSION OF OUR FLT TERMINATING AT SAN JUAN. AFTER WE ESTABLISHED THE CONTACT WITH THE ASSIGNED ATC; WE CALLED HIM WITH THE CURRENT ATIS LETTER IDENT AND RPTED THAT WE WERE CURRENTLY OVERHEAD FERN DOMINICCO ARPT (TJIG) AND COULD PROCEED WITH VISUAL APCH. APCH ATC TOLD US TO CONTACT US TO TWR WITHOUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONING OR COMMENTS. WE ENTERED THE L DOWNWIND AND LANDED ON RWY 9 WITHOUT INCIDENT. ONCE WE CLRED THE RWY; WERE NOT ASKED TO CALL THE TWR OR ANYONE; WHICH WE THOUGHT WOULD AT LEAST PROVIDE SOME CLARIFICATION OF THE CONFUSION. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; AND OPERATING UNDER A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. AT NO TIME DURING ANY OF OUR XMISSIONS WITH ANY OF THE CTLRS DID WE CHANGE OUR DEST OF OUR FILED IFR FLT PLAN. ADDITIONALLY; WE RETAINED SPECIFIC XPONDER CODES ASSIGNED BY ATC; UNTIL WE LANDED. OUR ACFT WAS FULLY OCCUPIED AND WE TRY TO MAKE OUR APCH MANEUVERS AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT ANY DISCOMFORT TO OUR PAX; ALL THE WHILE COMPLYING WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS. WE ARE STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE CONFUSION BEGAN WITH ALTS; AND CHANGE OF DEST ARPT. THIS WAS DIFFICULT FOR US AS PLTS; AND PROCS WE ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW PER COMPANY POLICIES. THIS WAS EQUALLY DIFFICULT FOR OUR PAX AS WE APPEARED TO BE IN A LNDG CONFIGN; BUT AT THE LAST MOMENT WE WERE ADDING PWR; CLBING AND TURNING AWAY FROM A RWY. THE SUDDEN CHANGES IN DIRECTION AND ALT REQUIRED US TO MAKE ABRUPT CHANGES TO THE ACFT ATTITUDE.

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.