SR22 pilot reports misunderstanding with lga tower and instructions to fly the throgs route.

Attributes
ACN	795055
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	SR22
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 19 flight time total : 817 flight time type : 291
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

I wanted to give my passenger a nice view of nyc. I contacted new york approach and requested hudson corridor; east river corridor; then east to montauk. I was cleared into new york class B airspace at 1500 ft proceeding north up the hudson river. On approaching the east river; ewr tower said they couldn't arrange handoff to lga; continue north up hudson shortly after passing the east river; ewr tower handed me off to lga tower. I requested a right turn over central park. The controller said; 'I was hoping you'd ask for that; turn right over central park and proceed east to throgs (neck).' I repeated the instruction. (As I would figure out later; the controller probably said 'throgs (route)'.) I turned right over central park and sure enough the throgs neck bridge was at 090 degrees; perfect right? Anyway; when I was abeam lga; the controller indicated that I was slightly north of course and I responded that I was proceeding east to the throgs neck. He indicated that was unacceptable and that he gave me the throgs routing. However; he then told me to continue on course. He told me to review the throgs routing for next time and handed me off to new york departure. I apologized for misunderstanding his instruction. (Note: there were no conflicts; the tower frequency wasn't busy; and safety was not compromised.) I later looked all over for the throgs route; since I had never heard of it. It does not appear on the terminal area chart or sectional; and it's not in the united states terminal procedures. I finally found it -- it's a helicopter route. It appears on the new york helicopter chart (see picture). I've flown in nyc airspace many times. In the past; lga would give me direct lga then throgs neck when flying in this area. I thought I was getting a shortcut. I think what would help avoid confusion is if a controller gives a fixed wing pilot a helicopter route; then they should specify it (ie; turn right over central park and proceed east on helicopter route throgs.) this would have caused me to respond that I was unfamiliar with helicopter rtes. In the meantime; I am going to buy myself a helicopter chart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SR22 PILOT REPORTS MISUNDERSTANDING WITH LGA TOWER AND INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY THE THROGS ROUTE.

Narrative: I WANTED TO GIVE MY PAX A NICE VIEW OF NYC. I CONTACTED NEW YORK APCH AND REQUESTED HUDSON CORRIDOR; EAST RIVER CORRIDOR; THEN E TO MONTAUK. I WAS CLRED INTO NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 1500 FT PROCEEDING N UP THE HUDSON RIVER. ON APCHING THE EAST RIVER; EWR TWR SAID THEY COULDN'T ARRANGE HDOF TO LGA; CONTINUE N UP HUDSON SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE EAST RIVER; EWR TWR HANDED ME OFF TO LGA TWR. I REQUESTED A R TURN OVER CENTRAL PARK. THE CTLR SAID; 'I WAS HOPING YOU'D ASK FOR THAT; TURN R OVER CENTRAL PARK AND PROCEED E TO THROGS (NECK).' I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTION. (AS I WOULD FIGURE OUT LATER; THE CTLR PROBABLY SAID 'THROGS (RTE)'.) I TURNED R OVER CENTRAL PARK AND SURE ENOUGH THE THROGS NECK BRIDGE WAS AT 090 DEGS; PERFECT RIGHT? ANYWAY; WHEN I WAS ABEAM LGA; THE CTLR INDICATED THAT I WAS SLIGHTLY N OF COURSE AND I RESPONDED THAT I WAS PROCEEDING E TO THE THROGS NECK. HE INDICATED THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND THAT HE GAVE ME THE THROGS ROUTING. HOWEVER; HE THEN TOLD ME TO CONTINUE ON COURSE. HE TOLD ME TO REVIEW THE THROGS ROUTING FOR NEXT TIME AND HANDED ME OFF TO NEW YORK DEP. I APOLOGIZED FOR MISUNDERSTANDING HIS INSTRUCTION. (NOTE: THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS; THE TWR FREQ WASN'T BUSY; AND SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED.) I LATER LOOKED ALL OVER FOR THE THROGS RTE; SINCE I HAD NEVER HEARD OF IT. IT DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE TERMINAL AREA CHART OR SECTIONAL; AND IT'S NOT IN THE UNITED STATES TERMINAL PROCS. I FINALLY FOUND IT -- IT'S A HELI RTE. IT APPEARS ON THE NEW YORK HELI CHART (SEE PICTURE). I'VE FLOWN IN NYC AIRSPACE MANY TIMES. IN THE PAST; LGA WOULD GIVE ME DIRECT LGA THEN THROGS NECK WHEN FLYING IN THIS AREA. I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A SHORTCUT. I THINK WHAT WOULD HELP AVOID CONFUSION IS IF A CTLR GIVES A FIXED WING PLT A HELI RTE; THEN THEY SHOULD SPECIFY IT (IE; TURN R OVER CENTRAL PARK AND PROCEED E ON HELI RTE THROGS.) THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO RESPOND THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH HELI RTES. IN THE MEANTIME; I AM GOING TO BUY MYSELF A HELI CHART.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.