Air carrier on vectors for visual approach to runway 19L at las widened turn to lose altitude and wa...

Narrative:

On visual approach into 19L the approach controller cleared us via heading 250 to intercept the final for 19L. As usual on the 19's; ATC had left us high. While maneuvering for arrival I widened out about 20 degrees to the right to shed some altitude. Almost right away ATC queried us as to our heading upset that we had widened out saying the airspace to the right did not belong to him. I then realized I had forgotten about the original heading assignment and explained we were just trying to get down and returned to the original heading. He then cleared us over to the tower and we landed without any further problems or conflicts; with no other aircraft in the immediate area. This was an error of simply forgetting the original heading assignment. If I had not been so preoccupied with the descent; needed to catch up to the approach path I would like to think I would not have forgotten about the heading assignment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air carrier on vectors for visual approach to Runway 19L at LAS widened turn to lose altitude and was questioned by ATC regarding the lack of adherence to previously assigned heading.

Narrative: On visual approach into 19L the Approach Controller cleared us via heading 250 to intercept the final for 19L. As usual on the 19's; ATC had left us high. While maneuvering for arrival I widened out about 20 degrees to the right to shed some altitude. Almost right away ATC queried us as to our heading upset that we had widened out saying the airspace to the right did not belong to him. I then realized I had forgotten about the original heading assignment and explained we were just trying to get down and returned to the original heading. He then cleared us over to the Tower and we landed without any further problems or conflicts; with no other aircraft in the immediate area. This was an error of simply forgetting the original heading assignment. If I had not been so preoccupied with the descent; needed to catch up to the approach path I would like to think I would not have forgotten about the heading assignment.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	847303
Time
Date	200908
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	LAS.Airport
State Reference	NV
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Final Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	First Officer Pilot Flying
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 267
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Air carrier on vectors for visual approach to runway 19L at las widened turn to lose altitude and was questioned by ATC regarding the lack of adherence to previously assigned heading.