Narrative:

Orf departure put us on a 330 degree heading out over the water then turned us to 280 degrees to climb to 10000'. Approaching 10000' we were changed to washington ATC. On initial call up I advised washington we were leveling at 10000' on a 280 degree heading. Washington had a questioning tone in his voice when he repeated my heading but cleared us to 16000' (he then changed it to 14000'), although we were filed to 14000'. Radar vectors to hopewell direct richmond flight plan route. At 14000' and still on 280 degree heading I questioned how much further we could expect to be on this heading. At that time the controller mumbled something about we were supposed to be on a 230 degree heading to intercept a radial. I did not hear what VOR the radial was to or from. It appeared that he had been asking orf departure on what they (orf) had supposedly directed us to do. Meanwhile we were still heading west. The time between my initial contact and our questioning of our 280 degree heading must have been 3 or 4 mins. The controller then cleared us direct to richmond while was now straight north of us. I responded to the direct richmond clearance and advised him that we did not receive any other clearance except to maintain a heading of 280 degrees and to climb to 10000' from orf. He made no comment. If we were supposed to be intercepting a radial then why weren't we told to do it? We didn't see any other traffic, but whose airspace were we interfering with? Why the delay on changing our heading? Nobody was talking to anybody? Pretty sloppy controling!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DEVIATED FROM EXPECTED CLRNC ROUTE WHEN GIVEN THE WRONG HEADING CLRNC BY ORF DEP CTLR.

Narrative: ORF DEP PUT US ON A 330 DEG HDG OUT OVER THE WATER THEN TURNED US TO 280 DEGS TO CLB TO 10000'. APCHING 10000' WE WERE CHANGED TO WASHINGTON ATC. ON INITIAL CALL UP I ADVISED WASHINGTON WE WERE LEVELING AT 10000' ON A 280 DEG HDG. WASHINGTON HAD A QUESTIONING TONE IN HIS VOICE WHEN HE REPEATED MY HDG BUT CLRED US TO 16000' (HE THEN CHANGED IT TO 14000'), ALTHOUGH WE WERE FILED TO 14000'. RADAR VECTORS TO HOPEWELL DIRECT RICHMOND FLT PLAN ROUTE. AT 14000' AND STILL ON 280 DEG HDG I QUESTIONED HOW MUCH FURTHER WE COULD EXPECT TO BE ON THIS HDG. AT THAT TIME THE CTLR MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON A 230 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT A RADIAL. I DID NOT HEAR WHAT VOR THE RADIAL WAS TO OR FROM. IT APPEARED THAT HE HAD BEEN ASKING ORF DEP ON WHAT THEY (ORF) HAD SUPPOSEDLY DIRECTED US TO DO. MEANWHILE WE WERE STILL HEADING W. THE TIME BTWN MY INITIAL CONTACT AND OUR QUESTIONING OF OUR 280 DEG HDG MUST HAVE BEEN 3 OR 4 MINS. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO RICHMOND WHILE WAS NOW STRAIGHT N OF US. I RESPONDED TO THE DIRECT RICHMOND CLRNC AND ADVISED HIM THAT WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY OTHER CLRNC EXCEPT TO MAINTAIN A HDG OF 280 DEGS AND TO CLB TO 10000' FROM ORF. HE MADE NO COMMENT. IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE INTERCEPTING A RADIAL THEN WHY WEREN'T WE TOLD TO DO IT? WE DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER TFC, BUT WHOSE AIRSPACE WERE WE INTERFERING WITH? WHY THE DELAY ON CHANGING OUR HDG? NOBODY WAS TALKING TO ANYBODY? PRETTY SLOPPY CTLING!

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