Narrative:

I received my IFR clearance with valid time from mcminnville FSS. Departure point was cottage grove, or. The routing was as follows. 61S direct, eug, V481, cvo, V495, ueg, V287, lofal intersection, V4, jawbn intersection, direct elwha, port angeles. I read back this clearance and was given a 'readback correct' reply. When the flight reached UB6 we were established 'centerline' on V287, 013 by heading when the controller came back to tell us we were 5 mi off course. I declined that. He rted us into V165 to olympia (olm). A little later he came back with our official clearance, 'V165, olm, V287, as filed.' the flight terminated uneventfully in port angeles, wa. Obviously ATC lost my flight plan. If this is the case and I follow my clearance faithfully, I can get into a world of trouble very fast. I don't know how to avoid a similar situation in the future. I understand if they change a routing and want me to copy the changes, but to tell me I'm off course is hard to take. Especially when the readback on the ground was also correct. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter had not contacted ATC to find out what happened with respect to his flight plan. He agrees, since our discussion, that ATC did not lose it as he said in his report but rather had had to amend it and for whatever reason had not transmitted the amendment to him. He said that WX was very bad with heavy rain, turbulence, and low visibility and ATC frequency very crowded, and he was thoroughly scared when greeted unexpectedly with the criticism that he was 5 mi out of position in that crowded airspace when all his cockpit information was confirming that he was exactly where he was supposed to be. He added, however, that controller was both courteous ad helpful in getting the new routing to him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HANDOFF CTLR DOES NOT ADVISE PLT OF SMA ROUTE CLRNC AMENDMENT RESULTING IN 'OFF COURSE' ADVISORY WHEN HE CHECKED IN WITH NEXT SECTOR (APCH) CTLR.

Narrative: I RECEIVED MY IFR CLRNC WITH VALID TIME FROM MCMINNVILLE FSS. DEP POINT WAS COTTAGE GROVE, OR. THE RTING WAS AS FOLLOWS. 61S DIRECT, EUG, V481, CVO, V495, UEG, V287, LOFAL INTXN, V4, JAWBN INTXN, DIRECT ELWHA, PORT ANGELES. I READ BACK THIS CLRNC AND WAS GIVEN A 'READBACK CORRECT' REPLY. WHEN THE FLT REACHED UB6 WE WERE ESTABLISHED 'CTRLINE' ON V287, 013 BY HDG WHEN THE CTLR CAME BACK TO TELL US WE WERE 5 MI OFF COURSE. I DECLINED THAT. HE RTED US INTO V165 TO OLYMPIA (OLM). A LITTLE LATER HE CAME BACK WITH OUR OFFICIAL CLRNC, 'V165, OLM, V287, AS FILED.' THE FLT TERMINATED UNEVENTFULLY IN PORT ANGELES, WA. OBVIOUSLY ATC LOST MY FLT PLAN. IF THIS IS THE CASE AND I FOLLOW MY CLRNC FAITHFULLY, I CAN GET INTO A WORLD OF TROUBLE VERY FAST. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO AVOID A SIMILAR SITUATION IN THE FUTURE. I UNDERSTAND IF THEY CHANGE A RTING AND WANT ME TO COPY THE CHANGES, BUT TO TELL ME I'M OFF COURSE IS HARD TO TAKE. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE READBACK ON THE GND WAS ALSO CORRECT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR HAD NOT CONTACTED ATC TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH RESPECT TO HIS FLT PLAN. HE AGREES, SINCE OUR DISCUSSION, THAT ATC DID NOT LOSE IT AS HE SAID IN HIS RPT BUT RATHER HAD HAD TO AMEND IT AND FOR WHATEVER REASON HAD NOT XMITTED THE AMENDMENT TO HIM. HE SAID THAT WX WAS VERY BAD WITH HEAVY RAIN, TURB, AND LOW VISIBILITY AND ATC FREQ VERY CROWDED, AND HE WAS THOROUGHLY SCARED WHEN GREETED UNEXPECTEDLY WITH THE CRITICISM THAT HE WAS 5 MI OUT OF POS IN THAT CROWDED AIRSPACE WHEN ALL HIS COCKPIT INFO WAS CONFIRMING THAT HE WAS EXACTLY WHERE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT CTLR WAS BOTH COURTEOUS AD HELPFUL IN GETTING THE NEW RTING TO HIM.

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