GA pilot deviated from clearance track due to ATC handling of route clearance by 'clearing as filed....

Attributes
ACN	224857
Time
Date	199210
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : suu
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : suu
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	224857
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Filed sfo-smf via oak V6 sac direct. Clearance delivery read me 'radar vectors to ccr then as filed,' which I took to mean 'direct sac direct.' turns out that wasn't what ATC had in mind. 15 north of ccr, ATC called to ask why I was not on the ccr R-353. I told him that no one had told me to be there. He then read me what should have been the clearance in the first place: 'ccr ccr R-353; at 40 DME right turn direct metre.' oops. This one was clearly my fault for assuming what 'as filed' meant rather than getting tec. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated that the originating tower cleared him 'as filed,' therefore, he was following his filed route. He also provided his aircraft, pilot qualifications, WX and location at the time of the incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT DEVIATED FROM CLRNC TRACK DUE TO ATC HANDLING OF RTE CLRNC BY 'CLRING AS FILED.'

Narrative: FILED SFO-SMF VIA OAK V6 SAC DIRECT. CLRNC DELIVERY READ ME 'RADAR VECTORS TO CCR THEN AS FILED,' WHICH I TOOK TO MEAN 'DIRECT SAC DIRECT.' TURNS OUT THAT WASN'T WHAT ATC HAD IN MIND. 15 N OF CCR, ATC CALLED TO ASK WHY I WAS NOT ON THE CCR R-353. I TOLD HIM THAT NO ONE HAD TOLD ME TO BE THERE. HE THEN READ ME WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CLRNC IN THE FIRST PLACE: 'CCR CCR R-353; AT 40 DME R TURN DIRECT METRE.' OOPS. THIS ONE WAS CLRLY MY FAULT FOR ASSUMING WHAT 'AS FILED' MEANT RATHER THAN GETTING TEC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED THAT THE ORIGINATING TWR CLRED HIM 'AS FILED,' THEREFORE, HE WAS FOLLOWING HIS FILED RTE. HE ALSO PROVIDED HIS ACFT, PLT QUALIFICATIONS, WX AND LOCATION AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

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.

GA pilot deviated from clearance track due to ATC handling of route clearance by 'clearing as filed.'