Air carrier flight crew misinterprets the question of ARTCC.

Attributes
ACN	301369
Time
Date	199504
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cwa
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp tower : zzz
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SA-227 AC Metro III
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	301369
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

ZMP told us 'proceed direct danci LOM to intercept auw 17 arc, maintain 4000 ft. We were inbound on auw R-130. The ILS is to runway 8. We intercepted 17 arc at auw R-130 and arc right. Center asked us if we were arcing north or south. We said north because arcing right is in the north heading. Center told us to report crossing auw R-020. I told captain that center thinks we are in the northeast quad. We will never cross auw R-020! In the meantime, ZMP launched an IFR flight off of cwa runway 17 towards us. Arcing north or south is a non standard phraseology. ATC is supposed to ask arcing clockwise or counter-clockwise, not north or south and why would we even be up in the northeast quad if we arrived on R-130 going toward ILS 8 cwa?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC MISINTERPRETS THE QUESTION OF ARTCC.

Narrative: ZMP TOLD US 'PROCEED DIRECT DANCI LOM TO INTERCEPT AUW 17 ARC, MAINTAIN 4000 FT. WE WERE INBOUND ON AUW R-130. THE ILS IS TO RWY 8. WE INTERCEPTED 17 ARC AT AUW R-130 AND ARC R. CTR ASKED US IF WE WERE ARCING N OR S. WE SAID N BECAUSE ARCING R IS IN THE N HDG. CTR TOLD US TO RPT XING AUW R-020. I TOLD CAPT THAT CTR THINKS WE ARE IN THE NE QUAD. WE WILL NEVER CROSS AUW R-020! IN THE MEANTIME, ZMP LAUNCHED AN IFR FLT OFF OF CWA RWY 17 TOWARDS US. ARCING N OR S IS A NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY. ATC IS SUPPOSED TO ASK ARCING CLOCKWISE OR COUNTER-CLOCKWISE, NOT N OR S AND WHY WOULD WE EVEN BE UP IN THE NE QUAD IF WE ARRIVED ON R-130 GOING TOWARD ILS 8 CWA?

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.