<< >> NASA ASRS Report 305000, May 1995

Small aircraft pilot gets into discussion with departure controller when controller accuses reporter of not holding vector heading.

Attributes
ACN	305000
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	305000
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

On climb out from dca, heading was held steady on assigned heading of 050 degrees. The climb to requested altitude of 5500 ft was into winds out of the northwest, velocity increasing with altitude. On my GPS readout I could see that, by dint of the left crosswind, my track was as much as 15 degrees and then 20 degrees to the right of the assigned heading. Early in the climb the controller asked for my desired on-course heading, which was 075 degrees. Then twice, with what sounded like impatience in his voice, the controller said, 'you need to stay on the 050 degree heading...' which I told him I was doing, but he didn't seem to get it. That is, if he didn't like the way the assigned heading was working out, he should have given me a different one. This is just a guess, but perhaps controllers accustomed to working acrs forget the proportionately greater effect of crosswind components on light aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT GETS INTO DISCUSSION WITH DEP CTLR WHEN CTLR ACCUSES RPTR OF NOT HOLDING VECTOR HDG.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM DCA, HDG WAS HELD STEADY ON ASSIGNED HDG OF 050 DEGS. THE CLB TO REQUESTED ALT OF 5500 FT WAS INTO WINDS OUT OF THE NW, VELOCITY INCREASING WITH ALT. ON MY GPS READOUT I COULD SEE THAT, BY DINT OF THE L XWIND, MY TRACK WAS AS MUCH AS 15 DEGS AND THEN 20 DEGS TO THE R OF THE ASSIGNED HDG. EARLY IN THE CLB THE CTLR ASKED FOR MY DESIRED ON-COURSE HDG, WHICH WAS 075 DEGS. THEN TWICE, WITH WHAT SOUNDED LIKE IMPATIENCE IN HIS VOICE, THE CTLR SAID, 'YOU NEED TO STAY ON THE 050 DEG HDG...' WHICH I TOLD HIM I WAS DOING, BUT HE DIDN'T SEEM TO GET IT. THAT IS, IF HE DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY THE ASSIGNED HDG WAS WORKING OUT, HE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A DIFFERENT ONE. THIS IS JUST A GUESS, BUT PERHAPS CTLRS ACCUSTOMED TO WORKING ACRS FORGET THE PROPORTIONATELY GREATER EFFECT OF XWIND COMPONENTS ON LIGHT ACFT.

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.