CFIT a possibility, had small aircraft pilot not spoken up and advised the approach controller of th...

Attributes
ACN	347480
Time
Date	199609
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ldn airport : w45
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	M-20 J (201)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : iad
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 24 flight time total : 220 flight time type : 82
ASRS Report	347480
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error other

Narrative:

Flying on V3 at 6000 ft toward luray airport (W45) received clearance descent to 5000 ft, then vector of 190 degrees. Read back 190 degree left turn, no correction was given. Then received descend maintain 4000 ft readback, expect change of vector back away from mountain. Did not receive change of vector, so I informed ATC that 4000 ft would put me into the terrain. He then gave heading of, I believe, 340 degrees. This turned me away from mountains and toward the valley. He then informed me that W45 was 3 mi at 12 O'clock. It was actually 13 mi away. My LORAN showed 13 mi. He asked if I had runway in sight. I did not, but told him I could proceed visual, he then told me to cancel IFR plan on ground by calling dulles approach. I asked if I could cancel through FSS. He said he would rather I cancel direct to ATC. I would have flown into mountain if I was IMC. I think he was looking at wrong plane on scope. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter called back and stated that he had not been properly idented by the approach controller. He had been given the turn and the descent prior to any formal identify procedure, which had been based solely on his destination airport and proximity to the VOR. Reporter spoke with iad supervisor who was with quality assurance. She pulled the tape and said it was an operational error. Controller was pulled off position for 6 months for retraining.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFIT A POSSIBILITY, HAD SMA PLT NOT SPOKEN UP AND ADVISED THE APCH CTLR OF THE IMPROPER HDG ALT GIVEN IN DSCNT CLRNC DURING RADAR VECTORING.

Narrative: FLYING ON V3 AT 6000 FT TOWARD LURAY ARPT (W45) RECEIVED CLRNC DSCNT TO 5000 FT, THEN VECTOR OF 190 DEGS. READ BACK 190 DEG L TURN, NO CORRECTION WAS GIVEN. THEN RECEIVED DSND MAINTAIN 4000 FT READBACK, EXPECT CHANGE OF VECTOR BACK AWAY FROM MOUNTAIN. DID NOT RECEIVE CHANGE OF VECTOR, SO I INFORMED ATC THAT 4000 FT WOULD PUT ME INTO THE TERRAIN. HE THEN GAVE HDG OF, I BELIEVE, 340 DEGS. THIS TURNED ME AWAY FROM MOUNTAINS AND TOWARD THE VALLEY. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT W45 WAS 3 MI AT 12 O'CLOCK. IT WAS ACTUALLY 13 MI AWAY. MY LORAN SHOWED 13 MI. HE ASKED IF I HAD RWY IN SIGHT. I DID NOT, BUT TOLD HIM I COULD PROCEED VISUAL, HE THEN TOLD ME TO CANCEL IFR PLAN ON GND BY CALLING DULLES APCH. I ASKED IF I COULD CANCEL THROUGH FSS. HE SAID HE WOULD RATHER I CANCEL DIRECT TO ATC. I WOULD HAVE FLOWN INTO MOUNTAIN IF I WAS IMC. I THINK HE WAS LOOKING AT WRONG PLANE ON SCOPE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY IDENTED BY THE APCH CTLR. HE HAD BEEN GIVEN THE TURN AND THE DSCNT PRIOR TO ANY FORMAL IDENT PROC, WHICH HAD BEEN BASED SOLELY ON HIS DEST ARPT AND PROX TO THE VOR. RPTR SPOKE WITH IAD SUPVR WHO WAS WITH QUALITY ASSURANCE. SHE PULLED THE TAPE AND SAID IT WAS AN OPERROR. CTLR WAS PULLED OFF POS FOR 6 MONTHS FOR RETRAINING.

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.

CFIT a possibility, had small aircraft pilot not spoken up and advised the approach controller of the improper heading altitude given in descent clearance during radar vectoring.