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MD88 flight crew misinterprets clearance to holding fix as direct. Controller intervenes with interpretation that they should have remained on the arrival en route to the holding fix. Flight crew feels phraseology is incorrect. Controller says this happens frequently.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 363063 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : amg |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6400 |
| ASRS Report | 363063 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 12600 flight time type : 2660 |
| ASRS Report | 363255 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
We departed gnv for atl, filed via tay, amg, and the sinca 3 arrival, amg transition, to atl. Over amg at FL290 ZTL (frequency 126.42) gave us the following clearance, 'cleared to sinca to hold southeast as published, expect further clearance at AF05Z.' I read back the clearance and programmed the FMS to proceed direct to sinca. The captain and I both agreed that the clearance was direct to sinca intersection. Abeam dublin VOR, ZTL advised us that we were not cleared 'direct' to sinca, we were only cleared 'to' sinca. He then cleared us direct to sinca. He stated that this misunderstanding of the proper clearance happens frequently! Often times when given a clearance limit fix to hold, controllers include a via statement -- such as 'cleared to sinca via the sinca 3 arrival...' the terms 'cleared to...,' and 'cleared direct to...,' are almost identical. Yet the absence of the word 'direct' in controller phraseology means vastly different intentions. This small terminology difference has obviously been proven confusing (ZTL -- 'this happens frequently') and remains potentially dangerous. Supplemental information from acn 363255: on the controller's part, perhaps the terminology should be 'you are cleared via the sinca arrival to hold at sinca, etc.' or your clearance limit is sinca via the sinca arrival to hold at sinca... Pilots don't violate clrncs on purpose -- more probably when instructions are ambiguous or misunderstood!!!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD88 FLC MISINTERPRETS CLRNC TO HOLDING FIX AS DIRECT. CTLR INTERVENES WITH INTERP THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE REMAINED ON THE ARR ENRTE TO THE HOLDING FIX. FLC FEELS PHRASEOLOGY IS INCORRECT. CTLR SAYS THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED GNV FOR ATL, FILED VIA TAY, AMG, AND THE SINCA 3 ARR, AMG TRANSITION, TO ATL. OVER AMG AT FL290 ZTL (FREQ 126.42) GAVE US THE FOLLOWING CLRNC, 'CLRED TO SINCA TO HOLD SE AS PUBLISHED, EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC AT AF05Z.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND PROGRAMMED THE FMS TO PROCEED DIRECT TO SINCA. THE CAPT AND I BOTH AGREED THAT THE CLRNC WAS DIRECT TO SINCA INTXN. ABEAM DUBLIN VOR, ZTL ADVISED US THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED 'DIRECT' TO SINCA, WE WERE ONLY CLRED 'TO' SINCA. HE THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO SINCA. HE STATED THAT THIS MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE PROPER CLRNC HAPPENS FREQUENTLY! OFTEN TIMES WHEN GIVEN A CLRNC LIMIT FIX TO HOLD, CTLRS INCLUDE A VIA STATEMENT -- SUCH AS 'CLRED TO SINCA VIA THE SINCA 3 ARR...' THE TERMS 'CLRED TO...,' AND 'CLRED DIRECT TO...,' ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL. YET THE ABSENCE OF THE WORD 'DIRECT' IN CTLR PHRASEOLOGY MEANS VASTLY DIFFERENT INTENTIONS. THIS SMALL TERMINOLOGY DIFFERENCE HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN PROVEN CONFUSING (ZTL -- 'THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY') AND REMAINS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 363255: ON THE CTLR'S PART, PERHAPS THE TERMINOLOGY SHOULD BE 'YOU ARE CLRED VIA THE SINCA ARR TO HOLD AT SINCA, ETC.' OR YOUR CLRNC LIMIT IS SINCA VIA THE SINCA ARR TO HOLD AT SINCA... PLTS DON'T VIOLATE CLRNCS ON PURPOSE -- MORE PROBABLY WHEN INSTRUCTIONS ARE AMBIGUOUS OR MISUNDERSTOOD!!!
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.