<< >> NASA ASRS Report 402610, May 1998

B737. ATC controller issues a crossing altitude at an intersection. He then questions crew why they are not going direct to that intersection.

Attributes
ACN	402610
Time
Date	199805
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sax
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny tower : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	402610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight was flight planned and 'cleared kingston V6N direct fossi intersection direct sparta (sax).' ATC cleared flight to cross 25 NM northeast of sax at 7000 ft. Crew interpreted this to mean 'while remaining on flight plan routing.' however, while proceeding to fossi ATC asked whether we were going direct sax airport. Crew replied in the negative as this was not the clearance received. ATC then cleared us direct sax. It certainly is not clear that a crossing clearance with reference to a fix represents a clearance direct to that fix. ATC should have clarified their instructions. No traffic conflicts resulted from incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737. ATC CTLR ISSUES A XING ALT AT AN INTXN. HE THEN QUESTIONS CREW WHY THEY ARE NOT GOING DIRECT TO THAT INTXN.

Narrative: FLT WAS FLT PLANNED AND 'CLRED KINGSTON V6N DIRECT FOSSI INTXN DIRECT SPARTA (SAX).' ATC CLRED FLT TO CROSS 25 NM NE OF SAX AT 7000 FT. CREW INTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN 'WHILE REMAINING ON FLT PLAN ROUTING.' HOWEVER, WHILE PROCEEDING TO FOSSI ATC ASKED WHETHER WE WERE GOING DIRECT SAX ARPT. CREW REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE AS THIS WAS NOT THE CLRNC RECEIVED. ATC THEN CLRED US DIRECT SAX. IT CERTAINLY IS NOT CLR THAT A XING CLRNC WITH REF TO A FIX REPRESENTS A CLRNC DIRECT TO THAT FIX. ATC SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. NO TFC CONFLICTS RESULTED FROM 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.