Narrative:

We were scheduled for a pilot proficiency training flight while deployed to roosevelt roads (tjnr) in puerto rico. The crew decided the 5 hour flight to include approach work at each st thomas and st croix. When I talked with sju approach, I asked to do some approachs at st thomas. The controller cleared us for the requested ILS runway 10 approach. Following a low approach, I requested direct to the VOR, followed by the VOR a procedure turn approach. Following the approach, we requested another VOR a approach and were instructed to hold at the VOR. We were given an expect further clearance about 10 mins away. While entering the depicted holding, the controller changed our instructions to hold on the 181 degree radial at 4000 ft, make left turns. We had been paralleling the 007 degree radial and were in a right turn back into the VOR. We rolled out on a 187 degree course inbound to the VOR and started to figure out the new holding pattern. Very shortly afterwards, the controller cleared us for the approach. I remember the instructions as being cross the VOR at 4000 ft, cleared the approach, contact someone (tower, I think) on 118.1. As we rolled out back to the VOR, we were on the 187 degree course inbound, essentially the initial approach course. Being on this course, I thought that the controller had changed his mind and wanted us to continue inbound on the approach. Crossing the VOR, we began our descent and told approach we were switching frequencys. He responded by saying 'you're not switching now are you?' the flight deck was confused by the question. I stopped descending while we tried to clear up the situation. Approach followed by asking 'you are turning back to the VOR aren't you?' before we could respond, he gave us instructions to climb back to 4000 ft and vectors to continue on to st croix. We were handed over to center without having a chance to clear up what had happened with sju approach. There are several contributing factors to the events. First, myself and the crew were unfamiliar with the area. We had never shot approachs at tstt, and infrequently fly out of conus. Prior to our next flight out of tjnr, we were talking with base operations personnel about this event, and they said that sju prefers that transition work be done at st croix over st thomas. I wish we had known that before the flight. Secondly, myself and the other pilot became overoccupied by the new holding instructions and may have missed part of our instructions or an entire radio call. We assumed that when we rolled out on the 187 degree radial inbound course and were cleared for the approach, that the controller intended for us to continue inbound and not do another procedure turn. There are several things that could have been done better and possibly prevented any confusion that day. First, we could have asked more questions about the local area and where it is preferred approach work be conducted. While on the approach, we should have asked questions and not assumed anything or that no procedure turn was intended.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL E6 FLC ASSUME APCH CLRNC ALLOWS THEM TO ABBREVIATE A FULL PUBLISHED APCH. SJU APCH CTL ARRESTS APCH AND VECTORS E6 FLC FOR ANOTHER APCH AT ANOTHER ARPT. FLC CONFUSED WITH WHAT THEY ASSUMED VERSUS CONDUCTED. NO FAA COORD.

Narrative: WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR A PLT PROFICIENCY TRAINING FLT WHILE DEPLOYED TO ROOSEVELT ROADS (TJNR) IN PUERTO RICO. THE CREW DECIDED THE 5 HR FLT TO INCLUDE APCH WORK AT EACH ST THOMAS AND ST CROIX. WHEN I TALKED WITH SJU APCH, I ASKED TO DO SOME APCHS AT ST THOMAS. THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE REQUESTED ILS RWY 10 APCH. FOLLOWING A LOW APCH, I REQUESTED DIRECT TO THE VOR, FOLLOWED BY THE VOR A PROC TURN APCH. FOLLOWING THE APCH, WE REQUESTED ANOTHER VOR A APCH AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD AT THE VOR. WE WERE GIVEN AN EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC ABOUT 10 MINS AWAY. WHILE ENTERING THE DEPICTED HOLDING, THE CTLR CHANGED OUR INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD ON THE 181 DEG RADIAL AT 4000 FT, MAKE L TURNS. WE HAD BEEN PARALLELING THE 007 DEG RADIAL AND WERE IN A R TURN BACK INTO THE VOR. WE ROLLED OUT ON A 187 DEG COURSE INBOUND TO THE VOR AND STARTED TO FIGURE OUT THE NEW HOLDING PATTERN. VERY SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE APCH. I REMEMBER THE INSTRUCTIONS AS BEING CROSS THE VOR AT 4000 FT, CLRED THE APCH, CONTACT SOMEONE (TWR, I THINK) ON 118.1. AS WE ROLLED OUT BACK TO THE VOR, WE WERE ON THE 187 DEG COURSE INBOUND, ESSENTIALLY THE INITIAL APCH COURSE. BEING ON THIS COURSE, I THOUGHT THAT THE CTLR HAD CHANGED HIS MIND AND WANTED US TO CONTINUE INBOUND ON THE APCH. XING THE VOR, WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT AND TOLD APCH WE WERE SWITCHING FREQS. HE RESPONDED BY SAYING 'YOU'RE NOT SWITCHING NOW ARE YOU?' THE FLT DECK WAS CONFUSED BY THE QUESTION. I STOPPED DSNDING WHILE WE TRIED TO CLR UP THE SIT. APCH FOLLOWED BY ASKING 'YOU ARE TURNING BACK TO THE VOR AREN'T YOU?' BEFORE WE COULD RESPOND, HE GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB BACK TO 4000 FT AND VECTORS TO CONTINUE ON TO ST CROIX. WE WERE HANDED OVER TO CTR WITHOUT HAVING A CHANCE TO CLR UP WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH SJU APCH. THERE ARE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE EVENTS. FIRST, MYSELF AND THE CREW WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. WE HAD NEVER SHOT APCHS AT TSTT, AND INFREQUENTLY FLY OUT OF CONUS. PRIOR TO OUR NEXT FLT OUT OF TJNR, WE WERE TALKING WITH BASE OPS PERSONNEL ABOUT THIS EVENT, AND THEY SAID THAT SJU PREFERS THAT TRANSITION WORK BE DONE AT ST CROIX OVER ST THOMAS. I WISH WE HAD KNOWN THAT BEFORE THE FLT. SECONDLY, MYSELF AND THE OTHER PLT BECAME OVEROCCUPIED BY THE NEW HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND MAY HAVE MISSED PART OF OUR INSTRUCTIONS OR AN ENTIRE RADIO CALL. WE ASSUMED THAT WHEN WE ROLLED OUT ON THE 187 DEG RADIAL INBOUND COURSE AND WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH, THAT THE CTLR INTENDED FOR US TO CONTINUE INBOUND AND NOT DO ANOTHER PROC TURN. THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER AND POSSIBLY PREVENTED ANY CONFUSION THAT DAY. FIRST, WE COULD HAVE ASKED MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LCL AREA AND WHERE IT IS PREFERRED APCH WORK BE CONDUCTED. WHILE ON THE APCH, WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS AND NOT ASSUMED ANYTHING OR THAT NO PROC TURN WAS INTENDED.

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.