<< >> NASA ASRS Report 438207, May 1999

Cpr pilot acts on nonstandard phraseology and incomplete transmission on the part of approach controller.

Attributes
ACN	438207
Time
Date	199905
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grr.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2300 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : grr.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 9700 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	438207
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching grr, talking to approach controller, IFR flight plan. Clearance was direct to grr airport. Approach cleared us to descend to 5000 ft. About 1 min later, he told us 'crossing VOR fly heading 060 degrees.' I asked him if he wanted us to go direct to VOR now. I reported airport insight. Going to the VOR would have required about a 30 degree right turn away from the airport. We understood that we were cleared for the visual approach. The copilot repeated this back to the controller and we received no correction. About 30 seconds later, the controller told us to turn right to 060 degree heading. This surprised me since we had been cleared for the visual. But the controller gave headings that were not on our IFR flight plan. We were in a position relative to the airport where we would normally be at pattern altitude of 2300 ft MSL. As we were approaching that altitude, the controller cleared us for the visual and said that we were not cleared earlier. He said the descent below the assigned altitude was no problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR PLT ACTS ON NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY AND INCOMPLETE XMISSION ON THE PART OF APCH CTLR.

Narrative: APCHING GRR, TALKING TO APCH CTLR, IFR FLT PLAN. CLRNC WAS DIRECT TO GRR ARPT. APCH CLRED US TO DSND TO 5000 FT. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, HE TOLD US 'XING VOR FLY HDG 060 DEGS.' I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED US TO GO DIRECT TO VOR NOW. I RPTED ARPT INSIGHT. GOING TO THE VOR WOULD HAVE REQUIRED ABOUT A 30 DEG R TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. THE COPLT REPEATED THIS BACK TO THE CTLR AND WE RECEIVED NO CORRECTION. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER, THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN R TO 060 DEG HDG. THIS SURPRISED ME SINCE WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. BUT THE CTLR GAVE HDGS THAT WERE NOT ON OUR IFR FLT PLAN. WE WERE IN A POS RELATIVE TO THE ARPT WHERE WE WOULD NORMALLY BE AT PATTERN ALT OF 2300 FT MSL. AS WE WERE APCHING THAT ALT, THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL AND SAID THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED EARLIER. HE SAID THE DSCNT BELOW THE ASSIGNED ALT WAS NO PROB.

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.