Narrative:

We were proceeding on the cugar 6 STAR into iah at 10000 ft. A passenger came forward to ask a question. The PF answered the question at the same time I received a call from hou approach to proceed along the STAR to banty intersection then turn left to 085 degrees. I did not hear the part about banty intersection and read back the heading change, which we did immediately, still about 10 NM from banty. The controller did not correct me. I sent the passenger to his seat and began to brief the approach when ATC called and told us to fly directly to iah VOR and stand by for vectors. He also clarified the previous clearance. We proceeded to iah without further difficulty. This incident was caused by the following: 1) passenger failing to observe fasten seatbelt sign/directive. 2) distraction by passenger question. 3) poor quality of headsets (normal headsets were in repair). 4) failure of controller to correct my readback. It is my perception that since controllers have been absolved of legal responsibility to correct readbacks, many end a 'transaction' with a pilot with their issuance of a clearance instead of ensuring the clearance was correctly heard. This should be reversed immediately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIR TAXI FLC FLYING AN LJ35 INTO IAH FAILS TO FOLLOW ATC INSTRUCTIONS RESULTING IN A TRACK DEV.

Narrative: WE WERE PROCEEDING ON THE CUGAR 6 STAR INTO IAH AT 10000 FT. A PAX CAME FORWARD TO ASK A QUESTION. THE PF ANSWERED THE QUESTION AT THE SAME TIME I RECEIVED A CALL FROM HOU APCH TO PROCEED ALONG THE STAR TO BANTY INTXN THEN TURN L TO 085 DEGS. I DID NOT HEAR THE PART ABOUT BANTY INTXN AND READ BACK THE HDG CHANGE, WHICH WE DID IMMEDIATELY, STILL ABOUT 10 NM FROM BANTY. THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT ME. I SENT THE PAX TO HIS SEAT AND BEGAN TO BRIEF THE APCH WHEN ATC CALLED AND TOLD US TO FLY DIRECTLY TO IAH VOR AND STAND BY FOR VECTORS. HE ALSO CLARIFIED THE PREVIOUS CLRNC. WE PROCEEDED TO IAH WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE FOLLOWING: 1) PAX FAILING TO OBSERVE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN/DIRECTIVE. 2) DISTR BY PAX QUESTION. 3) POOR QUALITY OF HEADSETS (NORMAL HEADSETS WERE IN REPAIR). 4) FAILURE OF CTLR TO CORRECT MY READBACK. IT IS MY PERCEPTION THAT SINCE CTLRS HAVE BEEN ABSOLVED OF LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT READBACKS, MANY END A 'TRANSACTION' WITH A PLT WITH THEIR ISSUANCE OF A CLRNC INSTEAD OF ENSURING THE CLRNC WAS CORRECTLY HEARD. THIS SHOULD BE REVERSED IMMEDIATELY.

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.