Narrative:

The flight en route from reno was characterized by several speed changes for spacing on other arriving traffic. At about 200 mi out, we were told by ZLA to fly at maximum speed. Approaching fillmore VOR, we were told to slow to 250 KTS. The captain advised the controller that we could not make the crossing restr at symon intersection at that speed (250 KTS). He allowed an airspeed increase to 280 KTS to enable us to cross symon at 12000 ft. In the vicinity of symon intersection, the captain received a transmission from socal approach to turn to a heading of 090 degrees. He acknowledged and read back our call sign 'air carrier X, heading 090 degrees.' I turned the aircraft to a 090 degree heading. We normally would have intercepted the smo 261 degree radial at sadde intersection and flown a heading of 070 degrees off smo VOR. The 090 degree heading assigned would have been a short cut to a position east of the smo VOR. We felt the controller was giving a vector to accommodate his spacing requirements, so we did not challenge the unusual vector. About 1/2 way through the turn, the controller gave us a heading of 180 degrees and said he never issued a 090 degree heading to us. The controller did not mention any traffic conflicts as a result of this heading misunderstanding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLC ACCEPTS A CLRNC FOR A HDG CHANGE NEAR SYMON INTXN, BUT THE CTLR, WHEN TURNING THEM BACK TO A CORRECTED HDG, SAID HE NEVER GAVE THAT HDG TO THEM. SCT, CA.

Narrative: THE FLT ENRTE FROM RENO WAS CHARACTERIZED BY SEVERAL SPD CHANGES FOR SPACING ON OTHER ARRIVING TFC. AT ABOUT 200 MI OUT, WE WERE TOLD BY ZLA TO FLY AT MAX SPD. APCHING FILLMORE VOR, WE WERE TOLD TO SLOW TO 250 KTS. THE CAPT ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE COULD NOT MAKE THE XING RESTR AT SYMON INTXN AT THAT SPD (250 KTS). HE ALLOWED AN AIRSPD INCREASE TO 280 KTS TO ENABLE US TO CROSS SYMON AT 12000 FT. IN THE VICINITY OF SYMON INTXN, THE CAPT RECEIVED A XMISSION FROM SOCAL APCH TO TURN TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND READ BACK OUR CALL SIGN 'ACR X, HDG 090 DEGS.' I TURNED THE ACFT TO A 090 DEG HDG. WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE INTERCEPTED THE SMO 261 DEG RADIAL AT SADDE INTXN AND FLOWN A HDG OF 070 DEGS OFF SMO VOR. THE 090 DEG HDG ASSIGNED WOULD HAVE BEEN A SHORT CUT TO A POS E OF THE SMO VOR. WE FELT THE CTLR WAS GIVING A VECTOR TO ACCOMMODATE HIS SPACING REQUIREMENTS, SO WE DID NOT CHALLENGE THE UNUSUAL VECTOR. ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN, THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND SAID HE NEVER ISSUED A 090 DEG HDG TO US. THE CTLR DID NOT MENTION ANY TFC CONFLICTS AS A RESULT OF THIS HDG MISUNDERSTANDING.

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.