Narrative:

I was scheduled to fly air carrier X flight abc from mgw to pit as the final phase of my captain upgrade. Having completed IOE the previous week, this was to be my FAA observed ride and line check. I had 'familiarized myself with all pertinent data concerning the route of flight' but I was unfamiliar with the local customs. Also, I was feeling some anxiety in that the FAA was observing the flight, and some pressure due to the fact that the flight was 2 hours behind schedule due to a late inbound arrival. I was to be the PF in the left seat. The PNF in the right seat was an air carrier X IOE captain and check airman. The observer's seat was occupied by the FAA inspector. Our filed flight plan was mgw V35 ihd NESTO2. I had noted that in the absence of a different clearance, I would fly to the mgw VOR which is 5.4 NM sse of the airport. The clearance that I heard ground control give us and which the PNF copies was: cleared to pit via the mgw 024 degree radial, pleez, NESTO2 arrival. I did not hear an instruction as to how to intercept the 024 degree radial, so I assumed that it would be at the VOR. After the flight, the FAA inspector told us that we had been instructed to turn right to intercept the 024 degree radial, but I do not know whether this was in the route clearance given by ground control, or in the takeoff clearance given by tower. In any event, I did not hear the instruction to turn right after takeoff to intercept the 024 degree radial. Considering the surface winds, we requested and were cleared to take off on runway 36. While taxiing onto the runway, I stated in my takeoff briefing that I planned to comply with the published departure procedure which calls for runway heading to 2700 ft MSL (1450 ft AGL) after which I planned to fly directly to mgw VOR. Neither the PNF check airman nor the observer mentioned any disagreement or objection. Upon contacting clarksburg departure, the PNF stated our altitude and that we were presently in the turn to the VOR. Departure's response was for us to contact ZOB. Approximately abeam the airport, the PNF contacted ZOB -- the PNF stating our altitude and that we were direct to the mgw VOR. Center immediately queried why we were going to the VOR, to which the PNF responded that in the absence of an assigned heading we were treating it as a lost communication procedure and complying with the filed routing. ZOB told us to turn to 030 degrees to intercept the 024 degree radial, which we did. Upon landing at pit, the FAA inspector called ATC who stated that no loss of separation had occurred and that no enforcement action would be taken. I believe the reasons for the deviation were the following: 1) ATC's ambiguous usage of the clearance phraseology 'cleared via the 024 degree radial' without specifying how to intercept the radial. 2) ATC's ambiguous usage of the instruction phraseology to turn right without specifying a heading. 3) failure of PF to hear the instruction to turn right. 4) failure of the PNF and the observer to detect and point out the resulting error in the PF's briefing of his takeoff intentions. 5) failure of departure control to question PNF's statement that we were in a turn to the VOR. Supplemental information from acn 510529: a clearance to intercept a radial without a heading leaves the intercept open to question. Furthermore, 2 frequency changes within 30 seconds provided no time for communication to question the intercept. Mgw tower/ckg departure assumed we were going to provide ourselves our own heading to intercept when called on the phone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900 FLC EXPERIENCES A HDG TRACK DEV FROM CLRNC WHEN ATC DID NOT ASSIGN AN INTERCEPT HDG FOR THEIR DEP PROC FROM RWY 36 AT MGW, WV.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY ACR X FLT ABC FROM MGW TO PIT AS THE FINAL PHASE OF MY CAPT UPGRADE. HAVING COMPLETED IOE THE PREVIOUS WK, THIS WAS TO BE MY FAA OBSERVED RIDE AND LINE CHK. I HAD 'FAMILIARIZED MYSELF WITH ALL PERTINENT DATA CONCERNING THE RTE OF FLT' BUT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LCL CUSTOMS. ALSO, I WAS FEELING SOME ANXIETY IN THAT THE FAA WAS OBSERVING THE FLT, AND SOME PRESSURE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FLT WAS 2 HRS BEHIND SCHEDULE DUE TO A LATE INBOUND ARR. I WAS TO BE THE PF IN THE L SEAT. THE PNF IN THE R SEAT WAS AN ACR X IOE CAPT AND CHK AIRMAN. THE OBSERVER'S SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY THE FAA INSPECTOR. OUR FILED FLT PLAN WAS MGW V35 IHD NESTO2. I HAD NOTED THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF A DIFFERENT CLRNC, I WOULD FLY TO THE MGW VOR WHICH IS 5.4 NM SSE OF THE ARPT. THE CLRNC THAT I HEARD GND CTL GIVE US AND WHICH THE PNF COPIES WAS: CLRED TO PIT VIA THE MGW 024 DEG RADIAL, PLEEZ, NESTO2 ARR. I DID NOT HEAR AN INSTRUCTION AS TO HOW TO INTERCEPT THE 024 DEG RADIAL, SO I ASSUMED THAT IT WOULD BE AT THE VOR. AFTER THE FLT, THE FAA INSPECTOR TOLD US THAT WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN R TO INTERCEPT THE 024 DEG RADIAL, BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THIS WAS IN THE RTE CLRNC GIVEN BY GND CTL, OR IN THE TKOF CLRNC GIVEN BY TWR. IN ANY EVENT, I DID NOT HEAR THE INSTRUCTION TO TURN R AFTER TKOF TO INTERCEPT THE 024 DEG RADIAL. CONSIDERING THE SURFACE WINDS, WE REQUESTED AND WERE CLRED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 36. WHILE TAXIING ONTO THE RWY, I STATED IN MY TKOF BRIEFING THAT I PLANNED TO COMPLY WITH THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC WHICH CALLS FOR RWY HDG TO 2700 FT MSL (1450 FT AGL) AFTER WHICH I PLANNED TO FLY DIRECTLY TO MGW VOR. NEITHER THE PNF CHK AIRMAN NOR THE OBSERVER MENTIONED ANY DISAGREEMENT OR OBJECTION. UPON CONTACTING CLARKSBURG DEP, THE PNF STATED OUR ALT AND THAT WE WERE PRESENTLY IN THE TURN TO THE VOR. DEP'S RESPONSE WAS FOR US TO CONTACT ZOB. APPROX ABEAM THE ARPT, THE PNF CONTACTED ZOB -- THE PNF STATING OUR ALT AND THAT WE WERE DIRECT TO THE MGW VOR. CTR IMMEDIATELY QUERIED WHY WE WERE GOING TO THE VOR, TO WHICH THE PNF RESPONDED THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ASSIGNED HDG WE WERE TREATING IT AS A LOST COM PROC AND COMPLYING WITH THE FILED ROUTING. ZOB TOLD US TO TURN TO 030 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 024 DEG RADIAL, WHICH WE DID. UPON LNDG AT PIT, THE FAA INSPECTOR CALLED ATC WHO STATED THAT NO LOSS OF SEPARATION HAD OCCURRED AND THAT NO ENFORCEMENT ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. I BELIEVE THE REASONS FOR THE DEV WERE THE FOLLOWING: 1) ATC'S AMBIGUOUS USAGE OF THE CLRNC PHRASEOLOGY 'CLRED VIA THE 024 DEG RADIAL' WITHOUT SPECIFYING HOW TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL. 2) ATC'S AMBIGUOUS USAGE OF THE INSTRUCTION PHRASEOLOGY TO TURN R WITHOUT SPECIFYING A HDG. 3) FAILURE OF PF TO HEAR THE INSTRUCTION TO TURN R. 4) FAILURE OF THE PNF AND THE OBSERVER TO DETECT AND POINT OUT THE RESULTING ERROR IN THE PF'S BRIEFING OF HIS TKOF INTENTIONS. 5) FAILURE OF DEP CTL TO QUESTION PNF'S STATEMENT THAT WE WERE IN A TURN TO THE VOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 510529: A CLRNC TO INTERCEPT A RADIAL WITHOUT A HDG LEAVES THE INTERCEPT OPEN TO QUESTION. FURTHERMORE, 2 FREQ CHANGES WITHIN 30 SECONDS PROVIDED NO TIME FOR COM TO QUESTION THE INTERCEPT. MGW TWR/CKG DEP ASSUMED WE WERE GOING TO PROVIDE OURSELVES OUR OWN HDG TO INTERCEPT WHEN CALLED ON THE PHONE.

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.