Narrative:

Level at FL350. Previously cleared LNAV direct mei. After a few mins controller instructed us to turn 15 degrees right for vectors behind traffic. I read back 'company number, 15 degrees right.' first officer as PF turned to the right as instructed. There was no doubt that the controller told us to turn right. I am also very careful on my readbacks to speak very carefully and clearly. After approximately 5-8 mins on this new heading, the controller instructed us to 'turn right direct mei...oh I see you're already going right...I told you earlier to turn left for traffic...just turn left now direct mei.' (paraphrasing of course.) I read back 'sir, you previously told us to turn right 15 degrees for traffic. I read that back to you and we did just that.' the controller quickly responded 'well that's your story then.' then I just read back 'going direct mei, company number.' I just did not appreciate this controller's lack of professionalism in his dealing with his own mistake and my following his clearance exactly. I was so mad that when I was handed over to the next sector I asked the controller for a phone number to talk to a supervisor when I landed in msy. I instead called our ATC specialist and he was a great help in following up on this matter. My observation on this incident is that this controller was task saturated working this particular sector. He was literally non-stop issuing clrncs and handoffs. He was also a little short with a GA aircraft. Just a few mins before his deal with us, and that aircraft, was just asking a question about an altitude crossing restr. I am not so concerned about a violation (I and my first officer are certain we followed his heading change exactly) as I am about this controller's workload and his attitude regarding his clearance to us. I feel that controller workload is a valid safety issue. Supplemental information from acn 562831: I was the PF and the captain, had read back a vector of 15 degrees to the right for traffic at cruise. About 8 mins or so later the controller from ZMP told us to turn right back to mei on course. The PNF was on another radio so I answered 'okay, back left to mei' when the controller answered back 'you had turned right? A lot of good that vector did,' or something like that. When the captain came back on and said 'you definitely turned us right, I even read it back' the controller then responded 'have it your way then' and gave us a frequency change. The captain was upset and we had an uneventful rest of the flight. Captain called ATC specialist on the deck and recommended we fill out as soon as possible reports, so here it is. I think it was an honest mistake by the controller, but the controller exacerbated a small problem with his remark.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISAGREEMENT BTWN B737 CREW AND A CTR CTLR ABOUT INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED CREATED SOME FEELINGS OF AGGRESSION.

Narrative: LEVEL AT FL350. PREVIOUSLY CLRED LNAV DIRECT MEI. AFTER A FEW MINS CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN 15 DEGS R FOR VECTORS BEHIND TFC. I READ BACK 'COMPANY NUMBER, 15 DEGS R.' FO AS PF TURNED TO THE R AS INSTRUCTED. THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN R. I AM ALSO VERY CAREFUL ON MY READBACKS TO SPEAK VERY CAREFULLY AND CLRLY. AFTER APPROX 5-8 MINS ON THIS NEW HEADING, THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO 'TURN R DIRECT MEI...OH I SEE YOU'RE ALREADY GOING R...I TOLD YOU EARLIER TO TURN L FOR TFC...JUST TURN L NOW DIRECT MEI.' (PARAPHRASING OF COURSE.) I READ BACK 'SIR, YOU PREVIOUSLY TOLD US TO TURN R 15 DEGS FOR TFC. I READ THAT BACK TO YOU AND WE DID JUST THAT.' THE CTLR QUICKLY RESPONDED 'WELL THAT'S YOUR STORY THEN.' THEN I JUST READ BACK 'GOING DIRECT MEI, COMPANY NUMBER.' I JUST DID NOT APPRECIATE THIS CTLR'S LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM IN HIS DEALING WITH HIS OWN MISTAKE AND MY FOLLOWING HIS CLRNC EXACTLY. I WAS SO MAD THAT WHEN I WAS HANDED OVER TO THE NEXT SECTOR I ASKED THE CTLR FOR A PHONE NUMBER TO TALK TO A SUPVR WHEN I LANDED IN MSY. I INSTEAD CALLED OUR ATC SPECIALIST AND HE WAS A GREAT HELP IN FOLLOWING UP ON THIS MATTER. MY OBSERVATION ON THIS INCIDENT IS THAT THIS CTLR WAS TASK SATURATED WORKING THIS PARTICULAR SECTOR. HE WAS LITERALLY NON-STOP ISSUING CLRNCS AND HDOFS. HE WAS ALSO A LITTLE SHORT WITH A GA ACFT. JUST A FEW MINS BEFORE HIS DEAL WITH US, AND THAT ACFT, WAS JUST ASKING A QUESTION ABOUT AN ALT XING RESTR. I AM NOT SO CONCERNED ABOUT A VIOLATION (I AND MY FO ARE CERTAIN WE FOLLOWED HIS HEADING CHANGE EXACTLY) AS I AM ABOUT THIS CTLR'S WORKLOAD AND HIS ATTITUDE REGARDING HIS CLRNC TO US. I FEEL THAT CTLR WORKLOAD IS A VALID SAFETY ISSUE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 562831: I WAS THE PF AND THE CAPT, HAD READ BACK A VECTOR OF 15 DEGS TO THE R FOR TFC AT CRUISE. ABOUT 8 MINS OR SO LATER THE CTLR FROM ZMP TOLD US TO TURN R BACK TO MEI ON COURSE. THE PNF WAS ON ANOTHER RADIO SO I ANSWERED 'OKAY, BACK L TO MEI' WHEN THE CTLR ANSWERED BACK 'YOU HAD TURNED R? A LOT OF GOOD THAT VECTOR DID,' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WHEN THE CAPT CAME BACK ON AND SAID 'YOU DEFINITELY TURNED US R, I EVEN READ IT BACK' THE CTLR THEN RESPONDED 'HAVE IT YOUR WAY THEN' AND GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. THE CAPT WAS UPSET AND WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL REST OF THE FLT. CAPT CALLED ATC SPECIALIST ON THE DECK AND RECOMMENDED WE FILL OUT ASAP RPTS, SO HERE IT IS. I THINK IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE BY THE CTLR, BUT THE CTLR EXACERBATED A SMALL PROB WITH HIS REMARK.

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.