CL65 crew was cleared to use low altitude airways while operating above FL180.

Attributes
ACN	614047
Time
Date	200404
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : sji.vortac
Altitude	msl single value : 24000
Environment
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 770
ASRS Report	614047
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

ZHU cleared our flight to a fix that was not on our filed route. We queried the controller and he was surprised that we had not received an amended clearance. He then reclred us after sju VOR V198 pensi direct kens. We did not have our low altitude charts readily available because our flight was above FL180. So the first officer tried to input the new routing into the FMS. The controller then gave us a clearance to cross loxly intersection at 11000 ft. There were numerous large cumulus nimbus clouds below us which necessitated deviations around our original routing. The first officer had trouble inputting the new routing in the FMS, and due to the WX, I asked for and received clearance to deviation off course. The controller then asked if we were going to make the crossing restr. We were not flying towards the crossing fix, so I asked him if he needed to alter our course. He informed us to be below FL190 in less than 1 min of which we complied. The first officer found out after referencing the low altitude chart that V198 does not begin off of sji VOR but starts after loxly intersection. If our flight had received the amended clearance earlier, I believe we would have recognized the controller's error sooner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW WAS CLRED TO USE LOW ALT AIRWAYS WHILE OPERATING ABOVE FL180.

Narrative: ZHU CLRED OUR FLT TO A FIX THAT WAS NOT ON OUR FILED RTE. WE QUERIED THE CTLR AND HE WAS SURPRISED THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC. HE THEN RECLRED US AFTER SJU VOR V198 PENSI DIRECT KENS. WE DID NOT HAVE OUR LOW ALT CHARTS READILY AVAILABLE BECAUSE OUR FLT WAS ABOVE FL180. SO THE FO TRIED TO INPUT THE NEW ROUTING INTO THE FMS. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A CLRNC TO CROSS LOXLY INTXN AT 11000 FT. THERE WERE NUMEROUS LARGE CUMULUS NIMBUS CLOUDS BELOW US WHICH NECESSITATED DEVS AROUND OUR ORIGINAL ROUTING. THE FO HAD TROUBLE INPUTTING THE NEW ROUTING IN THE FMS, AND DUE TO THE WX, I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO DEV OFF COURSE. THE CTLR THEN ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. WE WERE NOT FLYING TOWARDS THE XING FIX, SO I ASKED HIM IF HE NEEDED TO ALTER OUR COURSE. HE INFORMED US TO BE BELOW FL190 IN LESS THAN 1 MIN OF WHICH WE COMPLIED. THE FO FOUND OUT AFTER REFING THE LOW ALT CHART THAT V198 DOES NOT BEGIN OFF OF SJI VOR BUT STARTS AFTER LOXLY INTXN. IF OUR FLT HAD RECEIVED THE AMENDED CLRNC EARLIER, I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE CTLR'S ERROR SOONER.

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.