SMT CHARTER FLT ON VECTOR TO MQY LEVEL 5000 FT ON 200 DEG HDG. ADVISED CTLR HAD TFC IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 3000 FT MAINTAIN VISUAL ON TFC. THOUGHT OK TO TURN DIRECT TO MQY. CTLR SAID MAINTAIN 200 DEG HDG AND 10 SECONDS LATER CLRED FOR VISUAL MQY. FATIGUE.

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DSNDING TO LAND AT MQY; TOLD CTLR HAD ARPT IN SIGHT. HE TOLD ME TO 'TURN L 200 DEGS; MAINTAIN 5000 FT; TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS; 3 MI.' WE COMPLIED; AND SOON THEREAFTER CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION DSND TO 3000 FT. WE COMPLIED WITH THOSE INSTRUCTIONS AND TURNED BACK ON COURSE TO THE R FOR DIRECT TO OUR ARPT. ABOUT TWO AND ONE HALF MINS LATER; THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN BACK TO THE 200 DEG HDG; HE HAD NOT CLRED US ON COURSE; HE NEEDED US ON THAT HEADING. WE TURNED BACK; APOLOGIZED; AND 10 SECONDS LATER WERE TURNED ON COURSE FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO MQY. IT WAS LATE; WE WERE TIRED; AND WE WERE DISTRACTED BY TFC AND NON ESSENTIAL CONVERSATION. WE TURNED ON COURSE A CLRNC BECAUSE WE ASSUMED THE VECTOR WAS FOR THE TFC HE CALLED TO US. WE NEVER HEARD THE WORDS 'CLRED ON COURSE.' WE JUST MADE A MISTAKE. NO CLOSE CALLS HAPPENED; BUT COULD HAVE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) FATIGUE (NIGHTTIME; FINISHING UP 10 HRS OF FLT IN 14 HR DUTY DAY); 2) DISTRACTED (NON ESSENTIAL CONVERSATION); AND 3) LULLED INTO FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. IT WAS CLR; WE WERE ALMOST HOME AT OUR HOME BASE.