FLC OF A LOCKHEED ELECTRA L88 MISINTERPED AN ASSIGNED HDG BY ATC OF 050 DEGS INSTEAD OF 005 DEGS RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION TO CORRECT THEIR HDG. RPTRS COMPLAIN THAT ATC FAILED TO CORRECT THEIR READBACK PRIOR TO TURNING TO THE WRONG HDG.

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ENRTE; ABOVE AS PREVIOUSLY LISTED. CTR ASKED US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 050 DEGS. THERE WAS BACKGND NOISE ON HIS RADIO AND HE SOUNDED HARRIED. THE CAPT ASKED ME IF I HAD HEARD 050 DEGS; AND I SAID YES. I THINK OUR FE ALSO SAID HE HAD HEARD THE SAME. OUR CAPT CALLED BACK 'ROGER; TURNING TO 050 DEGS.' PROBABLY 1-2 MINS ELAPSED AND CTR CALLED BACK ASKING OUR HDG; TO WHICH THE CAPT SAID; '050 DEGS.' THE CTR CTLR SAID; 'FLY HDG 005 DEGS.' AGAIN HE HAD NOISE IN HIS BACKGND; BUT THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED; 'TURNING TO 005 DEGS.' OUR FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO SLC. WHILE I REALIZE THAT THIS MAY SEEM TRIVIAL; I AM VERY INTERESTED IN FLT SAFETY. ALTHOUGH WE WERE IN A VERY LOW TFC AREA; WAS OUR CTLR IN A HIGH STRESS/NOISE ENVIRONMENT? I'M CONCERNED THAT EITHER OUR CTLR MISSPOKE HIMSELF; OR WE DIDN'T HEAR CORRECTLY DUE TO BACKGND NOISE; AND THAT IF THIS BE THE CASE; WOULDN'T IT BE GOOD PRACTICE TO MAKE THE CORRECTION AT THE TIME WE READ BACK THE HDG? THAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE READBACK -- TO ENSURE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT. AGAIN; I REALIZE THIS IS A MINOR THING; BUT SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AND I'M ANXIOUS TO DO ALL THAT I CAN TO ENSURE THAT.