ACR LGT DEVIATED FROM EXPECTED CLRNC ROUTE WHEN GIVEN THE WRONG HEADING CLRNC BY ORF DEP CTLR.

Date: 1988-09 · Aircraft: Large Transport; Low Wing; 3 Turbojet Eng · Phase: climb

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|other-unspecified

Synopsis

ACR LGT DEVIATED FROM EXPECTED CLRNC ROUTE WHEN GIVEN THE WRONG HEADING CLRNC BY ORF DEP CTLR.

Narrative

ORF DEP PUT US ON A 330 DEG HDG OUT OVER THE WATER THEN TURNED US TO 280 DEGS TO CLB TO 10000'. APCHING 10000' WE WERE CHANGED TO WASHINGTON ATC. ON INITIAL CALL UP I ADVISED WASHINGTON WE WERE LEVELING AT 10000' ON A 280 DEG HDG. WASHINGTON HAD A QUESTIONING TONE IN HIS VOICE WHEN HE REPEATED MY HDG BUT CLRED US TO 16000' (HE THEN CHANGED IT TO 14000'); ALTHOUGH WE WERE FILED TO 14000'. RADAR VECTORS TO HOPEWELL DIRECT RICHMOND FLT PLAN ROUTE. AT 14000' AND STILL ON 280 DEG HDG I QUESTIONED HOW MUCH FURTHER WE COULD EXPECT TO BE ON THIS HDG. AT THAT TIME THE CTLR MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON A 230 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT A RADIAL. I DID NOT HEAR WHAT VOR THE RADIAL WAS TO OR FROM. IT APPEARED THAT HE HAD BEEN ASKING ORF DEP ON WHAT THEY (ORF) HAD SUPPOSEDLY DIRECTED US TO DO. MEANWHILE WE WERE STILL HEADING W. THE TIME BTWN MY INITIAL CONTACT AND OUR QUESTIONING OF OUR 280 DEG HDG MUST HAVE BEEN 3 OR 4 MINS. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO RICHMOND WHILE WAS NOW STRAIGHT N OF US. I RESPONDED TO THE DIRECT RICHMOND CLRNC AND ADVISED HIM THAT WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY OTHER CLRNC EXCEPT TO MAINTAIN A HDG OF 280 DEGS AND TO CLB TO 10000' FROM ORF. HE MADE NO COMMENT. IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE INTERCEPTING A RADIAL THEN WHY WEREN'T WE TOLD TO DO IT? WE DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER TFC; BUT WHOSE AIRSPACE WERE WE INTERFERING WITH? WHY THE DELAY ON CHANGING OUR HDG? NOBODY WAS TALKING TO ANYBODY? PRETTY SLOPPY CTLING!

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.