Why does ATC not know where I'm going on an IFR plan?

[Jim_R]

Several times while flying IFR, ATC has surprised me by asking what my destination is. This usually seems to happen after the first or second handoff following departure. In all cases, I received my clearance on the ground, but it's happened in different geographic areas (all in the Fort Worth or Houston ARTCCs).

This kinda spooked me the first time it happened, but it's happened so many times now I guess it's pretty common.

Why doesn't ATC already know where I'm going in these cases?

 

[JHW]

It happens to be semi-regularly too, but only when I am going to someplace in the boondocks. Sometimes controllers ask me for a nearby airport so they can key something in th get an idea of the location.

 

[roncachamp]

Several times while flying IFR, ATC has surprised me by asking what my destination is. This usually seems to happen after the first or second handoff following departure. In all cases, I received my clearance on the ground, but it's happened in different geographic areas (all in the Fort Worth or Houston ARTCCs).

This kinda spooked me the first time it happened, but it's happened so many times now I guess it's pretty common.

Why doesn't ATC already know where I'm going in these cases?

Do you mean ATC isn't showing a destination airport at all, or do you mean ATC does not recognize the destination they show and do not know where it's located? Is your destination an airport with IAPs?

 

[Brad Z]

Yep, if your destination is outside of their area and not a very common destination they'll ask. Sometimes the controller may have trouble remembering which direction 3w2 is if he confuses it with 2w3.

 

[flyingron]

I file enough into NC26 that they are beginning to learn where it is. Sometimes they ask and sometimes they are clueless and I have to remind them that I'm about to overshoot my destination.

 

[SbestCFII]

It's on your routing strip, but if you're just passing through their sector, it may be easier for them to ask than look up your routing. Then they just give you an update ALT setting and pass you off to the next controller.

 

[Jim_R]

Do you mean ATC isn't showing a destination airport at all, or do you mean ATC does not recognize the destination they show and do not know where it's located?

I have no idea...that's what I'm hoping to learn. I mean that I get this call from ATC: "Bugsmasher 123, say destination."

Is your destination an airport with IAPs?

Yes, it has happened when my destination was an airport with IAPs. Most recently, this happened to me in Houston Class B airspace after my first handoff (~15 min after takeoff) en route to San Antonio Stinson (SSF).

 

[Jim_R]

Yep, if your destination is outside of their area and not a very common destination they'll ask. Sometimes the controller may have trouble remembering which direction 3w2 is if he confuses it with 2w3.

I could understand that if they said, "Bugsmasher 123, say T41 location?" or "Say on-course heading." But if they request, "Say destination," and I give them "T41" just like I filed (yes it has IAPs, btw), and they're satisfied with that, then I'm just curious why they're asking.

In the example above where my destination was SSF, that's a relatively popular GA airport in the San Antonio area (AirNav says it gets 430 operations per day), only ~170nm from Houston, so it's not exactly an obscure grass strip or anything.

 

[timwinters]

Back when I was based in Springfield, Mo and flying back and forth to SE Georgia for work, I'd stop at Kennett, Mo on the way home because their gas was typically $1 cheaper than almost anyone else (and still is the cheapest in the area).

Kennett's designator is TKX. On almost every trip, I'd get a call from ATC, "bugsmasher, say heading".

I'd wait for it on every trip...it became a real joke...I'd try to come up with creative ways to tell them that my heading wasn't leading me towerd Texarkana (TXK).

MOST of them found the humor in it when they discovered their dyslexia...but some...

 

[wsuffa]

A couple of times ATC had to ask my destination because they didn't get a full strip in a handoff (notably one occurred on a rather ugly weather day with Razorback Approach after leaving Diana & Tom's place). I've also been cleared "direct destination" only to have next controller ask for heading & destination.