Continue as filed

ATC
1

There may be a topic on this before, but I couldn’t find something specific to what happened yesterday:

  1. contacted approach, got “expect vectors for ILS approach runway 26R

  2. was instructed to make changes to heading and altitude and did so accordingly

Then here comes the confusing bit (for me):

  1. got “continue as filed, expect ILS approach runway 26L

Do I abandon the altitude/heading instructions from point no. 2 completely, or do i just acknowledge? Same controller throughout. Didn’t get a warning or report, just curious as to what is the correct procedure. Thanks :+1:

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2

based on the given instructions, you wouldn’t be in the wrong for just following your flight plan.

For better clarification, please do try and reach out to the controller :slight_smile:

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3

Hey!

With point 1., the controller informed you about the imminent vectors, which you soon received as mentioned in point 2. Then, point 3. is an interesting one. Usually, if you are given vectors during your approach, and the controller would like you to follow your flight plan again after the deviation (whether it’s altitude, heading or both), they will give you a simple “Continue as filed”. What you received, though, was a CAF + new runway assignment. I am not entirely sure why you were given this because it may be many things: the controller may have misclicked or confused you for another aircraft, they actually wanted you to continue as filed and give you a new runway on purpose, etc.

While you got a CAF with a new runway assignment as you mentioned in the third point, it was still a “Continue as filed”, so I’d say yes, you can now abandon the previous instruction to proceed as you filed, so following your flight plan and altitude (and probably set up for the new runway’s, 26L, approach?)

That’s what I think should be done in this case. Interesting situation, nonetheless. Maybe, you can send the controller who gave you these instructions a PM to understand their POV as well, if they remember.

Hope I was clear enough. Thank you!

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4

A first for me indeed! There was plenty of time so switching the runway was no problem. At first I thought it was a misclick, but I was sequenced right behind another plane who was given 26R. So I guess it must have been last minute adjustment from the controller. In the end I was cleared for approach and then handed off to tower.

And thanks for the clarification!

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