Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Other / Unknown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
Initially assigned MASHH1; due to weather; clearance changed to TAMMY 4 due to our route bringing us in from the southwest to avoid weather (ZME ARTCC requested routing). Pulled up ATIS and MEM had been consistently landing south; 18L/R from the time we departed. ATC cleared us for the TAMMY 4 arrival; and I thought it was for landing on the 18's (south arrivals); but in retrospect; I believe the Controller stated 'TAMMY 4 landing north'. The fact that the [arrival] course turns to the north; coupled with expectation bias; led all of us in the airplane to hear what we wanted to hear; which was the expected arrival to land on the [Runway] 18s. Approaching TAMMY Intersection; ATC inquired if we could be able to make the ROCAB restriction. As we had loaded the South arrivals; we did not have ROCAB; and it took a few moments to sort out what he meant. We inquired directly; and the Controller restated. We then informed him that MEM was landing south; and the Controller then took a moment and said 'oh; you are correct; I did not realize they had turned the airport around'. As near as I can tell; they had been landing south for at least 2 hours by that point. I do not think we missed any clearance; as he quickly revised us to the landing south arrival. The phraseology of the clearances is not ideal. The use of 'landing south' or 'landing north' can be easily taken to mean what you want to hear as the turn for landing south is to the North and vice versa; so the type of issue we had could happen again. Suggest to change it to the runway NUMBERS; as there would be no doubt as to which arrival would be used.
Air Carrier Captain reports being cleared for the TAMMY 4 arrival to MEM landing north. This clearance is misinterpreted to mean to use the north transition to land on Runway 18 L or R. In the end the Controller was in error but the misinterpretation by the reporter allowed it to go undetected until the course divergence at TAMMY.