Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 145; Flight Crew Total 1735; Flight Crew Type 189
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Confusion
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
While enroute to Ontario eastbound along V186; ATC gave me a vector of 050 for airway spacing for an aircraft ahead of me on the airway. The initial vector took me towards the mountains north of the airway. After a few minutes; ATC then intended for me to turn back southbound on a 160 heading to rejoin the airway; however I turned to a 060 heading instead which continued to send me towards the mountains instead of away from them as intended. The controller then gave me a descent from 7;000 ft. down to 6;000 ft. which I read back and complied with. After a minute or so; the controller issued an immediate turn to the south as well as a low altitude alert and an instruction to climb back up to 7;000 ft. I complied and reinstated a climb back to 7;000 ft. as instructed. I then rejoined the airway and proceeded as normal.Without hearing the ATC audio of the heading instruction to turn back southbound; it is unclear if the instruction given to me was '160' and I simply misheard him and my incorrect read back was missed; or if an instruction of '060' was given by mistake even though he intended for me to turn to 160. Either way; as the PIC (Pilot in Command) I should've spoken up sooner and clarified with ATC on the heading as it did not make sense to be descending towards rising terrain. Also speaking slowly and clearly on the radios; even when it is busy; could've made it more likely that the controller would've heard the incorrect read back and corrected the situation that way. Overall; there was miscommunication on both sides and more diligence needs to be taken from myself to speak up and clarify things if they do not make sense.
Pilot reported possibly not hearing the correct heading after ATC gave a immediate turn and low altitude alert.