Narrative:

Executed a VOR DME-a approach to hilo airport circle to land runway 26. Captain (myself) flying. Night, intermittent rain showers, low clouds. Acquired visibility with airport 4 DME north, turned left (east) to set up a right hand pattern (normal procedure at hilo, ie, over the water), completed a downwind, base and final. Upon completion of turn to final, altitude 800' heading approximately 260 degrees, still some ground lights but airport not in sight, and not sure of orientation, so executed a missed approach. Started a climbing right turn (to the north). All the VOR and ILS approachs to runway 26 have a missed approach procedure that starts with a climbing right turn out to the north, over the ocean and away from the city and rising terrain to the south and west. And this is what was in my mind procedure wise. About 6-7 seconds into the miss and well established in the right turn, first officer reports executing missed approach to tower. Tower responds with instructions to turn left heading 090 degrees. There is momentary confusion in the cockpit as to if this is really what tower wants. A left turn? Seems incorrect. First officer asked for confirmation and tower response was directed to another aircraft (a company aircraft following us to hilo and inbound on the 145 degree right, also on a VOR DME-a approach) to immediately climb to 3000' and for us to maintain 1500'. The situation was, right turn to north put us in conflict with inbound company aircraft. Discussion with crew of other aircraft afterward, determined they were north of prask intersection at 1800' and we were about 3 DME north at about 2000' at time of tower's transmission for them to climb to 3000' and us to maintain 1500'. Our educated guess is we came within perhaps 3 mi of each other. An upset tower gave us a radar vector to an ILS final and a normal ILS, and landing was executed with the other aircraft vectored in trail for the same. Discussing this situation with other pilots in my airline virtually all indicate they would executed a right turn on a missed approach from that point in the absence of tower instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TURNED WRONG WAY WHEN EXECUTING MISSED APCH.

Narrative: EXECUTED A VOR DME-A APCH TO HILO ARPT CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 26. CAPT (MYSELF) FLYING. NIGHT, INTERMITTENT RAIN SHOWERS, LOW CLOUDS. ACQUIRED VIS WITH ARPT 4 DME N, TURNED LEFT (E) TO SET UP A RIGHT HAND PATTERN (NORMAL PROC AT HILO, IE, OVER THE WATER), COMPLETED A DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL. UPON COMPLETION OF TURN TO FINAL, ALT 800' HDG APPROX 260 DEGS, STILL SOME GND LIGHTS BUT ARPT NOT IN SIGHT, AND NOT SURE OF ORIENTATION, SO EXECUTED A MISSED APCH. STARTED A CLBING RIGHT TURN (TO THE N). ALL THE VOR AND ILS APCHS TO RWY 26 HAVE A MISSED APCH PROC THAT STARTS WITH A CLBING RIGHT TURN OUT TO THE N, OVER THE OCEAN AND AWAY FROM THE CITY AND RISING TERRAIN TO THE S AND W. AND THIS IS WHAT WAS IN MY MIND PROC WISE. ABOUT 6-7 SECS INTO THE MISS AND WELL ESTABLISHED IN THE RIGHT TURN, F/O RPTS EXECUTING MISSED APCH TO TWR. TWR RESPONDS WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN LEFT HDG 090 DEGS. THERE IS MOMENTARY CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT AS TO IF THIS IS REALLY WHAT TWR WANTS. A LEFT TURN? SEEMS INCORRECT. F/O ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION AND TWR RESPONSE WAS DIRECTED TO ANOTHER ACFT (A COMPANY ACFT FOLLOWING US TO HILO AND INBND ON THE 145 DEG R, ALSO ON A VOR DME-A APCH) TO IMMEDIATELY CLB TO 3000' AND FOR US TO MAINTAIN 1500'. THE SITUATION WAS, RIGHT TURN TO N PUT US IN CONFLICT WITH INBND COMPANY ACFT. DISCUSSION WITH CREW OF OTHER ACFT AFTERWARD, DETERMINED THEY WERE N OF PRASK INTXN AT 1800' AND WE WERE ABOUT 3 DME N AT ABOUT 2000' AT TIME OF TWR'S XMISSION FOR THEM TO CLB TO 3000' AND US TO MAINTAIN 1500'. OUR EDUCATED GUESS IS WE CAME WITHIN PERHAPS 3 MI OF EACH OTHER. AN UPSET TWR GAVE US A RADAR VECTOR TO AN ILS FINAL AND A NORMAL ILS, AND LNDG WAS EXECUTED WITH THE OTHER ACFT VECTORED IN TRAIL FOR THE SAME. DISCUSSING THIS SITUATION WITH OTHER PLTS IN MY AIRLINE VIRTUALLY ALL INDICATE THEY WOULD EXECUTED A RIGHT TURN ON A MISSED APCH FROM THAT POINT IN THE ABSENCE OF TWR INSTRUCTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.