Air carrier deviated from assigned heading on SID departure.

Attributes
ACN	108509
Time
Date	198904
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : las tower : las
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	108509
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Please refer to the meade 7 departure from runway 1 (peach springs transition) at las. Both my first officer and I copied our original ATC clearance from las clearance delivery. As is our company procedure, the first officer wrote the clearance down and read it back to the controller, who indicated that we had copied the clearance correctly. The clearance was 'runway heading to 2 DME, turn right to 070 degrees, meade 7 departure, maintain 7000'.' the meade 7 departure plate shows the same thing, ie, right turn to 070 degrees at 2 DME, but it also indicates that once at or above 4000' MSL you are to proceed direct to bld VOR. The controller did not say meade 7 departure 'except' maintain an 070 degree heading. Neither did tower or departure control issue any further heading instructions. So we followed our clearance, which was the meade 7, and out of 4000' we proceeded to bld VOR. The departure controller then asked us our heading, and when we stated that we were heading to bld VOR, he turned us back left to 050 degrees, and stated that he wanted us to maintain the 070 degree assigned by clearance delivery. As far as I am concerned, we were correct in doing what we were cleared to do, which is follow the meade 7 as we were cleared. If they wanted us to disregard going to bld, somebody in ATC should have made that clear by either stating maintain an 070 degree heading or never mentioning the meade 7 in the first place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED HEADING ON SID DEP.

Narrative: PLEASE REFER TO THE MEADE 7 DEP FROM RWY 1 (PEACH SPRINGS TRANSITION) AT LAS. BOTH MY F/O AND I COPIED OUR ORIGINAL ATC CLRNC FROM LAS CLRNC DELIVERY. AS IS OUR COMPANY PROC, THE F/O WROTE THE CLRNC DOWN AND READ IT BACK TO THE CTLR, WHO INDICATED THAT WE HAD COPIED THE CLRNC CORRECTLY. THE CLRNC WAS 'RWY HDG TO 2 DME, TURN RIGHT TO 070 DEGS, MEADE 7 DEP, MAINTAIN 7000'.' THE MEADE 7 DEP PLATE SHOWS THE SAME THING, IE, RIGHT TURN TO 070 DEGS AT 2 DME, BUT IT ALSO INDICATES THAT ONCE AT OR ABOVE 4000' MSL YOU ARE TO PROCEED DIRECT TO BLD VOR. THE CTLR DID NOT SAY MEADE 7 DEP 'EXCEPT' MAINTAIN AN 070 DEG HDG. NEITHER DID TWR OR DEP CTL ISSUE ANY FURTHER HDG INSTRUCTIONS. SO WE FOLLOWED OUR CLRNC, WHICH WAS THE MEADE 7, AND OUT OF 4000' WE PROCEEDED TO BLD VOR. THE DEP CTLR THEN ASKED US OUR HDG, AND WHEN WE STATED THAT WE WERE HDG TO BLD VOR, HE TURNED US BACK LEFT TO 050 DEGS, AND STATED THAT HE WANTED US TO MAINTAIN THE 070 DEG ASSIGNED BY CLRNC DELIVERY. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, WE WERE CORRECT IN DOING WHAT WE WERE CLRED TO DO, WHICH IS FOLLOW THE MEADE 7 AS WE WERE CLRED. IF THEY WANTED US TO DISREGARD GOING TO BLD, SOMEBODY IN ATC SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR BY EITHER STATING MAINTAIN AN 070 DEG HDG OR NEVER MENTIONING THE MEADE 7 IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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.