Narrative:

Prior to departing from slc, clearance delivery told me to turn northeast after 1/2 mi from runway 34R, and to maintain at or below 5800', and to contact 120.9 after departure. When I took off, I tried to contact 120.9, then I thought he had said 121.9 (which was ground control). I turned left instead of right. Finally got the correct frequency and was told to turn to 030 degree, which I did. But I continued climbing. I was having difficulty hearing. At one point the controller asked me something about altitude and I thought he wanted to know what my VFR cruising altitude was going to be. I responded 10,500'. At another point he asked if I was familiar with something. I didn't make it out even on the second query. I responded 'negative'. I thought he was asking about if I knew about the controled airspace at hill AFB, but since I wasn't sure of the question, I said no. Eventually, he got me below 5800' and beneath the arsa and out of the area. I hope that no evasive actions were required by other aircraft, but it was extremely dangerous (and stupid) to turn left into the flight path of the commercial jets taking off and landing on 34L. The factors that contributed were: a) I could not hear well enough, B) I was under some stress, both from meetings I had been in all afternoon and from anticipation of possible turbulence en route and apprehension about flying in an arsa as busy as slc. I think the situation occurred partly because I was not mentally prepared to deal with the complexity of departing from slc. In hindsight, I was not thinking clearly! But for some reason, when I received the instructions from clearance delivery to turn northeast, I registered as a left turn out. After getting messed up on the radio frequency, the altitude limitation was forgotten.! To prevent a recurrence: a) I will always use a good headset when going into an area when communications are so vital. B) always think through what the controller has told me to do, mentally follow through to visualize where I will be if I do what I thought he said. C) be aware of fatigue and stress factors. Take enough time to be rested and alert at flight time. D) fly more. Try to become accustomed to light turbulence or moderate, so that the anticipation is not a stress factor. East) practice communications with an instructor and with an audio tape.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW EXPERIENCE LEVEL PLT DEPARTING SLC BUSTS ALT AND TURNS TO WRONG HEADING DUE TO STRESS AND COMPLACENCY.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEPARTING FROM SLC, CLRNC DELIVERY TOLD ME TO TURN NE AFTER 1/2 MI FROM RWY 34R, AND TO MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 5800', AND TO CONTACT 120.9 AFTER DEP. WHEN I TOOK OFF, I TRIED TO CONTACT 120.9, THEN I THOUGHT HE HAD SAID 121.9 (WHICH WAS GND CTL). I TURNED LEFT INSTEAD OF RIGHT. FINALLY GOT THE CORRECT FREQ AND WAS TOLD TO TURN TO 030 DEG, WHICH I DID. BUT I CONTINUED CLIMBING. I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY HEARING. AT ONE POINT THE CTLR ASKED ME SOMETHING ABOUT ALT AND I THOUGHT HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT MY VFR CRUISING ALT WAS GOING TO BE. I RESPONDED 10,500'. AT ANOTHER POINT HE ASKED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH SOMETHING. I DIDN'T MAKE IT OUT EVEN ON THE SECOND QUERY. I RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE'. I THOUGHT HE WAS ASKING ABOUT IF I KNEW ABOUT THE CTLED AIRSPACE AT HILL AFB, BUT SINCE I WASN'T SURE OF THE QUESTION, I SAID NO. EVENTUALLY, HE GOT ME BELOW 5800' AND BENEATH THE ARSA AND OUT OF THE AREA. I HOPE THAT NO EVASIVE ACTIONS WERE REQUIRED BY OTHER ACFT, BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS (AND STUPID) TO TURN LEFT INTO THE FLT PATH OF THE COMMERCIAL JETS TAKING OFF AND LNDG ON 34L. THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED WERE: A) I COULD NOT HEAR WELL ENOUGH, B) I WAS UNDER SOME STRESS, BOTH FROM MEETINGS I HAD BEEN IN ALL AFTERNOON AND FROM ANTICIPATION OF POSSIBLE TURBULENCE ENRTE AND APPREHENSION ABOUT FLYING IN AN ARSA AS BUSY AS SLC. I THINK THE SITUATION OCCURRED PARTLY BECAUSE I WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE COMPLEXITY OF DEPARTING FROM SLC. IN HINDSIGHT, I WAS NOT THINKING CLEARLY! BUT FOR SOME REASON, WHEN I RECEIVED THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM CLRNC DELIVERY TO TURN NE, I REGISTERED AS A LEFT TURN OUT. AFTER GETTING MESSED UP ON THE RADIO FREQ, THE ALT LIMITATION WAS FORGOTTEN.! TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: A) I WILL ALWAYS USE A GOOD HEADSET WHEN GOING INTO AN AREA WHEN COMS ARE SO VITAL. B) ALWAYS THINK THROUGH WHAT THE CTLR HAS TOLD ME TO DO, MENTALLY FOLLOW THROUGH TO VISUALIZE WHERE I WILL BE IF I DO WHAT I THOUGHT HE SAID. C) BE AWARE OF FATIGUE AND STRESS FACTORS. TAKE ENOUGH TIME TO BE RESTED AND ALERT AT FLT TIME. D) FLY MORE. TRY TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO LIGHT TURBULENCE OR MODERATE, SO THAT THE ANTICIPATION IS NOT A STRESS FACTOR. E) PRACTICE COMS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND WITH AN AUDIO TAPE.

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.