Narrative:

We taxied out to runway 22L at mdw. After cleared us into position and hold they issued our departure instructions of 'turn to a heading of 110 degrees, climb and maintain 3000 ft.' it was the first officer's leg, so I acknowledged the clearance and then we both repeated it to each other, as per our company's SOP. The HSI's showed the runway heading of 220 degrees and my heading bug was set to the initial assigned heading of 110 degrees. My heading bug was therefore to the left side of the lubber line. After takeoff, the first officer started the left turn to 110 degrees. We proceeded to clean up the aircraft's confign, and tower switched us to departure. There was a lot of congestion on the departure frequency, so I did not get a chance to check in, but the departure controller called us with instructions to stop the climb at 2500 ft. I rogered the instructions and reported that we were turning to 110 degree heading as assigned. He then informed us that we had turned directly into his arrs and that we had been instructed to turn right to 110 degrees, not left. I acknowledged and complied with his series of vectors to clear his airspace. We were not required to perform any evasive action, nor was I aware of any loss of separation with other traffic. Neither the first officer nor myself recalled hearing or repeating the mdw control tower's departure clearance specifying a right turn to the initial heading. Later on, as the departure controller switched us to chicago center, he asked if we understood what had occurred and I replied that we understood the problem. I believe that a contributing factor in this incident was both the first officer's and my unfamiliarity with mdw and it unique procedures. I had been there only twice. If this reverse turn is a standard mdw runway 22 departure, then a notation in our manuals 10-7 page concerning the expected departure routing would be in keeping with other nonstandard airport procedures listed on those pages. In addition, if the tower controller would have somehow reinforced or brought our attention to the fact that we were to turn the abnormal or the long way around to the departure heading, the turn would have been in the correct direction. It seems to me that the possible consequences of a mistake far outweigh the extra effort involved in prevention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG TURNED LEFT AFTER TKOF MDW. DEP CTLR ALLEGED THEY HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR RIGHT TURN AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: WE TAXIED OUT TO RWY 22L AT MDW. AFTER CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD THEY ISSUED OUR DEP INSTRUCTIONS OF 'TURN TO A HDG OF 110 DEGS, CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' IT WAS THE F/O'S LEG, SO I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND THEN WE BOTH REPEATED IT TO EACH OTHER, AS PER OUR COMPANY'S SOP. THE HSI'S SHOWED THE RWY HDG OF 220 DEGS AND MY HDG BUG WAS SET TO THE INITIAL ASSIGNED HDG OF 110 DEGS. MY HDG BUG WAS THEREFORE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE LUBBER LINE. AFTER TKOF, THE F/O STARTED THE LEFT TURN TO 110 DEGS. WE PROCEEDED TO CLEAN UP THE ACFT'S CONFIGN, AND TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONGESTION ON THE DEP FREQ, SO I DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO CHK IN, BUT THE DEP CTLR CALLED US WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO STOP THE CLB AT 2500 FT. I ROGERED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND RPTED THAT WE WERE TURNING TO 110 DEG HDG AS ASSIGNED. HE THEN INFORMED US THAT WE HAD TURNED DIRECTLY INTO HIS ARRS AND THAT WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN RIGHT TO 110 DEGS, NOT LEFT. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED WITH HIS SERIES OF VECTORS TO CLR HIS AIRSPACE. WE WERE NOT REQUIRED TO PERFORM ANY EVASIVE ACTION, NOR WAS I AWARE OF ANY LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH OTHER TFC. NEITHER THE F/O NOR MYSELF RECALLED HEARING OR REPEATING THE MDW CTL TWR'S DEP CLRNC SPECIFYING A RIGHT TURN TO THE INITIAL HDG. LATER ON, AS THE DEP CTLR SWITCHED US TO CHICAGO CENTER, HE ASKED IF WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HAD OCCURRED AND I REPLIED THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE PROB. I BELIEVE THAT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS BOTH THE F/O'S AND MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH MDW AND IT UNIQUE PROCS. I HAD BEEN THERE ONLY TWICE. IF THIS REVERSE TURN IS A STANDARD MDW RWY 22 DEP, THEN A NOTATION IN OUR MANUALS 10-7 PAGE CONCERNING THE EXPECTED DEP ROUTING WOULD BE IN KEEPING WITH OTHER NONSTANDARD ARPT PROCS LISTED ON THOSE PAGES. IN ADDITION, IF THE TWR CTLR WOULD HAVE SOMEHOW REINFORCED OR BROUGHT OUR ATTN TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE TO TURN THE ABNORMAL OR THE LONG WAY AROUND TO THE DEP HDG, THE TURN WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF A MISTAKE FAR OUTWEIGH THE EXTRA EFFORT INVOLVED IN PREVENTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.