Narrative:

While taking off from columbia, sc, cae metropolitan runway 11 and knowing there was a restr area, R6000A, between cae and my destination airport, 04J darlington county. I was expecting a left turn out to approximately 054 degree but the tower told me to right turn to I think he said 054 degree. While climbing out, I called back to verify and he gave me a little different heading, +/- 10 degree, I am not sure. I initiated the right turn and after I was well into the turn I heard the tower tell another aircraft that the plane taking off had turned the wrong direction. I was then asked what my on course heading was. I was not familiar with the term on course heading so I told them what heading I was flying and what heading I wanted once I cleared the restr area, but he kept asking 'what is your on course heading.' it was about this time that I was handed off to departure control. By now I was thoroughly intimidated and temporarily disoriented. I wound up about 1000' high and 40 to 50 degree off my assigned course. Eventually I was vectored around the restr area and handed off to shaw approach. This could have been avoided if the controller had been a little less demanding. A few days later I called the local tower flo and asked what on course heading means. They said it only means what course do you want to fly. I also talked with 2 flight instrs concerning the phrase. Had I not let the controller intimidate me even though I know he didn't mean to this may not have escalated as it did. There was no accident or no near miss just a misunderstanding. Phraseology problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DEPARTING CAE IS UNSURE OF HEADING AND TURN DIRECTION AFTER TKOF. HE TURNS THE WRONG DIRECTION AND WHEN QUESTIONED BY TWR CTLR BECOMES CONFUSED AND DISORIENTED, THUS RESULTING IN A HEADING AND ALT DEVIATION.

Narrative: WHILE TAKING OFF FROM COLUMBIA, SC, CAE METRO RWY 11 AND KNOWING THERE WAS A RESTR AREA, R6000A, BTWN CAE AND MY DEST ARPT, 04J DARLINGTON COUNTY. I WAS EXPECTING A LEFT TURN OUT TO APPROX 054 DEG BUT THE TWR TOLD ME TO RIGHT TURN TO I THINK HE SAID 054 DEG. WHILE CLBING OUT, I CALLED BACK TO VERIFY AND HE GAVE ME A LITTLE DIFFERENT HDG, +/- 10 DEG, I AM NOT SURE. I INITIATED THE RIGHT TURN AND AFTER I WAS WELL INTO THE TURN I HEARD THE TWR TELL ANOTHER ACFT THAT THE PLANE TAKING OFF HAD TURNED THE WRONG DIRECTION. I WAS THEN ASKED WHAT MY ON COURSE HDG WAS. I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM ON COURSE HDG SO I TOLD THEM WHAT HDG I WAS FLYING AND WHAT HDG I WANTED ONCE I CLRED THE RESTR AREA, BUT HE KEPT ASKING 'WHAT IS YOUR ON COURSE HDG.' IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME THAT I WAS HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL. BY NOW I WAS THOROUGHLY INTIMIDATED AND TEMPORARILY DISORIENTED. I WOUND UP ABOUT 1000' HIGH AND 40 TO 50 DEG OFF MY ASSIGNED COURSE. EVENTUALLY I WAS VECTORED AROUND THE RESTR AREA AND HANDED OFF TO SHAW APCH. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE CTLR HAD BEEN A LITTLE LESS DEMANDING. A FEW DAYS LATER I CALLED THE LCL TWR FLO AND ASKED WHAT ON COURSE HDG MEANS. THEY SAID IT ONLY MEANS WHAT COURSE DO YOU WANT TO FLY. I ALSO TALKED WITH 2 FLT INSTRS CONCERNING THE PHRASE. HAD I NOT LET THE CTLR INTIMIDATE ME EVEN THOUGH I KNOW HE DIDN'T MEAN TO THIS MAY NOT HAVE ESCALATED AS IT DID. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR NO NEAR MISS JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING. PHRASEOLOGY PROB.

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.