Narrative:

Too rushed by tower. Not ready to go when he asked me if I was but I said yes. Forgot to set #2 communication to approach frequency. Told by tower to taxi into position and hold but large jet had not yet taken off. When the jet started to move I acknowledged taxi and hold and then was verbally reprimanded for not responding quick enough. My clearance was the metropolitan 7 departure but I had no SID so I was told to fly the 184 right off detroit to an intersection 32 DME but it was not marked on my chart. I was then told it was not published on the nose chart but this was still my clearance. I thought I heard the tower say turn left to 180 degree after departure which is what I expected with the 184 degree right. When I departed and turned left and switched to departure, I had not set the #2 communication and I contacted clearance delivery. I was surprised when they told me who I was talking to and when they gave me departure frequency I put it in but then did not switch radios and again called departure on the wrong frequency. Frustrated, I finally got it right and was flying fat, dumb, and happy until departure wanted to know my heading. When I said 180, I was told it should be 140! I screwed up. I thought I heard 180 because that was close to my clearance heading of 184 degree right off detroit VOR that is on the airport. It didn't occur to me until later that the 140 degree heading was to get me out of the airport area (detroit has 3 runways and I took off on the center runway). While I acknowledged that the error is mine I do think that a contribution is the speed that the tower gave me the instructions. Fast talking may seem quicker, but it can add to delays and problems when the words are misunderstood. When they talk this fast, there is a tendency not to readback instructions which I did not do. If I had, he would have corrected me and probably given me another verbal reprimand. On this day, I don't think I could have done anything right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ACCEPTS CLRNC BUT DOES NOT READBACK. INDICATES READY FOR TKOF WHEN HE IS NOT. HDG DEVIATION.

Narrative: TOO RUSHED BY TWR. NOT READY TO GO WHEN HE ASKED ME IF I WAS BUT I SAID YES. FORGOT TO SET #2 COM TO APCH FREQ. TOLD BY TWR TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD BUT LARGE JET HAD NOT YET TAKEN OFF. WHEN THE JET STARTED TO MOVE I ACKNOWLEDGED TAXI AND HOLD AND THEN WAS VERBALLY REPRIMANDED FOR NOT RESPONDING QUICK ENOUGH. MY CLRNC WAS THE METRO 7 DEP BUT I HAD NO SID SO I WAS TOLD TO FLY THE 184 R OFF DETROIT TO AN INTXN 32 DME BUT IT WAS NOT MARKED ON MY CHART. I WAS THEN TOLD IT WAS NOT PUBLISHED ON THE NOSE CHART BUT THIS WAS STILL MY CLRNC. I THOUGHT I HEARD THE TWR SAY TURN L TO 180 DEG AFTER DEP WHICH IS WHAT I EXPECTED WITH THE 184 DEG R. WHEN I DEPARTED AND TURNED L AND SWITCHED TO DEP, I HAD NOT SET THE #2 COM AND I CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY. I WAS SURPRISED WHEN THEY TOLD ME WHO I WAS TALKING TO AND WHEN THEY GAVE ME DEP FREQ I PUT IT IN BUT THEN DID NOT SWITCH RADIOS AND AGAIN CALLED DEP ON THE WRONG FREQ. FRUSTRATED, I FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT AND WAS FLYING FAT, DUMB, AND HAPPY UNTIL DEP WANTED TO KNOW MY HDG. WHEN I SAID 180, I WAS TOLD IT SHOULD BE 140! I SCREWED UP. I THOUGHT I HEARD 180 BECAUSE THAT WAS CLOSE TO MY CLRNC HDG OF 184 DEG R OFF DETROIT VOR THAT IS ON THE ARPT. IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME UNTIL LATER THAT THE 140 DEG HDG WAS TO GET ME OUT OF THE ARPT AREA (DETROIT HAS 3 RWYS AND I TOOK OFF ON THE CTR RWY). WHILE I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE ERROR IS MINE I DO THINK THAT A CONTRIBUTION IS THE SPD THAT THE TWR GAVE ME THE INSTRUCTIONS. FAST TALKING MAY SEEM QUICKER, BUT IT CAN ADD TO DELAYS AND PROBS WHEN THE WORDS ARE MISUNDERSTOOD. WHEN THEY TALK THIS FAST, THERE IS A TENDENCY NOT TO READBACK INSTRUCTIONS WHICH I DID NOT DO. IF I HAD, HE WOULD HAVE CORRECTED ME AND PROBABLY GIVEN ME ANOTHER VERBAL REPRIMAND. ON THIS DAY, I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING RIGHT.

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.