Narrative:

I was flying my first solo flight in IMC. Was receiving delaying vectors from TRACON in lieu of a hold prior to starting a series of practice approachs at fok. While flying a vector of 240, controller instructed 'turn right heading 090 degree.' I acknowledged instruction, looked at directional gyro, saw 090 degree at approximately 7 O'clock position on the face of the dg and proceeded to turn left toward the 090 degree heading. Controller was upset that I had turned left instead of right as he had instructed and proceeded to explain that he had instructed a right turn to stay clear of traffic. I realized later that day that the controller probably thought that I had purposely decided to turn left instead of right. I did not do this on purpose. At the time, I was busy reconciling a large difference between the dg and magnetic compass by trying to get a valid reading on the compass in turbulence to reset the dg by. The dg problem was puzzling as it was properly set prior to the previous turn and this particular dg does not generally precess much. I was distraction by this and although I acknowledged the controllers instruciton, I did not understand it completely and was not part of my conscious thoughts when I initiated the turn. I believe that 'expectancy' played a part in this mistake. In many yrs of flying in arsa's under ATC instruction under VFR, I guess that I have come to expect that if given a turn or more than 180 degree the controller will emphasize that fact and the reason for the turn. When given turns in excess of 180 degree under VFR a controller will usually say something like 'turn right to 090 degree, that is a right turn for traffic sep.' I guess that it is assumed that IFR pilots are better then VFR pilots in following ATC instructions, but since a controller never knows of an IFR pilot is a multi-thousand hour veteran or a nervous new IFR pilot on his first in his first solo IMC, it would be better if controllers would emphasize unusual instructions such as turns, in excess of 180 degree. I have since listened very carefully for the direction of turn as well as the heading in ATC directions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT WAS ISSUED A RIGHT TURN AND INSTEAD MADE A LEFT TURN. REPORTER TRIES TO JUSTIFY WHY HE MADE ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING MY FIRST SOLO FLT IN IMC. WAS RECEIVING DELAYING VECTORS FROM TRACON IN LIEU OF A HOLD PRIOR TO STARTING A SERIES OF PRACTICE APCHS AT FOK. WHILE FLYING A VECTOR OF 240, CTLR INSTRUCTED 'TURN R HDG 090 DEG.' I ACKNOWLEDGED INSTRUCTION, LOOKED AT DIRECTIONAL GYRO, SAW 090 DEG AT APPROX 7 O'CLOCK POS ON THE FACE OF THE DG AND PROCEEDED TO TURN L TOWARD THE 090 DEG HDG. CTLR WAS UPSET THAT I HAD TURNED L INSTEAD OF R AS HE HAD INSTRUCTED AND PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN THAT HE HAD INSTRUCTED A R TURN TO STAY CLR OF TFC. I REALIZED LATER THAT DAY THAT THE CTLR PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT I HAD PURPOSELY DECIDED TO TURN L INSTEAD OF R. I DID NOT DO THIS ON PURPOSE. AT THE TIME, I WAS BUSY RECONCILING A LARGE DIFFERENCE BTWN THE DG AND MAGNETIC COMPASS BY TRYING TO GET A VALID READING ON THE COMPASS IN TURB TO RESET THE DG BY. THE DG PROB WAS PUZZLING AS IT WAS PROPERLY SET PRIOR TO THE PREVIOUS TURN AND THIS PARTICULAR DG DOES NOT GENERALLY PRECESS MUCH. I WAS DISTR BY THIS AND ALTHOUGH I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CTLRS INSTRUCITON, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY AND WAS NOT PART OF MY CONSCIOUS THOUGHTS WHEN I INITIATED THE TURN. I BELIEVE THAT 'EXPECTANCY' PLAYED A PART IN THIS MISTAKE. IN MANY YRS OF FLYING IN ARSA'S UNDER ATC INSTRUCTION UNDER VFR, I GUESS THAT I HAVE COME TO EXPECT THAT IF GIVEN A TURN OR MORE THAN 180 DEG THE CTLR WILL EMPHASIZE THAT FACT AND THE REASON FOR THE TURN. WHEN GIVEN TURNS IN EXCESS OF 180 DEG UNDER VFR A CTLR WILL USUALLY SAY SOMETHING LIKE 'TURN R TO 090 DEG, THAT IS A R TURN FOR TFC SEP.' I GUESS THAT IT IS ASSUMED THAT IFR PLTS ARE BETTER THEN VFR PLTS IN FOLLOWING ATC INSTRUCTIONS, BUT SINCE A CTLR NEVER KNOWS OF AN IFR PLT IS A MULTI-THOUSAND HR VETERAN OR A NERVOUS NEW IFR PLT ON HIS FIRST IN HIS FIRST SOLO IMC, IT WOULD BE BETTER IF CTLRS WOULD EMPHASIZE UNUSUAL INSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS TURNS, IN EXCESS OF 180 DEG. I HAVE SINCE LISTENED VERY CAREFULLY FOR THE DIRECTION OF TURN AS WELL AS THE HDG IN ATC DIRECTIONS.

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.