Failed to comply with clearance to maintain runway heading.

Attributes
ACN	164933
Time
Date	199012
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : shv
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : shv
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	164933
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was in left seat, legally sic and performing PF duties. Prior to takeoff I realized I had forgotten what the departure clearance had been. Was it runway heading to 8000'? Was it left turn on course to 8000'? Something else? I asked my instrument (sitting in right seat, legal PIC and program manager/instrument) to read back the clearance. He read back, 'cleared flight planned route, left turn heading 240 degrees on course.' this was wrong! Clearance was runway heading! Contributing factors: I accepted my instrument's instructions to turn out on course. It did not occur to me that he had read the IFR clearance from center and had overlooked the tower's add-on clearance to hold runway heading after takeoff. Also, I was mentally involved with figuring out instrument's changes in procedure. Simulator instrument taught different ground procedures than did the flight instrument. I think this confusion factor was probably what caused me to forget the full clearance to begin with. I questioned clearance when I could on brief for takeoff. How discovered: just after turnout left on course, the shv tower brought to our attention that we should have stayed on runway heading. He ordered us to turn right back to runway heading (320 degrees) and stop climb. An airliner would have been a possible conflict had we not corrected course back to 320 degrees, but there was no near midair collision. Correction action: crew continued flight to dallas/love field, but with great attention to ATC from both left and right seat. Post-flight discussion led to the conclusion that the problem occurred due to lack of currency from not being active enough in aviation. Neither pilot flies regularly. Human factors: I trusted my instrument's word on clearance because I felt inferior to him. He has much more experience than I do. I should double-check everything! All clrncs should be written down (only part of our's was recorded), and should be verified with ATC should any question arise. We each assumed readback was correct.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILED TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC TO MAINTAIN RWY HEADING.

Narrative: I WAS IN LEFT SEAT, LEGALLY SIC AND PERFORMING PF DUTIES. PRIOR TO TKOF I REALIZED I HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT THE DEP CLRNC HAD BEEN. WAS IT RWY HDG TO 8000'? WAS IT LEFT TURN ON COURSE TO 8000'? SOMETHING ELSE? I ASKED MY INSTR (SITTING IN RIGHT SEAT, LEGAL PIC AND PROGRAM MGR/INSTR) TO READ BACK THE CLRNC. HE READ BACK, 'CLRED FLT PLANNED RTE, LEFT TURN HDG 240 DEGS ON COURSE.' THIS WAS WRONG! CLRNC WAS RWY HDG! CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I ACCEPTED MY INSTR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN OUT ON COURSE. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME THAT HE HAD READ THE IFR CLRNC FROM CENTER AND HAD OVERLOOKED THE TWR'S ADD-ON CLRNC TO HOLD RWY HDG AFTER TKOF. ALSO, I WAS MENTALLY INVOLVED WITH FIGURING OUT INSTR'S CHANGES IN PROC. SIMULATOR INSTR TAUGHT DIFFERENT GND PROCS THAN DID THE FLT INSTR. I THINK THIS CONFUSION FACTOR WAS PROBABLY WHAT CAUSED ME TO FORGET THE FULL CLRNC TO BEGIN WITH. I QUESTIONED CLRNC WHEN I COULD ON BRIEF FOR TKOF. HOW DISCOVERED: JUST AFTER TURNOUT LEFT ON COURSE, THE SHV TWR BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN THAT WE SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON RWY HDG. HE ORDERED US TO TURN RIGHT BACK TO RWY HDG (320 DEGS) AND STOP CLB. AN AIRLINER WOULD HAVE BEEN A POSSIBLE CONFLICT HAD WE NOT CORRECTED COURSE BACK TO 320 DEGS, BUT THERE WAS NO NMAC. CORRECTION ACTION: CREW CONTINUED FLT TO DALLAS/LOVE FIELD, BUT WITH GREAT ATTN TO ATC FROM BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SEAT. POST-FLT DISCUSSION LED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE PROB OCCURRED DUE TO LACK OF CURRENCY FROM NOT BEING ACTIVE ENOUGH IN AVIATION. NEITHER PLT FLIES REGULARLY. HUMAN FACTORS: I TRUSTED MY INSTR'S WORD ON CLRNC BECAUSE I FELT INFERIOR TO HIM. HE HAS MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE THAN I DO. I SHOULD DOUBLE-CHK EVERYTHING! ALL CLRNCS SHOULD BE WRITTEN DOWN (ONLY PART OF OUR'S WAS RECORDED), AND SHOULD BE VERIFIED WITH ATC SHOULD ANY QUESTION ARISE. WE EACH ASSUMED READBACK WAS CORRECT.

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.