Narrative:

Cpr X taxied out before tower opened (xx:45). Tower personnel responded on ground frequency and said they would get our IFR clearance from chicago ARTCC. Clearance received on ground controller frequency at xx:50. We copied clearance and said we were departing (tower doesn't open until Y:00). We were told to hold short because of inbound IFR traffic. At xx:57 we were told if we could 'take it on the roll for an immediate departure we were released, heading 090.' we took off at xx:58 (tower not open) climbed through a cloud layer a 1000' AGL and turned left to 090 degree and contacted departure control. Departure asked if we were in a left turn to 090 degree and we replied 'that is correct.' we were assigned a new altitude and eventually handed off to another controller. I called back to aurora tower and gave them a base and top report and they asked me if departure had talked to me about my left turn to 090 degree. That was the first I became aware of a mixup and deviation in my departure clearance although departure said nothing to us except if we were in a left turn. Apparently when we were told we could make an immediate departure we were given a right turn to 090 degree but both crew members missed the 'right turn' as we were busy doing the challenge and response on the checklists and hurrying to takeoff. We still both agree we never heard the 'right turn' but did hear heading 090 degree. We had the tower supervisor listen to the tapes, though, and he said we were issued instructions to turn right. Since most of our departures of aurora are left turns to heading that is the way we turned. I believe this situation could have been avoided by talking directly to center since tower wasn't in official control at the time. Also we were originally told to hold short then given a hurry up departure and clearance that was unexpected and got us hurrying to depart thereby missing some of the clearance. Also should ground control be issuing clrncs before official operating hours (although most times we do appreciate it). The crew members were also at fault in being hurried up to depart rather than wait for the inbound traffic to arrive. Also we used habit patterns in departing our usual left turn off the airport rather than being prepared for an unexpected clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR X FAILED TO ADHERE TO ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: CPR X TAXIED OUT BEFORE TWR OPENED (XX:45). TWR PERSONNEL RESPONDED ON GND FREQ AND SAID THEY WOULD GET OUR IFR CLRNC FROM CHICAGO ARTCC. CLRNC RECEIVED ON GND CTLR FREQ AT XX:50. WE COPIED CLRNC AND SAID WE WERE DEPARTING (TWR DOESN'T OPEN UNTIL Y:00). WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT BECAUSE OF INBND IFR TFC. AT XX:57 WE WERE TOLD IF WE COULD 'TAKE IT ON THE ROLL FOR AN IMMEDIATE DEP WE WERE RELEASED, HDG 090.' WE TOOK OFF AT XX:58 (TWR NOT OPEN) CLBED THROUGH A CLOUD LAYER A 1000' AGL AND TURNED L TO 090 DEG AND CONTACTED DEP CTL. DEP ASKED IF WE WERE IN A L TURN TO 090 DEG AND WE REPLIED 'THAT IS CORRECT.' WE WERE ASSIGNED A NEW ALT AND EVENTUALLY HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR. I CALLED BACK TO AURORA TWR AND GAVE THEM A BASE AND TOP RPT AND THEY ASKED ME IF DEP HAD TALKED TO ME ABOUT MY L TURN TO 090 DEG. THAT WAS THE FIRST I BECAME AWARE OF A MIXUP AND DEV IN MY DEP CLRNC ALTHOUGH DEP SAID NOTHING TO US EXCEPT IF WE WERE IN A L TURN. APPARENTLY WHEN WE WERE TOLD WE COULD MAKE AN IMMEDIATE DEP WE WERE GIVEN A R TURN TO 090 DEG BUT BOTH CREW MEMBERS MISSED THE 'R TURN' AS WE WERE BUSY DOING THE CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE ON THE CHKLISTS AND HURRYING TO TKOF. WE STILL BOTH AGREE WE NEVER HEARD THE 'R TURN' BUT DID HEAR HDG 090 DEG. WE HAD THE TWR SUPVR LISTEN TO THE TAPES, THOUGH, AND HE SAID WE WERE ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN R. SINCE MOST OF OUR DEPS OF AURORA ARE L TURNS TO HDG THAT IS THE WAY WE TURNED. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY TALKING DIRECTLY TO CTR SINCE TWR WASN'T IN OFFICIAL CTL AT THE TIME. ALSO WE WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD TO HOLD SHORT THEN GIVEN A HURRY UP DEP AND CLRNC THAT WAS UNEXPECTED AND GOT US HURRYING TO DEPART THEREBY MISSING SOME OF THE CLRNC. ALSO SHOULD GND CTL BE ISSUING CLRNCS BEFORE OFFICIAL OPERATING HRS (ALTHOUGH MOST TIMES WE DO APPRECIATE IT). THE CREW MEMBERS WERE ALSO AT FAULT IN BEING HURRIED UP TO DEPART RATHER THAN WAIT FOR THE INBND TFC TO ARRIVE. ALSO WE USED HABIT PATTERNS IN DEPARTING OUR USUAL L TURN OFF THE ARPT RATHER THAN BEING PREPARED FOR AN UNEXPECTED CLRNC.

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.