Narrative:

WX was good VMC. I filed IFR to chicago meigs (cgx) from spi il via V173 eon direct cgt thence charted VFR approach to meigs field. See attached chicago area chart and approach charts. My filed route is highlighted with yellow. My clearance out of spi was changed to direct pnt V227 plano rv to meigs. This route is highlighted in green. As you can see, this is a long way out of the way and enough to piss off the pope. My boss was hot about it and I don't blame him. Anyway, I was tracking outbnd on V227 and nearing plano intersection. Center calls and assigns a heading of 350 degree. I repeated it back and promptly turned to 350 degree (I thought). Several mins elapsed (estimated) when center called and asked what my heading was. Well, I said '350 degree' before I even looked, as that's what I'd written down and set the heading bug to. Well, I did look to verify the heading as it disturbed me that he questioned me. I actually looked at magnetic compass first just to ensure slaving mechanism hadn't failed. I then discovered that I was actually on a heading of 035 degree. I about died. I called center and advised him I was turning left to 350 degree and acknowledged I was mistaken. He shortly turned me east, told me to intercept the ILS runway 4R final approach course to midway, which I did. Somewhere shortly thereafter, I was handed off to chi approach the blue route is how I actually went to cgx. First off, I think chicago's routing to miegs was out of line. Seems that the way I planned, using their own approach chart to miegs would have been better. However, I am a compliant person, regardless of the delays ATC causes. I suspect the reasons I didn't realize I'd turned to the wrong heading were: I was expecting and anticipating an easterly heading towards meigs, in the form of a radar vector. I was not anticipating a turn further away from the airport. 350 and 035 have common numbers and I was anticipating a turn east so my feeble mind assembled the numbers in a logical sequence to satisfy my need/desire/anticipation of a more easterly heading. I doubt that I would have ever caught my mistake had the controller not queried me. This scenario reinforces what I teach my students and what I try to do also, that is, expect the unexpected at the most inconvenient time. I just missed it. I do not know if the controller pushed his 'gotcha' button or not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA GIVEN LONGER ROUTING TO CGX THAN HIS PLAN.

Narrative: WX WAS GOOD VMC. I FILED IFR TO CHICAGO MEIGS (CGX) FROM SPI IL VIA V173 EON DIRECT CGT THENCE CHARTED VFR APCH TO MEIGS FIELD. SEE ATTACHED CHICAGO AREA CHART AND APCH CHARTS. MY FILED RTE IS HIGHLIGHTED WITH YELLOW. MY CLRNC OUT OF SPI WAS CHANGED TO DIRECT PNT V227 PLANO RV TO MEIGS. THIS RTE IS HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN. AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS A LONG WAY OUT OF THE WAY AND ENOUGH TO PISS OFF THE POPE. MY BOSS WAS HOT ABOUT IT AND I DON'T BLAME HIM. ANYWAY, I WAS TRACKING OUTBND ON V227 AND NEARING PLANO INTXN. CTR CALLS AND ASSIGNS A HDG OF 350 DEG. I REPEATED IT BACK AND PROMPTLY TURNED TO 350 DEG (I THOUGHT). SEVERAL MINS ELAPSED (ESTIMATED) WHEN CTR CALLED AND ASKED WHAT MY HDG WAS. WELL, I SAID '350 DEG' BEFORE I EVEN LOOKED, AS THAT'S WHAT I'D WRITTEN DOWN AND SET THE HDG BUG TO. WELL, I DID LOOK TO VERIFY THE HDG AS IT DISTURBED ME THAT HE QUESTIONED ME. I ACTUALLY LOOKED AT MAG COMPASS FIRST JUST TO ENSURE SLAVING MECHANISM HADN'T FAILED. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT I WAS ACTUALLY ON A HDG OF 035 DEG. I ABOUT DIED. I CALLED CTR AND ADVISED HIM I WAS TURNING L TO 350 DEG AND ACKNOWLEDGED I WAS MISTAKEN. HE SHORTLY TURNED ME E, TOLD ME TO INTERCEPT THE ILS RWY 4R FINAL APCH COURSE TO MIDWAY, WHICH I DID. SOMEWHERE SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I WAS HANDED OFF TO CHI APCH THE BLUE RTE IS HOW I ACTUALLY WENT TO CGX. FIRST OFF, I THINK CHICAGO'S RTING TO MIEGS WAS OUT OF LINE. SEEMS THAT THE WAY I PLANNED, USING THEIR OWN APCH CHART TO MIEGS WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER. HOWEVER, I AM A COMPLIANT PERSON, REGARDLESS OF THE DELAYS ATC CAUSES. I SUSPECT THE REASONS I DIDN'T REALIZE I'D TURNED TO THE WRONG HDG WERE: I WAS EXPECTING AND ANTICIPATING AN EASTERLY HDG TOWARDS MEIGS, IN THE FORM OF A RADAR VECTOR. I WAS NOT ANTICIPATING A TURN FURTHER AWAY FROM THE ARPT. 350 AND 035 HAVE COMMON NUMBERS AND I WAS ANTICIPATING A TURN E SO MY FEEBLE MIND ASSEMBLED THE NUMBERS IN A LOGICAL SEQUENCE TO SATISFY MY NEED/DESIRE/ANTICIPATION OF A MORE EASTERLY HDG. I DOUBT THAT I WOULD HAVE EVER CAUGHT MY MISTAKE HAD THE CTLR NOT QUERIED ME. THIS SCENARIO REINFORCES WHAT I TEACH MY STUDENTS AND WHAT I TRY TO DO ALSO, THAT IS, EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIME. I JUST MISSED IT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE CTLR PUSHED HIS 'GOTCHA' BUTTON OR NOT.

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.