Air carrier pilot on personal flight in an small aircraft departs phd and heads the wrong direction.

Attributes
ACN	176742
Time
Date	199104
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phd
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cak
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	176742
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Was on IFR flight plan phd-osu via direct tvt, direct ape direct osu. Received void time clearance over phone. Departure was normal. Contacted cak departure. After several mins, cak mentioned I was headed east, while tvt was west of me. I immediately turned around and proceeded to tvt. Rest of flight was normal with an NDB approach into osu. I am a pilot for an air carrier and just took a 6 month ride in march. There was no problem with my INS flying. I was current single engine, had just shot a VOR approach into phd to pick up passenger. Had been almost 1 yr since last southeast flight. Was completely embarrassed at having gone wrong direction. No excuse. Don't know how to correct problem. How can you correct stupidity? Maybe write down heading of departure next time. Was headed basically eastbound into airport from columbus. Maybe still in eastbound mode?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT ON PERSONAL FLT IN AN SMA DEPARTS PHD AND HEADS THE WRONG DIRECTION.

Narrative: WAS ON IFR FLT PLAN PHD-OSU VIA DIRECT TVT, DIRECT APE DIRECT OSU. RECEIVED VOID TIME CLRNC OVER PHONE. DEP WAS NORMAL. CONTACTED CAK DEP. AFTER SEVERAL MINS, CAK MENTIONED I WAS HEADED E, WHILE TVT WAS W OF ME. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND PROCEEDED TO TVT. REST OF FLT WAS NORMAL WITH AN NDB APCH INTO OSU. I AM A PLT FOR AN ACR AND JUST TOOK A 6 MONTH RIDE IN MARCH. THERE WAS NO PROB WITH MY INS FLYING. I WAS CURRENT SINGLE ENG, HAD JUST SHOT A VOR APCH INTO PHD TO PICK UP PAX. HAD BEEN ALMOST 1 YR SINCE LAST SE FLT. WAS COMPLETELY EMBARRASSED AT HAVING GONE WRONG DIRECTION. NO EXCUSE. DON'T KNOW HOW TO CORRECT PROB. HOW CAN YOU CORRECT STUPIDITY? MAYBE WRITE DOWN HDG OF DEP NEXT TIME. WAS HEADED BASICALLY EBND INTO ARPT FROM COLUMBUS. MAYBE STILL IN EBND MODE?

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.