Narrative:

Knoxville tower cleared me for an intersection takeoff on runway 23R. After I departed, I turned right to a heading of 250 which had been assigned to me in my clearance. The tower then handed me over to departure. Departure told me that I was radar contact and climb to 2500 ft. I also thought I heard a heading in departure's initial instructions but I wasn't sure. I then asked 'knoxville departure was there a heading for small aircraft X?' departure replied, 'small aircraft X, fly heading 030'. I replied, 'roger 030'. My destination airport was knoxville downtown island which I thought was to the left of my position so began a left turn to 030. As I passed through a heading of approximately 170, I sighted traffic (an air carrier jet) aircraft Y behind my left wing climbing out towards me off of runway 23R. I immediately began a steep right turn. Shortly after I began turning, ATC told me to make an immediate right turn and informed me that I was supposed to have turned right to 030. At that point I couldn't believe that ATC did not tell me and emphasize a right turn to 030 after I had specifically asked if there was a heading for me. I proceeded to knoxville downtown island airport and was asked to call the watch supervisor which I complied with immediately after landing. In discussing the event with the watch supervisor, he wanted to know why I began turning left instead of right to 030. I told him that I thought my destination airport was to the left of my position so I turned left. I also explained to him that the controller did not say turn right or left. He just stated 'fly heading 030'. The watch supervisor told me that they assign an initial heading of 250 so that aircraft will turn right to their next heading. I told him I did not fly out of the knoxville airport (tys) that often and was unfamiliar with this procedure. I also told him that I had not been told and was completely unaware that they had cleared a jet for takeoff directly after me. If I would have known that I would have turned right, away from the airport. The watch supervisor then stated, 'you should have known to turn right. The controller does not owe it to you to tell you that'. I disagreed with his statement and again told him that I did not fly out of the knoxville airport that often and was unfamiliar with their usual procedures. The supervisor asked me why would I take the long turn around to 030 instead of the short way. I told him again that I thought my destination airport was to my left, so I turned left. I told him that since the controller stated 'fly heading 030', I did not perceive it at the time as being critical to turn right or left. However, since it was critical, I feel that the controller should have told me and emphasized a right turn to 030. I also feel that the controller should have made sure that I replied, 'roger right turn to 030'. Nothing was really resolved in discussing the event with the watch supervisor. I informed him I would file this report with NASA. I believe this event resulted from a lack of proper communication between the controller and me. Looking back at the situation I admit it would have been better sense to turn right instead of left. Furthermore, the whole event was inadvertent and not deliberate. However, since I was not specifically told to turn right or left, I did not consider it to be critical which it obviously was. I also was not informed that there was departing jet traffic behind me. As I have stated earlier I was completely unaware of a departing jet behind me. This was due in part to the fact that I had made an intersection takeoff and was unaware of any traffic waiting for departure at the takeoff end of 23R. Had I known there was a jet departing behind me, I would have turned right away from the takeoff path of 23R. The 1 thing which really upsets me about this event was the watch supervisor's comment in which he stated that I should have known to turn right and that the controllers did not owe it to me to tell me that. It is my personal opinion that where aviation safety is concerned and in possible situations where serious conflicts could result it is the responsibility of everyone involved to prevent accidents from occurring. Therefore, I feel that the ATC did owe it to me to tell me to make a right turn and he should have made sure I responded, 'roger right turn 030'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV RESULTS IN A POTENTIAL CONFLICT BTWN AN ATX SMA AND DEP TFC, AN ACR MLG.

Narrative: KNOXVILLE TWR CLRED ME FOR AN INTXN TKOF ON RWY 23R. AFTER I DEPARTED, I TURNED R TO A HDG OF 250 WHICH HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO ME IN MY CLRNC. THE TWR THEN HANDED ME OVER TO DEP. DEP TOLD ME THAT I WAS RADAR CONTACT AND CLB TO 2500 FT. I ALSO THOUGHT I HEARD A HDG IN DEP'S INITIAL INSTRUCTIONS BUT I WASN'T SURE. I THEN ASKED 'KNOXVILLE DEP WAS THERE A HDG FOR SMA X?' DEP REPLIED, 'SMA X, FLY HDG 030'. I REPLIED, 'ROGER 030'. MY DEST ARPT WAS KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN ISLAND WHICH I THOUGHT WAS TO THE L OF MY POS SO BEGAN A L TURN TO 030. AS I PASSED THROUGH A HDG OF APPROX 170, I SIGHTED TFC (AN ACR JET) ACFT Y BEHIND MY L WING CLBING OUT TOWARDS ME OFF OF RWY 23R. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A STEEP R TURN. SHORTLY AFTER I BEGAN TURNING, ATC TOLD ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN AND INFORMED ME THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE TURNED R TO 030. AT THAT POINT I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT ATC DID NOT TELL ME AND EMPHASIZE A R TURN TO 030 AFTER I HAD SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF THERE WAS A HDG FOR ME. I PROCEEDED TO KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN ISLAND ARPT AND WAS ASKED TO CALL THE WATCH SUPVR WHICH I COMPLIED WITH IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG. IN DISCUSSING THE EVENT WITH THE WATCH SUPVR, HE WANTED TO KNOW WHY I BEGAN TURNING L INSTEAD OF R TO 030. I TOLD HIM THAT I THOUGHT MY DEST ARPT WAS TO THE L OF MY POS SO I TURNED L. I ALSO EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THE CTLR DID NOT SAY TURN R OR L. HE JUST STATED 'FLY HDG 030'. THE WATCH SUPVR TOLD ME THAT THEY ASSIGN AN INITIAL HDG OF 250 SO THAT ACFT WILL TURN R TO THEIR NEXT HDG. I TOLD HIM I DID NOT FLY OUT OF THE KNOXVILLE ARPT (TYS) THAT OFTEN AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS PROC. I ALSO TOLD HIM THAT I HAD NOT BEEN TOLD AND WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE THAT THEY HAD CLRED A JET FOR TKOF DIRECTLY AFTER ME. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT I WOULD HAVE TURNED R, AWAY FROM THE ARPT. THE WATCH SUPVR THEN STATED, 'YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN TO TURN R. THE CTLR DOES NOT OWE IT TO YOU TO TELL YOU THAT'. I DISAGREED WITH HIS STATEMENT AND AGAIN TOLD HIM THAT I DID NOT FLY OUT OF THE KNOXVILLE ARPT THAT OFTEN AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THEIR USUAL PROCS. THE SUPVR ASKED ME WHY WOULD I TAKE THE LONG TURN AROUND TO 030 INSTEAD OF THE SHORT WAY. I TOLD HIM AGAIN THAT I THOUGHT MY DEST ARPT WAS TO MY L, SO I TURNED L. I TOLD HIM THAT SINCE THE CTLR STATED 'FLY HDG 030', I DID NOT PERCEIVE IT AT THE TIME AS BEING CRITICAL TO TURN R OR L. HOWEVER, SINCE IT WAS CRITICAL, I FEEL THAT THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME AND EMPHASIZED A R TURN TO 030. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE THAT I REPLIED, 'ROGER R TURN TO 030'. NOTHING WAS REALLY RESOLVED IN DISCUSSING THE EVENT WITH THE WATCH SUPVR. I INFORMED HIM I WOULD FILE THIS RPT WITH NASA. I BELIEVE THIS EVENT RESULTED FROM A LACK OF PROPER COM BTWN THE CTLR AND ME. LOOKING BACK AT THE SITUATION I ADMIT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SENSE TO TURN R INSTEAD OF L. FURTHERMORE, THE WHOLE EVENT WAS INADVERTENT AND NOT DELIBERATE. HOWEVER, SINCE I WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY TOLD TO TURN R OR L, I DID NOT CONSIDER IT TO BE CRITICAL WHICH IT OBVIOUSLY WAS. I ALSO WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THERE WAS DEPARTING JET TFC BEHIND ME. AS I HAVE STATED EARLIER I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF A DEPARTING JET BEHIND ME. THIS WAS DUE IN PART TO THE FACT THAT I HAD MADE AN INTXN TKOF AND WAS UNAWARE OF ANY TFC WAITING FOR DEP AT THE TKOF END OF 23R. HAD I KNOWN THERE WAS A JET DEPARTING BEHIND ME, I WOULD HAVE TURNED R AWAY FROM THE TKOF PATH OF 23R. THE 1 THING WHICH REALLY UPSETS ME ABOUT THIS EVENT WAS THE WATCH SUPVR'S COMMENT IN WHICH HE STATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN TO TURN R AND THAT THE CTLRS DID NOT OWE IT TO ME TO TELL ME THAT. IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION THAT WHERE AVIATION SAFETY IS CONCERNED AND IN POSSIBLE SITUATIONS WHERE SERIOUS CONFLICTS COULD RESULT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERYONE INVOLVED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS FROM OCCURRING. THEREFORE, I FEEL THAT THE ATC DID OWE IT TO ME TO TELL ME TO MAKE A R TURN AND HE SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE I RESPONDED, 'ROGER R TURN 030'.

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.