Narrative:

We had received our pre-departure clearance of trk 175 to 2.5 DME then left to 040 degree, climb to 5000 ft. After discussing this with the captain, we taxied out. Several aircraft taking off from runway 13 were doing a straight out departure, so we also briefed that. The aircraft in front of us was given a right turn to heading 175 degree. We were given the same instructions by tower. When we previously verified the climb out with clearance, we read back track 175 to 5000 ft and we were cleared off frequency. After takeoff we made the turn to 175 degree. At about 4 DME and 4000 ft we turned to a vector heading from departure control of 360 degree. They asked us if tower had given us a turn to heading 040 degree and we said no. We were asked to tighten our turn and we did. They told us we were the third aircraft in a row to miss the turn to heading 040 degree. There was some confusion because several previous aircraft had not been given a turn back to the left to heading 040 degree and had been given a straight out departure. Also, on takeoff roll, our #1 engine's egt reached the lower limit of red line. I rolled back the throttle to prevent an overtemp and engine change. We probably spent over a min watching all engine parameters and forgot about the instructions printed on the SID. Had tower been more positive in our departure instruction or had clearance delivery asked for a more complete climb out readback, or had our company departure pages had that specific instructions as a published departure, the confusion would have been min. On subsequent trips from lga that day with the same runway 13 departure, clearance delivery was very specific on its readback requirements, and there was no confusion on what to do. Supplemental information from acn 190950: pre-departure clearance quoted climb instructions of, 'lga 3 departure, runway 13 TR 175 till lga 2.5 DME then till 040', and 'contact clearance delivery with ATIS, verify climb out.' first officer read back, 'track 175 till 5000'. Clearance responded, 'contact ground.' the emphasis on 'on time' shuttle operations contributed to my accepting a takeoff clearance with the intent of seeking clarification after liftoff from tower. Certainly, the experience level of the crew had a contributing factor. My so was on her first trip and first officer very new to first officer duties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TRACK HDG DEV NON ADHERENCE TO SID FROM LGA.

Narrative: WE HAD RECEIVED OUR PRE-DEP CLRNC OF TRK 175 TO 2.5 DME THEN L TO 040 DEG, CLB TO 5000 FT. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE CAPT, WE TAXIED OUT. SEVERAL ACFT TAKING OFF FROM RWY 13 WERE DOING A STRAIGHT OUT DEP, SO WE ALSO BRIEFED THAT. THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US WAS GIVEN A R TURN TO HDG 175 DEG. WE WERE GIVEN THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS BY TWR. WHEN WE PREVIOUSLY VERIFIED THE CLB OUT WITH CLRNC, WE READ BACK TRACK 175 TO 5000 FT AND WE WERE CLRED OFF FREQ. AFTER TKOF WE MADE THE TURN TO 175 DEG. AT ABOUT 4 DME AND 4000 FT WE TURNED TO A VECTOR HDG FROM DEP CTL OF 360 DEG. THEY ASKED US IF TWR HAD GIVEN US A TURN TO HDG 040 DEG AND WE SAID NO. WE WERE ASKED TO TIGHTEN OUR TURN AND WE DID. THEY TOLD US WE WERE THE THIRD ACFT IN A ROW TO MISS THE TURN TO HDG 040 DEG. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION BECAUSE SEVERAL PREVIOUS ACFT HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN A TURN BACK TO THE L TO HDG 040 DEG AND HAD BEEN GIVEN A STRAIGHT OUT DEP. ALSO, ON TKOF ROLL, OUR #1 ENG'S EGT REACHED THE LOWER LIMIT OF RED LINE. I ROLLED BACK THE THROTTLE TO PREVENT AN OVERTEMP AND ENG CHANGE. WE PROBABLY SPENT OVER A MIN WATCHING ALL ENG PARAMETERS AND FORGOT ABOUT THE INSTRUCTIONS PRINTED ON THE SID. HAD TWR BEEN MORE POSITIVE IN OUR DEP INSTRUCTION OR HAD CLRNC DELIVERY ASKED FOR A MORE COMPLETE CLB OUT READBACK, OR HAD OUR COMPANY DEP PAGES HAD THAT SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS AS A PUBLISHED DEP, THE CONFUSION WOULD HAVE BEEN MIN. ON SUBSEQUENT TRIPS FROM LGA THAT DAY WITH THE SAME RWY 13 DEP, CLRNC DELIVERY WAS VERY SPECIFIC ON ITS READBACK REQUIREMENTS, AND THERE WAS NO CONFUSION ON WHAT TO DO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 190950: PRE-DEP CLRNC QUOTED CLB INSTRUCTIONS OF, 'LGA 3 DEP, RWY 13 TR 175 TILL LGA 2.5 DME THEN TILL 040', AND 'CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY WITH ATIS, VERIFY CLBOUT.' FO READ BACK, 'TRACK 175 TILL 5000'. CLRNC RESPONDED, 'CONTACT GND.' THE EMPHASIS ON 'ON TIME' SHUTTLE OPS CONTRIBUTED TO MY ACCEPTING A TKOF CLRNC WITH THE INTENT OF SEEKING CLARIFICATION AFTER LIFTOFF FROM TWR. CERTAINLY, THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE CREW HAD A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. MY SO WAS ON HER FIRST TRIP AND FO VERY NEW TO FO DUTIES.

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.