Air carrier flight crew confusion reference clearance. Heading deviation.

Attributes
ACN	198974
Time
Date	199201
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hkg
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : hkg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 115 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	198974
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	199401
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
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:

After takeoff from hkg airport departure control told us to turn to 180 degree heading. We understood the turn to be immediately, ATC advised not to turn until tathong VOR. The turn was not made at the VOR due to normal duties inside the cockpit by the PF, and the PNF also looking for traffic. Departures were being made from runway 13 while landing was being made to runway 31. Both pilots as well as so were busy looking for merging traffic at approximately 8 mi. ATC advised us we had not made the turn (to 180 degrees at the VOR) as we had been told. He then gave us a heading to 190 degrees. Supplemental information from acn 199401: shortly after takeoff at 3000 ft MSL, proceeding to tathong pt VOR, given a heading assignment by departure control which was somewhat distorted due to other radio traffic. Initially started turn and captain questioned departure control if they wanted turn right now. Departure control advised to maintain heading, which I turned back to. After passing tathong pt VOR, departure control directed us to turn right and stated, you were told to turn right after passing tathong pt. We missed this transmission from departure control.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC CONFUSION REF CLRNC. HDG DEV.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM HKG ARPT DEP CTL TOLD US TO TURN TO 180 DEG HDG. WE UNDERSTOOD THE TURN TO BE IMMEDIATELY, ATC ADVISED NOT TO TURN UNTIL TATHONG VOR. THE TURN WAS NOT MADE AT THE VOR DUE TO NORMAL DUTIES INSIDE THE COCKPIT BY THE PF, AND THE PNF ALSO LOOKING FOR TFC. DEPS WERE BEING MADE FROM RWY 13 WHILE LNDG WAS BEING MADE TO RWY 31. BOTH PLTS AS WELL AS SO WERE BUSY LOOKING FOR MERGING TFC AT APPROX 8 MI. ATC ADVISED US WE HAD NOT MADE THE TURN (TO 180 DEGS AT THE VOR) AS WE HAD BEEN TOLD. HE THEN GAVE US A HDG TO 190 DEGS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 199401: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AT 3000 FT MSL, PROCEEDING TO TATHONG PT VOR, GIVEN A HDG ASSIGNMENT BY DEP CTL WHICH WAS SOMEWHAT DISTORTED DUE TO OTHER RADIO TFC. INITIALLY STARTED TURN AND CAPT QUESTIONED DEP CTL IF THEY WANTED TURN RIGHT NOW. DEP CTL ADVISED TO MAINTAIN HDG, WHICH I TURNED BACK TO. AFTER PASSING TATHONG PT VOR, DEP CTL DIRECTED US TO TURN R AND STATED, YOU WERE TOLD TO TURN R AFTER PASSING TATHONG PT. WE MISSED THIS XMISSION FROM DEP CTL.

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.