Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff on runway 29L to fly runway heading and maintain 5000 ft. After takeoff I noticed that the heading bug had not been set to runway heading. This was not a problem in itself but was a slight distraction during a busy phase of flight. At about 1500 ft MSL (700 AGL) I saw the captain reach up to the heading knob to set the heading bug. At the same time tower handed us off to departure. The captain called departure, then I heard the captain read back 'turn right to 360' and he set the heading bug to this heading. I began a slow turn to 360. Out of about 2500 MSL the TCASII sounded 'monitor vertical speed' and indicated a red arc on the vsi. There was a red RA square on the vsi slightly behind and to the right of our airplane symbol. It indicated that the traffic was about 1000 ft below us, climbing. The symbol changed to a yellow TA symbol but relative position and altitude separation stayed approximately the same. We then heard another aircraft asking the departure controller about an aircraft that had flown overhead. Eventually we were given a left turn and the TA circle disappeared. The captain then asked the departure controller if there was a problem and he stated that we had turned north rather than continuing northwest. The other aircraft apparently took off from 29R as we departed 29L. I believe one frequency was handling both runways. I believe the 360 heading was for the other aircraft although I don't know if the controller used our call sign by mistake or if the captain misheard the call sign. In any event the captain read back the clearance and was not corrected by the tower controller. Determining cause and possible solutions hinge on whether the controller used the wrong call sign or whether the captain responded to someone else's call sign. However, I believe the misset heading bug, by creating a distraction during a busy time, was a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LGT ACFT INADVERTENTLY DEV FROM ASSIGNED HDG DURING DEP CLB.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 29L TO FLY RWY HDG AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. AFTER TKOF I NOTICED THAT THE HDG BUG HAD NOT BEEN SET TO RWY HDG. THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM IN ITSELF BUT WAS A SLIGHT DISTR DURING A BUSY PHASE OF FLT. AT ABOUT 1500 FT MSL (700 AGL) I SAW THE CAPT REACH UP TO THE HDG KNOB TO SET THE HDG BUG. AT THE SAME TIME TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEP. THE CAPT CALLED DEP, THEN I HEARD THE CAPT READ BACK 'TURN R TO 360' AND HE SET THE HDG BUG TO THIS HDG. I BEGAN A SLOW TURN TO 360. OUT OF ABOUT 2500 MSL THE TCASII SOUNDED 'MONITOR VERT SPD' AND INDICATED A RED ARC ON THE VSI. THERE WAS A RED RA SQUARE ON THE VSI SLIGHTLY BEHIND AND TO THE R OF OUR AIRPLANE SYMBOL. IT INDICATED THAT THE TFC WAS ABOUT 1000 FT BELOW US, CLBING. THE SYMBOL CHANGED TO A YELLOW TA SYMBOL BUT RELATIVE POS AND ALT SEPARATION STAYED APPROX THE SAME. WE THEN HEARD ANOTHER ACFT ASKING THE DEP CTLR ABOUT AN ACFT THAT HAD FLOWN OVERHEAD. EVENTUALLY WE WERE GIVEN A L TURN AND THE TA CIRCLE DISAPPEARED. THE CAPT THEN ASKED THE DEP CTLR IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND HE STATED THAT WE HAD TURNED N RATHER THAN CONTINUING NW. THE OTHER ACFT APPARENTLY TOOK OFF FROM 29R AS WE DEPARTED 29L. I BELIEVE ONE FREQ WAS HANDLING BOTH RWYS. I BELIEVE THE 360 HDG WAS FOR THE OTHER ACFT ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW IF THE CTLR USED OUR CALL SIGN BY MISTAKE OR IF THE CAPT MISHEARD THE CALL SIGN. IN ANY EVENT THE CAPT READ BACK THE CLRNC AND WAS NOT CORRECTED BY THE TWR CTLR. DETERMINING CAUSE AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS HINGE ON WHETHER THE CTLR USED THE WRONG CALL SIGN OR WHETHER THE CAPT RESPONDED TO SOMEONE ELSE'S CALL SIGN. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE MISSET HDG BUG, BY CREATING A DISTR DURING A BUSY TIME, WAS A FACTOR.

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.