Narrative:

Austin airport, bergstrom air force base to the south. Departed to the south. Clearance: 'cleared as filed, turn right heading 230, within 2 mi. Climb and maintain 4000 ft, expect FL310 10 min after departure, departure control 119.0, squawk XXXX.' flap 25 degrees, air conditioning packs off takeoff required due to field length and temperature. I understood the clearance to mean begin right turn to 230 degrees within 2 mi of aus VOR. I began turn at 1 mi. Tower controller then said he needed turn completed within 2 mi. Turn complete at about 2 1/2 mi. TCASII RA at about 1000 ft in turn due to fgt approaching bergstrom air force base. RA followed, descent about 200 ft required. I saw fgt above and in 9 O'clock position after RA resolved. Rest of departure and flight normal. Problem 1 -- misunderstood clearance -- phrase in clearance could mean begin turn to 230 degrees within 2 mi, or complete turn to 230 degrees within 2 mi. Turn was about 100 degrees (runway 18 at austin). Problem 2 -- mindset, hot, heavy weight, short field departure (not unusual) but completing a 100 degree turn within 2 mi of takeoff is unusual -- starting a turn is not unusual. It did not occur to me that that was what the clearance called for. Problem 3 -- first officer asked if I wanted to ask for a straight out departure. I thought he was concerned about turning early (within 2 mi) with flaps at 25 degrees -- he said later that he understood the clearance the way tower did -- but did not question my judgement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT DEPARTS WITH MISUNDERSTANDING OF CLRNC. FAILS TO TURN WITHIN PRESCRIBED DISTANCE. TCASII RA TO DSND.

Narrative: AUSTIN ARPT, BERGSTROM AIR FORCE BASE TO THE S. DEPARTED TO THE S. CLRNC: 'CLRED AS FILED, TURN R HDG 230, WITHIN 2 MI. CLB AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT, EXPECT FL310 10 MIN AFTER DEP, DEP CTL 119.0, SQUAWK XXXX.' FLAP 25 DEGS, AIR CONDITIONING PACKS OFF TKOF REQUIRED DUE TO FIELD LENGTH AND TEMP. I UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC TO MEAN BEGIN R TURN TO 230 DEGS WITHIN 2 MI OF AUS VOR. I BEGAN TURN AT 1 MI. TWR CTLR THEN SAID HE NEEDED TURN COMPLETED WITHIN 2 MI. TURN COMPLETE AT ABOUT 2 1/2 MI. TCASII RA AT ABOUT 1000 FT IN TURN DUE TO FGT APCHING BERGSTROM AIR FORCE BASE. RA FOLLOWED, DSCNT ABOUT 200 FT REQUIRED. I SAW FGT ABOVE AND IN 9 O'CLOCK POS AFTER RA RESOLVED. REST OF DEP AND FLT NORMAL. PROBLEM 1 -- MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC -- PHRASE IN CLRNC COULD MEAN BEGIN TURN TO 230 DEGS WITHIN 2 MI, OR COMPLETE TURN TO 230 DEGS WITHIN 2 MI. TURN WAS ABOUT 100 DEGS (RWY 18 AT AUSTIN). PROBLEM 2 -- MINDSET, HOT, HVY WT, SHORT FIELD DEP (NOT UNUSUAL) BUT COMPLETING A 100 DEG TURN WITHIN 2 MI OF TKOF IS UNUSUAL -- STARTING A TURN IS NOT UNUSUAL. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME THAT THAT WAS WHAT THE CLRNC CALLED FOR. PROBLEM 3 -- FO ASKED IF I WANTED TO ASK FOR A STRAIGHT OUT DEP. I THOUGHT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT TURNING EARLY (WITHIN 2 MI) WITH FLAPS AT 25 DEGS -- HE SAID LATER THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC THE WAY TWR DID -- BUT DID NOT QUESTION MY JUDGEMENT.

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.