Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff on runway 22 at houston airport. The takeoff instructions were 'cleared for takeoff, turn right to heading 040 degrees.' the IFR departure procedure on the airport chart for hobby states for departing runway 22, 'climb runway heading to 2100 ft before turning wbound or comply with radar vectors.' we took off and proceeded to climb runway heading to 2100 ft before turning right to 040 degrees. At about 2000 ft, departure control asked us why we had not started our turn. Departure instructed us to start our turn at that time. After rolling out on the 040 degree heading, departure asked us why we had not started our turn earlier, and I quoted him the IFR departure procedure on the airport chart. The departure controller said the runway heading to 2100 ft did not apply. The decision to fly runway heading was included in the cockpit departure briefing between myself and the first officer who was flying this leg. We both agreed we were following the correct departure procedures. We also agreed a left turn could have been started anytime or a right could have been started before 2100 ft if instructed to do so by departure control. After continuing the flight on course the controller asked us to call his supervisor when we got to our destination. The supervisor said this was not the first situation like this, and that this departure gets flown like this frequently. He said a heading given by the tower is a radar vector, and a turn should be started as soon as aircraft performance allowed. After my conversation with the supervisor, and his statement about frequency of this occurrence, confirms my thoughts that the IFR departure procedures can easily be interpreted 2 ways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC FLIES RWY HDG AFTER TKOF INSTEAD OF TURNING TO ASSIGNED HDG.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 22 AT HOUSTON ARPT. THE TKOF INSTRUCTIONS WERE 'CLRED FOR TKOF, TURN R TO HDG 040 DEGS.' THE IFR DEP PROC ON THE ARPT CHART FOR HOBBY STATES FOR DEPARTING RWY 22, 'CLB RWY HDG TO 2100 FT BEFORE TURNING WBOUND OR COMPLY WITH RADAR VECTORS.' WE TOOK OFF AND PROCEEDED TO CLB RWY HDG TO 2100 FT BEFORE TURNING R TO 040 DEGS. AT ABOUT 2000 FT, DEP CTL ASKED US WHY WE HAD NOT STARTED OUR TURN. DEP INSTRUCTED US TO START OUR TURN AT THAT TIME. AFTER ROLLING OUT ON THE 040 DEG HDG, DEP ASKED US WHY WE HAD NOT STARTED OUR TURN EARLIER, AND I QUOTED HIM THE IFR DEP PROC ON THE ARPT CHART. THE DEP CTLR SAID THE RWY HDG TO 2100 FT DID NOT APPLY. THE DECISION TO FLY RWY HDG WAS INCLUDED IN THE COCKPIT DEP BRIEFING BTWN MYSELF AND THE FO WHO WAS FLYING THIS LEG. WE BOTH AGREED WE WERE FOLLOWING THE CORRECT DEP PROCS. WE ALSO AGREED A L TURN COULD HAVE BEEN STARTED ANYTIME OR A R COULD HAVE BEEN STARTED BEFORE 2100 FT IF INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY DEP CTL. AFTER CONTINUING THE FLT ON COURSE THE CTLR ASKED US TO CALL HIS SUPVR WHEN WE GOT TO OUR DEST. THE SUPVR SAID THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST SIT LIKE THIS, AND THAT THIS DEP GETS FLOWN LIKE THIS FREQUENTLY. HE SAID A HDG GIVEN BY THE TWR IS A RADAR VECTOR, AND A TURN SHOULD BE STARTED AS SOON AS ACFT PERFORMANCE ALLOWED. AFTER MY CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPVR, AND HIS STATEMENT ABOUT FREQ OF THIS OCCURRENCE, CONFIRMS MY THOUGHTS THAT THE IFR DEP PROCS CAN EASILY BE INTERPRETED 2 WAYS.

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.