Narrative:

I'm a new captain (about 100 PIC). My first officer is a new hire with about 60 hours in type/commuter part 135 operations. We had already blocked about 7 hours of flight this day. It was my leg. As we were cleared for takeoff, tower instructed us that 'there was an medium large transport departing runway 18L straight out, turn left to 145 degrees, cleared for takeoff.' I set my heading bug to 145 degrees, completed the checklist, and began the takeoff roll. As we were airborne at 400 ft AGL I began a turn to 145 degrees. The medium large transport was in sight and well ahead of us. My first officer said 'we are to fly runway heading.' suddenly unsure as to our clearance, I leveled the wings and instructed him to verify our heading immediately. Tower confirmed the 145 degree heading, repeated the warning about the medium large transport (with some annoyance in his voice). Why did this happen? I think there are several predictable and preventable reasons: 1) my company putting low time PIC and sic together which they do all the time. We need regulation here. 2) long day -- final block time was 8.3 hours. 3) poor radio technique -- my first officer only read back 'cleared for takeoff,' not the heading. He was prone to only reading back part of the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BIT OF CONFUSION ON THE FLT DECK WITH CLRNC INTERP. HDG TRACK DEV OF THE SHORTEST KIND.

Narrative: I'M A NEW CAPT (ABOUT 100 PIC). MY FO IS A NEW HIRE WITH ABOUT 60 HRS IN TYPE/COMMUTER PART 135 OPS. WE HAD ALREADY BLOCKED ABOUT 7 HRS OF FLT THIS DAY. IT WAS MY LEG. AS WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, TWR INSTRUCTED US THAT 'THERE WAS AN MLG DEPARTING RWY 18L STRAIGHT OUT, TURN L TO 145 DEGS, CLRED FOR TKOF.' I SET MY HDG BUG TO 145 DEGS, COMPLETED THE CHKLIST, AND BEGAN THE TKOF ROLL. AS WE WERE AIRBORNE AT 400 FT AGL I BEGAN A TURN TO 145 DEGS. THE MLG WAS IN SIGHT AND WELL AHEAD OF US. MY FO SAID 'WE ARE TO FLY RWY HDG.' SUDDENLY UNSURE AS TO OUR CLRNC, I LEVELED THE WINGS AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO VERIFY OUR HDG IMMEDIATELY. TWR CONFIRMED THE 145 DEG HDG, REPEATED THE WARNING ABOUT THE MLG (WITH SOME ANNOYANCE IN HIS VOICE). WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL PREDICTABLE AND PREVENTABLE REASONS: 1) MY COMPANY PUTTING LOW TIME PIC AND SIC TOGETHER WHICH THEY DO ALL THE TIME. WE NEED REG HERE. 2) LONG DAY -- FINAL BLOCK TIME WAS 8.3 HRS. 3) POOR RADIO TECHNIQUE -- MY FO ONLY READ BACK 'CLRED FOR TKOF,' NOT THE HDG. HE WAS PRONE TO ONLY READING BACK PART OF THE CLRNC.

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.