Narrative:

I was flying my high wing small aircraft. I had just departed van nuys, ca, runway 34 (the glendale 7 departure). Since I was unfamiliar with the departure, I had written on my lap desk all the instructions from the book of approach plates. I knew I was to head 250 degrees and ultimately the 095 degree radial from van nuys VOR. On takeoff, the pilot ahead of me reported wind shear, and tower told me to turn left to 280 degrees on reaching 1800 ft (1000 ft AGL). I wrote this on my lap pad. At 700 ft AGL a startling wind shear reduced my airspeed by 15 KTS. The stall horn sounded. I lowered the nose to regain speed and the plane began to be buffeted by some extremely challenging turbulence. I continued the climb and was concentrating hard on aircraft control. I had not experienced this kind of wind shear before and it is clear now that I was shaken more than I knew. With the glendale 7 departure 'memorized,' I headed west, suddenly noticing the CDI going through 095 degrees -- the airway I was supposed to be on! Not thinking clearly, I did not notice that it said 'to' in the window and not 'from' and I did not remind myself that I had not yet been told to intercept the 095 degree radial (V186). I turned left when the needle started moving, at which point approach told me to turn right to 300 degrees. This was clearly my error. I was startled to find 095 degrees centered so soon on my CDI. Under less stressful circumstances I would normally have radioed approach to advise them of my intentions. The wind shear and strong turbulence had gotten the better of me. Fortunately it was a VFR day. This is a good lesson for me. In the last 205 hobbs hours of flying (since last may, including a solo flight from boston to southern california) I have filed an IFR flight plan every time, in order to keep myself familiar with and comfortable in the IFR system. 10 of those hours (just before my cross country flight in june) were with a cfii, practicing approachs until I was satisfied. I had not realized what a difference sudden distraction can make. I do now.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA PVT ACFT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED SID DUE TO WIND SHEAR TURB.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING MY HIGH WING SMA. I HAD JUST DEPARTED VAN NUYS, CA, RWY 34 (THE GLENDALE 7 DEP). SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE DEP, I HAD WRITTEN ON MY LAP DESK ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE BOOK OF APCH PLATES. I KNEW I WAS TO HEAD 250 DEGS AND ULTIMATELY THE 095 DEG RADIAL FROM VAN NUYS VOR. ON TKOF, THE PLT AHEAD OF ME RPTED WIND SHEAR, AND TWR TOLD ME TO TURN L TO 280 DEGS ON REACHING 1800 FT (1000 FT AGL). I WROTE THIS ON MY LAP PAD. AT 700 FT AGL A STARTLING WIND SHEAR REDUCED MY AIRSPD BY 15 KTS. THE STALL HORN SOUNDED. I LOWERED THE NOSE TO REGAIN SPD AND THE PLANE BEGAN TO BE BUFFETED BY SOME EXTREMELY CHALLENGING TURB. I CONTINUED THE CLB AND WAS CONCENTRATING HARD ON ACFT CTL. I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF WIND SHEAR BEFORE AND IT IS CLR NOW THAT I WAS SHAKEN MORE THAN I KNEW. WITH THE GLENDALE 7 DEP 'MEMORIZED,' I HEADED W, SUDDENLY NOTICING THE CDI GOING THROUGH 095 DEGS -- THE AIRWAY I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON! NOT THINKING CLRLY, I DID NOT NOTICE THAT IT SAID 'TO' IN THE WINDOW AND NOT 'FROM' AND I DID NOT REMIND MYSELF THAT I HAD NOT YET BEEN TOLD TO INTERCEPT THE 095 DEG RADIAL (V186). I TURNED L WHEN THE NEEDLE STARTED MOVING, AT WHICH POINT APCH TOLD ME TO TURN R TO 300 DEGS. THIS WAS CLRLY MY ERROR. I WAS STARTLED TO FIND 095 DEGS CTRED SO SOON ON MY CDI. UNDER LESS STRESSFUL CIRCUMSTANCES I WOULD NORMALLY HAVE RADIOED APCH TO ADVISE THEM OF MY INTENTIONS. THE WIND SHEAR AND STRONG TURB HAD GOTTEN THE BETTER OF ME. FORTUNATELY IT WAS A VFR DAY. THIS IS A GOOD LESSON FOR ME. IN THE LAST 205 HOBBS HRS OF FLYING (SINCE LAST MAY, INCLUDING A SOLO FLT FROM BOSTON TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) I HAVE FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN EVERY TIME, IN ORDER TO KEEP MYSELF FAMILIAR WITH AND COMFORTABLE IN THE IFR SYS. 10 OF THOSE HRS (JUST BEFORE MY XCOUNTRY FLT IN JUNE) WERE WITH A CFII, PRACTICING APCHS UNTIL I WAS SATISFIED. I HAD NOT REALIZED WHAT A DIFFERENCE SUDDEN DISTR CAN MAKE. I DO NOW.

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.