Narrative:

Upon radar identify, after departure from art, I received a direct to cfb VOR (as I had requested on initial call-up). I had the obs centered and turned to the indicated course -- 030 degrees. Soon center called and asked my heading. I didn't realize that I was on the reciprocal course until center reminded me that cfb was south of art, not north, and gave me a 210 vector. After nearly dying of embarrassment, I duly noted the from flag on the obs instead of the correct to flag. My preflight and departure was hurried and my mind was elsewhere. I was aware that I had a dripping fuel leak from the fuel selector switch. Based on a visual estimate of the drip rate, I had calculated the fuel loss as about 1 gallon/hour. Over an expected engine start to shutdown time of about 2 hours 45 mins (art to fdk at about 130 KTS gndspd), I estimated the total fuel usage to be about 26 gallons (normal burn plus drip loss) of out of 60 gallons usable on board. I was not expecting a substantial loss or a risky flight, but I was preoccupied with the leak and watching the fuel gauges for any sign of a massive increase of fuel loss. The net result was that I insufficiently prepared myself and insufficiently reviewed my flight planning. My flight plan was correct but I had done it several days earlier and, because of my preoccupation, I didn't refresh my memory at preflight. Thus, my usual 'sanity check' procedure (why am I heading north when I should be going south?) escaped my mind completely. I wonder what would happen if I were ever faced with a real emergency? I was all primed and ready to divert if I had a noticeable fuel loss and I was planning to keep track of fields along the way, but I never even realized that my initial heading was reversed. As it turned out, the rest of the flight was uneventful and no major fuel loss occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV ON DEP PROC.

Narrative: UPON RADAR IDENT, AFTER DEP FROM ART, I RECEIVED A DIRECT TO CFB VOR (AS I HAD REQUESTED ON INITIAL CALL-UP). I HAD THE OBS CTRED AND TURNED TO THE INDICATED COURSE -- 030 DEGS. SOON CTR CALLED AND ASKED MY HDG. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I WAS ON THE RECIPROCAL COURSE UNTIL CTR REMINDED ME THAT CFB WAS S OF ART, NOT N, AND GAVE ME A 210 VECTOR. AFTER NEARLY DYING OF EMBARRASSMENT, I DULY NOTED THE FROM FLAG ON THE OBS INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT TO FLAG. MY PREFLT AND DEP WAS HURRIED AND MY MIND WAS ELSEWHERE. I WAS AWARE THAT I HAD A DRIPPING FUEL LEAK FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH. BASED ON A VISUAL ESTIMATE OF THE DRIP RATE, I HAD CALCULATED THE FUEL LOSS AS ABOUT 1 GALLON/HR. OVER AN EXPECTED ENG START TO SHUTDOWN TIME OF ABOUT 2 HRS 45 MINS (ART TO FDK AT ABOUT 130 KTS GNDSPD), I ESTIMATED THE TOTAL FUEL USAGE TO BE ABOUT 26 GALLONS (NORMAL BURN PLUS DRIP LOSS) OF OUT OF 60 GALLONS USABLE ON BOARD. I WAS NOT EXPECTING A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OR A RISKY FLT, BUT I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE LEAK AND WATCHING THE FUEL GAUGES FOR ANY SIGN OF A MASSIVE INCREASE OF FUEL LOSS. THE NET RESULT WAS THAT I INSUFFICIENTLY PREPARED MYSELF AND INSUFFICIENTLY REVIEWED MY FLT PLANNING. MY FLT PLAN WAS CORRECT BUT I HAD DONE IT SEVERAL DAYS EARLIER AND, BECAUSE OF MY PREOCCUPATION, I DIDN'T REFRESH MY MEMORY AT PREFLT. THUS, MY USUAL 'SANITY CHK' PROC (WHY AM I HDG N WHEN I SHOULD BE GOING S?) ESCAPED MY MIND COMPLETELY. I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I WERE EVER FACED WITH A REAL EMER? I WAS ALL PRIMED AND READY TO DIVERT IF I HAD A NOTICEABLE FUEL LOSS AND I WAS PLANNING TO KEEP TRACK OF FIELDS ALONG THE WAY, BUT I NEVER EVEN REALIZED THAT MY INITIAL HDG WAS REVERSED. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NO MAJOR FUEL LOSS OCCURRED.

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.