Narrative:

Instructed to takeoff from position and hold position on runway. Acknowledged and announced 'small aircraft 1 rolling' then requested repeat of departure direction since it had not been too clear. I had earlier advised ground that my destination was north. Tower repeated the clearance and it still sounded like north departure, so I turned north over a parallel runway where an small aircraft 2 was holding on taxiway. There was no other traffic near airport. Tower then told me that I had been cleared to depart south and I answered that I had requested a repeat of departure clearance because it was not too clear when I was initially cleared for takeoff and that the repeat still sounded like 'north.' no more was said at this time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA DEPARTED N. ITS CLRNC WAS TO DEPART S.

Narrative: INSTRUCTED TO TKOF FROM POS AND HOLD POS ON RWY. ACKNOWLEDGED AND ANNOUNCED 'SMA 1 ROLLING' THEN REQUESTED REPEAT OF DEP DIRECTION SINCE IT HAD NOT BEEN TOO CLEAR. I HAD EARLIER ADVISED GND THAT MY DEST WAS N. TWR REPEATED THE CLRNC AND IT STILL SOUNDED LIKE N DEP, SO I TURNED N OVER A PARALLEL RWY WHERE AN SMA 2 WAS HOLDING ON TXWY. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC NEAR ARPT. TWR THEN TOLD ME THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO DEPART S AND I ANSWERED THAT I HAD REQUESTED A REPEAT OF DEP CLRNC BECAUSE IT WAS NOT TOO CLEAR WHEN I WAS INITIALLY CLRED FOR TKOF AND THAT THE REPEAT STILL SOUNDED LIKE 'N.' NO MORE WAS SAID AT THIS TIME.

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.