Narrative:

I am submitting this report although I am not even sure a problem occurred. However, the following events led me to believe that the potential for that possibility existed. I took of from tri-cities, tn, dec/sat/94 on an IFR plan to hilton head, sc. The flight was uneventful. I landed there and immediately began taxiing for departure back to tn. I called the local clearance delivery frequency and obtained my initial clearance, which as I recall was to climb to 2000 ft expect 10000 ft in 10 mins and contact buford approach. I was told to hold for release and to contact them when I was ready to takeoff and the runway I would be departing form. Once I finished my preflight, I called the clearance delivery frequency again and told them I was ready to takeoff from runway 3. The controller gave me instructions in a very rapid manner, and I must admit I may have missed some of what he told me but the salient features were to climb to 1200 ft and contact buford approach at the assigned frequency. I did not read back my instructions since it was perfectly VFR at the field and I felt that I would takeoff and contact buford approach for further instructions there. On reaching 1200 ft I did contact buford approach and was told that I was in radar contact and to 'turn on course when able.' since it was VFR and I had never seen hilton head before, instead of taking the most direct route which would have been a left hand turn to my heading of 348 degrees I made a right hand turn. After a few mins buford approach contacted me and asked for my on- course heading, and I replied, '348 degrees.' after a few more moments they contacted me again and asked that I verify my climb out instructions. At this point sensing something was amiss, I simply said that what I copied was to climb to 1200 ft and then contact buford approach. They then asked me if I had turned on to my on-course heading on my own discretion, and I said, 'yes, I did. I was cleared on course.' they replied, 'we're aware of that but verify you made a right turn on course rather than left' to which I replied, 'affirm. That is correct.' I heard nothing further from them until I was handed off to the next controller. I began to worry about this thinking that the clearance delivery controller may have given me instructions which I did not hear, and since they mentioned a left hand turn (which would have been the most direct route), I feared that I may have been given instructions to turn left, which I did not do. I don't believe this caused a problem as the field was perfectly VFR, and I don't recall any traffic nearby. Certainly had I copied instructions for a left turn, I certainly would have complied, and as mentioned previously, I don't even know if a problem occurred. However, I'm worried that it may have. In the future, the way to avoid this is obvious. I will be certain to understand thoroughly all departure instructions given and to read them back so that there can be no misunderstanding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR BELIEVES HE MAY HAVE TURNED THE WRONG DIRECTION AFTER TAKING OFF AND CONTRARY TO ASSIGNED INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT ALTHOUGH I AM NOT EVEN SURE A PROB OCCURRED. HOWEVER, THE FOLLOWING EVENTS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT POSSIBILITY EXISTED. I TOOK OF FROM TRI-CITIES, TN, DEC/SAT/94 ON AN IFR PLAN TO HILTON HEAD, SC. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I LANDED THERE AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TAXIING FOR DEP BACK TO TN. I CALLED THE LCL CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ AND OBTAINED MY INITIAL CLRNC, WHICH AS I RECALL WAS TO CLB TO 2000 FT EXPECT 10000 FT IN 10 MINS AND CONTACT BUFORD APCH. I WAS TOLD TO HOLD FOR RELEASE AND TO CONTACT THEM WHEN I WAS READY TO TKOF AND THE RWY I WOULD BE DEPARTING FORM. ONCE I FINISHED MY PREFLT, I CALLED THE CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ AGAIN AND TOLD THEM I WAS READY TO TKOF FROM RWY 3. THE CTLR GAVE ME INSTRUCTIONS IN A VERY RAPID MANNER, AND I MUST ADMIT I MAY HAVE MISSED SOME OF WHAT HE TOLD ME BUT THE SALIENT FEATURES WERE TO CLB TO 1200 FT AND CONTACT BUFORD APCH AT THE ASSIGNED FREQ. I DID NOT READ BACK MY INSTRUCTIONS SINCE IT WAS PERFECTLY VFR AT THE FIELD AND I FELT THAT I WOULD TKOF AND CONTACT BUFORD APCH FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS THERE. ON REACHING 1200 FT I DID CONTACT BUFORD APCH AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AND TO 'TURN ON COURSE WHEN ABLE.' SINCE IT WAS VFR AND I HAD NEVER SEEN HILTON HEAD BEFORE, INSTEAD OF TAKING THE MOST DIRECT RTE WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A L HAND TURN TO MY HDG OF 348 DEGS I MADE A R HAND TURN. AFTER A FEW MINS BUFORD APCH CONTACTED ME AND ASKED FOR MY ON- COURSE HDG, AND I REPLIED, '348 DEGS.' AFTER A FEW MORE MOMENTS THEY CONTACTED ME AGAIN AND ASKED THAT I VERIFY MY CLBOUT INSTRUCTIONS. AT THIS POINT SENSING SOMETHING WAS AMISS, I SIMPLY SAID THAT WHAT I COPIED WAS TO CLB TO 1200 FT AND THEN CONTACT BUFORD APCH. THEY THEN ASKED ME IF I HAD TURNED ON TO MY ON-COURSE HDG ON MY OWN DISCRETION, AND I SAID, 'YES, I DID. I WAS CLRED ON COURSE.' THEY REPLIED, 'WE'RE AWARE OF THAT BUT VERIFY YOU MADE A R TURN ON COURSE RATHER THAN L' TO WHICH I REPLIED, 'AFFIRM. THAT IS CORRECT.' I HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THEM UNTIL I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR. I BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT THIS THINKING THAT THE CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR MAY HAVE GIVEN ME INSTRUCTIONS WHICH I DID NOT HEAR, AND SINCE THEY MENTIONED A L HAND TURN (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST DIRECT RTE), I FEARED THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L, WHICH I DID NOT DO. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS CAUSED A PROB AS THE FIELD WAS PERFECTLY VFR, AND I DON'T RECALL ANY TFC NEARBY. CERTAINLY HAD I COPIED INSTRUCTIONS FOR A L TURN, I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE COMPLIED, AND AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF A PROB OCCURRED. HOWEVER, I'M WORRIED THAT IT MAY HAVE. IN THE FUTURE, THE WAY TO AVOID THIS IS OBVIOUS. I WILL BE CERTAIN TO UNDERSTAND THOROUGHLY ALL DEP INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN AND TO READ THEM BACK SO THAT THERE CAN BE NO MISUNDERSTANDING.

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.