Narrative:

Prior to departure, the flight crew was assigned the wchester 9 SID from the white plains airport, departing from runway 16. During the taxi and before takeoff checks were complete, we were very concerned about the possibility of encountering severe icing conditions on departure. As a result we became distracted and were not as attentive to the instrument departure procedures as we might other wise have been. Both crew members reviewed the departure procedure together and overlooked the required turn to a heading of 320 degrees after passing 800 ft MSL. The control tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 16 and we then departed maintaining the runway heading of 160 degrees. The tower advised us to contact departure control and as I made the initial to departure control, I advised them we were on the runway heading of 160 degrees and climbing from 1200-3000 ft. The departure controller then inquired if we were flying the wchester 9 departure. I responded thta we were, but had delayed the turn because of the concern we had for the icing conditions. We were then instructed to turn to the appropriate heading of 320 degrees and climb to 3000 ft. The controller then again reminded us that we were required to make the turn to the correct heading after passing 800 ft, I then acknowledged it to the controller. The remainder of the flight was incident free. My belief is that we became distracted by the WX conditions and as a result were too complacent in the matter of reviewing the published departure procedure and the appropriate altitude in which to turn. Regardless of the circumstances, we the crew should have been more attentive to all the duties required on such a flight and allowed more time to ensure that all facets of the flight had been carefully considered prior to departing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP, THE FLC WAS ASSIGNED THE WCHESTER 9 SID FROM THE WHITE PLAINS ARPT, DEPARTING FROM RWY 16. DURING THE TAXI AND BEFORE TKOF CHKS WERE COMPLETE, WE WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ENCOUNTERING SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS ON DEP. AS A RESULT WE BECAME DISTRACTED AND WERE NOT AS ATTENTIVE TO THE INST DEP PROCS AS WE MIGHT OTHER WISE HAVE BEEN. BOTH CREW MEMBERS REVIEWED THE DEP PROC TOGETHER AND OVERLOOKED THE REQUIRED TURN TO A HDG OF 320 DEGS AFTER PASSING 800 FT MSL. THE CTL TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 16 AND WE THEN DEPARTED MAINTAINING THE RWY HDG OF 160 DEGS. THE TWR ADVISED US TO CONTACT DEP CTL AND AS I MADE THE INITIAL TO DEP CTL, I ADVISED THEM WE WERE ON THE RWY HDG OF 160 DEGS AND CLBING FROM 1200-3000 FT. THE DEP CTLR THEN INQUIRED IF WE WERE FLYING THE WCHESTER 9 DEP. I RESPONDED THTA WE WERE, BUT HAD DELAYED THE TURN BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN WE HAD FOR THE ICING CONDITIONS. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO THE APPROPRIATE HDG OF 320 DEGS AND CLB TO 3000 FT. THE CTLR THEN AGAIN REMINDED US THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE TURN TO THE CORRECT HDG AFTER PASSING 800 FT, I THEN ACKNOWLEDGED IT TO THE CTLR. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS INCIDENT FREE. MY BELIEF IS THAT WE BECAME DISTRACTED BY THE WX CONDITIONS AND AS A RESULT WERE TOO COMPLACENT IN THE MATTER OF REVIEWING THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC AND THE APPROPRIATE ALT IN WHICH TO TURN. REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE THE CREW SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE TO ALL THE DUTIES REQUIRED ON SUCH A FLT AND ALLOWED MORE TIME TO ENSURE THAT ALL FACETS OF THE FLT HAD BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED PRIOR TO DEPARTING.

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.