Deviation from clearance route. Rotary winged traffic.

Attributes
ACN	297802
Time
Date	199502
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tlh
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tlh tower : tlh tower : dtw
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Jet Ranger Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 55 flight time total : 3750 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	297802
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had a day VFR flight in a bell jet ranger helicopter at tallahassee regional airport. I contacted clearance delivery and requested a VFR departure to the south at 500 ft. I then contacted the tower. I was cleared for takeoff with a departure to the southeast. At about the same time I received the clearance, my passenger began asking questions over the intercom. His questions apparently distracted my thought process sufficiently that I began my departure to the southwest. This route placed me in an area of airplane traffic with the potential for conflict. The tower questioned me as to my intentions and cleared me to continue on my present heading. Although no conflict occurred, my path had the potential to cause a conflict. I believe this situation could have been avoided by increasing my attention to tower clearance instructions and not allowing passenger conversation to interfere with cockpit operations during important phases of flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEV FROM CLRNC RTE. ROTARY WINGED TFC.

Narrative: I HAD A DAY VFR FLT IN A BELL JET RANGER HELI AT TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL ARPT. I CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY AND REQUESTED A VFR DEP TO THE S AT 500 FT. I THEN CONTACTED THE TWR. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WITH A DEP TO THE SE. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME I RECEIVED THE CLRNC, MY PAX BEGAN ASKING QUESTIONS OVER THE INTERCOM. HIS QUESTIONS APPARENTLY DISTRACTED MY THOUGHT PROCESS SUFFICIENTLY THAT I BEGAN MY DEP TO THE SW. THIS RTE PLACED ME IN AN AREA OF AIRPLANE TFC WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT. THE TWR QUESTIONED ME AS TO MY INTENTIONS AND CLRED ME TO CONTINUE ON MY PRESENT HDG. ALTHOUGH NO CONFLICT OCCURRED, MY PATH HAD THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A CONFLICT. I BELIEVE THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY INCREASING MY ATTN TO TWR CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS AND NOT ALLOWING PAX CONVERSATION TO INTERFERE WITH COCKPIT OPS DURING IMPORTANT PHASES OF FLT.

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.