Narrative:

I was on a pleasure flight from 2r9-pez-sat-2r9 in a cessna 172. I made a touch and go at pez and my plan was to enter the class C airspace and do 1 touch and go at sat then return to 2r9. I contacted sat approach and they gave me vectors to sat and cleared me for touch and go 12R. After performing this maneuver they instructed me to make close in right traffic. I had only wanted to perform 1 touch and go and then return to 2r9 (heading approximately 140 degrees) and I thought that while on a right downwind for 12R the tower was going to hand me off to departure control and they would vector me toward 2r9. However the tower cleared me to land runway 12R (again) (touch and go). The tpa is 1800 ft MSL, but by that time I was at approximately 2000 ft MSL. I made a right close in base for 12 right and landed on runway 12R as the tower changed the clearance for a full stop landing on runway 12R and to hold short of runway 3 for departing traffic on runway 3. I requested to the tower to return to runway 2r9 (while stationary on runway 12R) after departure. I received clearance to take off on runway 12R and then fly heading 150 degrees. I took off from runway 12R and turned to heading 150 degrees. At that time the tower instructed me to contact departure. They had not previously given me the departure frequency (no frequency given), so I assumed that they were talking about the approach departure frequency that I was on when approaching sat. I repeated the order to the sat tower, cessna...contact departure on 125.7. They told me a different departure frequency at that time and while turning the communication radio to this different frequency my heading wandered momentarily to approximately 175 degrees (approximately 5 seconds). Upon seeing this variance I immediately returned to 150 degrees and contacted departure control on the correct frequency. I should have, in retrospect, asked approach control and the tower that I wanted to make 1 touch and go landing and to immediately return to runway 2r9 after takeoff if possible -- rather than requesting a touch and go which may have given the impression that I wanted to do more than 1 touch and go and to remain in the traffic pattern. I should have also maintained my headings and altitude exactly although I became preoccupied with entering the new departure frequency. There was never any conflict with any other aircraft and I do not know if the tower or departure even noticed the altitude 200 ft above tpa or the momentarily incorrect departure heading while turning the radio to the departure frequency, however in the future I will make my requests more specific and hold headings -- altitudes with more preciseness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ERROR ADMITTED IN ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT AND HDG? TRACK DEV.

Narrative: I WAS ON A PLEASURE FLT FROM 2R9-PEZ-SAT-2R9 IN A CESSNA 172. I MADE A TOUCH AND GO AT PEZ AND MY PLAN WAS TO ENTER THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND DO 1 TOUCH AND GO AT SAT THEN RETURN TO 2R9. I CONTACTED SAT APCH AND THEY GAVE ME VECTORS TO SAT AND CLRED ME FOR TOUCH AND GO 12R. AFTER PERFORMING THIS MANEUVER THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE CLOSE IN R TFC. I HAD ONLY WANTED TO PERFORM 1 TOUCH AND GO AND THEN RETURN TO 2R9 (HDG APPROX 140 DEGS) AND I THOUGHT THAT WHILE ON A R DOWNWIND FOR 12R THE TWR WAS GOING TO HAND ME OFF TO DEP CTL AND THEY WOULD VECTOR ME TOWARD 2R9. HOWEVER THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND RWY 12R (AGAIN) (TOUCH AND GO). THE TPA IS 1800 FT MSL, BUT BY THAT TIME I WAS AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL. I MADE A R CLOSE IN BASE FOR 12 R AND LANDED ON RWY 12R AS THE TWR CHANGED THE CLRNC FOR A FULL STOP LNDG ON RWY 12R AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 3 FOR DEPARTING TFC ON RWY 3. I REQUESTED TO THE TWR TO RETURN TO RWY 2R9 (WHILE STATIONARY ON RWY 12R) AFTER DEP. I RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 12R AND THEN FLY HDG 150 DEGS. I TOOK OFF FROM RWY 12R AND TURNED TO HDG 150 DEGS. AT THAT TIME THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT DEP. THEY HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY GIVEN ME THE DEP FREQ (NO FREQ GIVEN), SO I ASSUMED THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE APCH DEP FREQ THAT I WAS ON WHEN APCHING SAT. I REPEATED THE ORDER TO THE SAT TWR, CESSNA...CONTACT DEP ON 125.7. THEY TOLD ME A DIFFERENT DEP FREQ AT THAT TIME AND WHILE TURNING THE COM RADIO TO THIS DIFFERENT FREQ MY HDG WANDERED MOMENTARILY TO APPROX 175 DEGS (APPROX 5 SECONDS). UPON SEEING THIS VARIANCE I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 150 DEGS AND CONTACTED DEP CTL ON THE CORRECT FREQ. I SHOULD HAVE, IN RETROSPECT, ASKED APCH CTL AND THE TWR THAT I WANTED TO MAKE 1 TOUCH AND GO LNDG AND TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO RWY 2R9 AFTER TKOF IF POSSIBLE -- RATHER THAN REQUESTING A TOUCH AND GO WHICH MAY HAVE GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT I WANTED TO DO MORE THAN 1 TOUCH AND GO AND TO REMAIN IN THE TFC PATTERN. I SHOULD HAVE ALSO MAINTAINED MY HDGS AND ALT EXACTLY ALTHOUGH I BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH ENTERING THE NEW DEP FREQ. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT AND I DO NOT KNOW IF THE TWR OR DEP EVEN NOTICED THE ALT 200 FT ABOVE TPA OR THE MOMENTARILY INCORRECT DEP HDG WHILE TURNING THE RADIO TO THE DEP FREQ, HOWEVER IN THE FUTURE I WILL MAKE MY REQUESTS MORE SPECIFIC AND HOLD HDGS -- ALTS WITH MORE PRECISENESS.

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.