Potential conflict in a night operation. Non adherence to ATC clearance instruction.

Attributes
ACN	297946
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : chs
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 700 agl bound upper : 700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : chs
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 121 flight time type : 45
ASRS Report	297946
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 1500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was at an unfamiliar airport taxiing to runway 21 (chs). Completed run-up and was setting up for my departure back to gmu. I called tower saying I was ready to go at runway 21. I noticed a C-17 air force transport on final (short final) for landing. I had been given the departure information to takeoff maintain runway heading (21). Then I contacted tower - ready to go runway 21. He called back clear for takeoff 'no delay.' (C-17 on final) in the rush between getting the vors and radios set up I thought I could turn on course after takeoff. Confused on if he had said clear on course. Took off, at about 500 ft AGL turned to my course 342 degrees. The C-17 was (had been most of the afternoon) doing touch and goes in the pattern. I turned to 342 degrees and he had taken off and was directly behind me (lower - maybe 100 ft off the ground. I was at about 700 AGL now, still in climb) C-17 (behind by maybe 1/2 mi). Tower contacted me and informed me that I was supposed to fly runway heading. Then he called the C-17 asked if he had me in sight. They did and deviated to their right and away from me. The tower gave me another heading to fly said some more about my being assigned runway heading, then turned me over to departure. I apologized repeatedly. During that I had not reset my directional gyroscope to correspond with my compass. I had a problem with departure -- assigned a heading, I was following it but my directional gyroscope was off. He called back and suggested my directional gyroscope was in fact off a few degrees and that I should align it with the compass. I did that then took the heading and there was no problem. The flight was at night. I was getting tired from the day's activities. What I should have done was ask to stay holding short at runway 21 for the landing traffic. And wait until the C-17 had landed, taken off, and his wake turbulence dissipated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT IN A NIGHT OP. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: I WAS AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT TAXIING TO RWY 21 (CHS). COMPLETED RUN-UP AND WAS SETTING UP FOR MY DEP BACK TO GMU. I CALLED TWR SAYING I WAS READY TO GO AT RWY 21. I NOTICED A C-17 AIR FORCE TRANSPORT ON FINAL (SHORT FINAL) FOR LNDG. I HAD BEEN GIVEN THE DEP INFO TO TKOF MAINTAIN RWY HDG (21). THEN I CONTACTED TWR - READY TO GO RWY 21. HE CALLED BACK CLR FOR TKOF 'NO DELAY.' (C-17 ON FINAL) IN THE RUSH BTWN GETTING THE VORS AND RADIOS SET UP I THOUGHT I COULD TURN ON COURSE AFTER TKOF. CONFUSED ON IF HE HAD SAID CLR ON COURSE. TOOK OFF, AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL TURNED TO MY COURSE 342 DEGS. THE C-17 WAS (HAD BEEN MOST OF THE AFTERNOON) DOING TOUCH AND GOES IN THE PATTERN. I TURNED TO 342 DEGS AND HE HAD TAKEN OFF AND WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND ME (LOWER - MAYBE 100 FT OFF THE GND. I WAS AT ABOUT 700 AGL NOW, STILL IN CLB) C-17 (BEHIND BY MAYBE 1/2 MI). TWR CONTACTED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO FLY RWY HDG. THEN HE CALLED THE C-17 ASKED IF HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. THEY DID AND DEVIATED TO THEIR R AND AWAY FROM ME. THE TWR GAVE ME ANOTHER HDG TO FLY SAID SOME MORE ABOUT MY BEING ASSIGNED RWY HDG, THEN TURNED ME OVER TO DEP. I APOLOGIZED REPEATEDLY. DURING THAT I HAD NOT RESET MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE TO CORRESPOND WITH MY COMPASS. I HAD A PROB WITH DEP -- ASSIGNED A HDG, I WAS FOLLOWING IT BUT MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WAS OFF. HE CALLED BACK AND SUGGESTED MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WAS IN FACT OFF A FEW DEGS AND THAT I SHOULD ALIGN IT WITH THE COMPASS. I DID THAT THEN TOOK THE HDG AND THERE WAS NO PROB. THE FLT WAS AT NIGHT. I WAS GETTING TIRED FROM THE DAY'S ACTIVITIES. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS ASK TO STAY HOLDING SHORT AT RWY 21 FOR THE LNDG TFC. AND WAIT UNTIL THE C-17 HAD LANDED, TAKEN OFF, AND HIS WAKE TURBULENCE DISSIPATED.

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.