Narrative:

We were being vectored for an approach to runway 13L on a heading of 220 degrees. Approach control gave us a heading change to 280 degrees. I made the heading change to 280 degrees, but the flight number to whom the heading change was issued did not sound right -- it sounded similar, but not exactly like ours, so I reset the heading to 220 degrees. Neither the first officer nor jumpseat rider made a comment, so I felt I had made the right heading selection. Shortly thereafter, approach control asked us for a heading verification and the first officer said we were turning to 280 degrees. At that time it was clear to me we should have turned to 280 degrees earlier. Factors involved: 1) I wear a hearing aid in my left ear. The hearing aid had failed during descent. Not a battery problem, but an instrument failure. 2) I did not clearly state what I believe the clearance to be. 3) the first officer did not question my non compliance with the heading, instructions. 4) first leg of 4-DAY trip after several days off. Our crew interaction was not at the highest level it could have been. The first officer made the assumption that I had a valid reason for not making the heading so the action was not questioned. Since my action was not questioned, I assumed I had been right in not turning. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B-757 for a major united states air carrier. He wears a hearing aid in his left ear. The hearing aid that he was wearing at the time of this incident is now in the shop for repair. His pretkof briefing includes a statement that he has a hearing problem and would welcome any help that may be required. Both the first officer and the jumpseat rider did not make any mention of the heading change not being made. The captain has a 'comfortable relationship' with the first officer. This incident happened late at night with only 1 other aircraft on the frequency, preparing for a visual approach. TRACON approach controller was not upset about this and the reporter has heard nothing further from the FAA. The first officer 'sorta covered up' by stating that they were in a turn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN APCH TO RWY 13L ON A HDG OF 220 DEGS. APCH CTL GAVE US A HDG CHANGE TO 280 DEGS. I MADE THE HDG CHANGE TO 280 DEGS, BUT THE FLT NUMBER TO WHOM THE HDG CHANGE WAS ISSUED DID NOT SOUND RIGHT -- IT SOUNDED SIMILAR, BUT NOT EXACTLY LIKE OURS, SO I RESET THE HDG TO 220 DEGS. NEITHER THE FO NOR JUMPSEAT RIDER MADE A COMMENT, SO I FELT I HAD MADE THE RIGHT HDG SELECTION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, APCH CTL ASKED US FOR A HDG VERIFICATION AND THE FO SAID WE WERE TURNING TO 280 DEGS. AT THAT TIME IT WAS CLR TO ME WE SHOULD HAVE TURNED TO 280 DEGS EARLIER. FACTORS INVOLVED: 1) I WEAR A HEARING AID IN MY L EAR. THE HEARING AID HAD FAILED DURING DSCNT. NOT A BATTERY PROB, BUT AN INST FAILURE. 2) I DID NOT CLRLY STATE WHAT I BELIEVE THE CLRNC TO BE. 3) THE FO DID NOT QUESTION MY NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE HDG, INSTRUCTIONS. 4) FIRST LEG OF 4-DAY TRIP AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OFF. OUR CREW INTERACTION WAS NOT AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IT COULD HAVE BEEN. THE FO MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT I HAD A VALID REASON FOR NOT MAKING THE HDG SO THE ACTION WAS NOT QUESTIONED. SINCE MY ACTION WAS NOT QUESTIONED, I ASSUMED I HAD BEEN RIGHT IN NOT TURNING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B-757 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HE WEARS A HEARING AID IN HIS L EAR. THE HEARING AID THAT HE WAS WEARING AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT IS NOW IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR. HIS PRETKOF BRIEFING INCLUDES A STATEMENT THAT HE HAS A HEARING PROB AND WOULD WELCOME ANY HELP THAT MAY BE REQUIRED. BOTH THE FO AND THE JUMPSEAT RIDER DID NOT MAKE ANY MENTION OF THE HDG CHANGE NOT BEING MADE. THE CAPT HAS A 'COMFORTABLE RELATIONSHIP' WITH THE FO. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED LATE AT NIGHT WITH ONLY 1 OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ, PREPARING FOR A VISUAL APCH. TRACON APCH CTLR WAS NOT UPSET ABOUT THIS AND THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE FAA. THE FO 'SORTA COVERED UP' BY STATING THAT THEY WERE IN A TURN.

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.