Narrative:

The takeoff on an IFR clearance was from runway 29R to jeffco airport. With the departure clearance tower instructed me to turn right 'all the way round to 150 degrees' after takeoff. Shortly after liftoff I discovered that my flaps had failed to retract completely. They remained in trail about 3 degrees. While checking for the cause, I monitored 2 aircraft to my left operating VFR off runway 29L. When I observed them turning left away from me I gave my full attention to the flap problem, resolved it, then began the turn to 150 degrees. Unfortunately, when I looked at my directional gyroscope to orient myself before commencing the turn I noted that 150 degrees in the left rear quadrant of the instrument. This would normally call for a left turn, so I banked left while continuing to observe the VFR aircraft, also in left turns. After about 20 degrees of turning the tower controller asked which direction I was turning. I immediately recalled that the instructions had been to turn right to 150 degrees and reversed the turn. My error was in not considering the situation before departure. Since I was sebound and my takeoff was on runway 29R with simultaneous VFR operations being conducted from runway 29L, I should have realized that some special procedure would be required to avoid conflicts. That would have obviously been a climb straight ahead to well above pattern altitude or a turn the long way around to the southeast. Which demonstrates once more that if we pay attention we learn something new everyday. I must resolve to do that in the future. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had reached approximately 600 ft above the ground prior to turning the wrong way and was operating his cessna 182. He further stated that the momentary lack of complete flap retraction was found to be caused by the flap motor which was replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL TURNED THE WRONG WAY AFTER TKOF. ON AN INST DEP.

Narrative: THE TKOF ON AN IFR CLRNC WAS FROM RWY 29R TO JEFFCO ARPT. WITH THE DEP CLRNC TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN R 'ALL THE WAY ROUND TO 150 DEGS' AFTER TKOF. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF I DISCOVERED THAT MY FLAPS HAD FAILED TO RETRACT COMPLETELY. THEY REMAINED IN TRAIL ABOUT 3 DEGS. WHILE CHKING FOR THE CAUSE, I MONITORED 2 ACFT TO MY L OPERATING VFR OFF RWY 29L. WHEN I OBSERVED THEM TURNING L AWAY FROM ME I GAVE MY FULL ATTN TO THE FLAP PROB, RESOLVED IT, THEN BEGAN THE TURN TO 150 DEGS. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN I LOOKED AT MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE TO ORIENT MYSELF BEFORE COMMENCING THE TURN I NOTED THAT 150 DEGS IN THE L REAR QUADRANT OF THE INST. THIS WOULD NORMALLY CALL FOR A L TURN, SO I BANKED L WHILE CONTINUING TO OBSERVE THE VFR ACFT, ALSO IN L TURNS. AFTER ABOUT 20 DEGS OF TURNING THE TWR CTLR ASKED WHICH DIRECTION I WAS TURNING. I IMMEDIATELY RECALLED THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN TO TURN R TO 150 DEGS AND REVERSED THE TURN. MY ERROR WAS IN NOT CONSIDERING THE SIT BEFORE DEP. SINCE I WAS SEBOUND AND MY TKOF WAS ON RWY 29R WITH SIMULTANEOUS VFR OPS BEING CONDUCTED FROM RWY 29L, I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT SOME SPECIAL PROC WOULD BE REQUIRED TO AVOID CONFLICTS. THAT WOULD HAVE OBVIOUSLY BEEN A CLB STRAIGHT AHEAD TO WELL ABOVE PATTERN ALT OR A TURN THE LONG WAY AROUND TO THE SE. WHICH DEMONSTRATES ONCE MORE THAT IF WE PAY ATTN WE LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY. I MUST RESOLVE TO DO THAT IN THE FUTURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD REACHED APPROX 600 FT ABOVE THE GND PRIOR TO TURNING THE WRONG WAY AND WAS OPERATING HIS CESSNA 182. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE MOMENTARY LACK OF COMPLETE FLAP RETRACTION WAS FOUND TO BE CAUSED BY THE FLAP MOTOR WHICH WAS REPLACED.

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.