Narrative:

Our flight was to leave hpn (white plains ny) and fly to bos. When we asked for our clearance from hpn tower we received the following clearance. 'Cleared to bos by the white plains 9 departure, vector to merit intersection, direct to norwich VOR (orw), norwich 2 arrival, maintain 3000 ft.' this was followed by expect to climb to a higher altitude, the departure frequency for new york departures and a transponder code. On receiving the white plains 9 departure chart it showed for departing on white plains runway 16 'maintain runway heading to 800 ft, then turn right to a 320 degree heading, maintain 3000 ft.' this was followed by instructions to expect radar vectors to assigned route or fix. On taking runway 16 for takeoff, we were cleared for takeoff by hpn tower but were given no heading to turn to after departure as is usual for most of our past operations. I didn't question this at the time but I should have. I guess that I was expecting a turn clearance in the air after takeoff and before being set over to the new york departure controller. Shortly after lift off we were requested by the hpn controller to do a maximum rate of climb to 3000 ft and then sent over to the departure frequency. We contacted ny departure leaving 1800 ft still on runway heading and were advised to make an immediate right turn to 320 degrees and climb to 4000 ft. We were then asked by ny departure why we had not turned to 320 degrees sooner. We replied that we had not received any turn instructions from the hpn tower. Ny departure advised that the turn clearance was on the white plains 9 SID if we would have read it. My past experiences has always been that the airport tower has always given the first turn after departure to clarify that both the controller and the pilot know the expected procedure to expect to follow. In retrospect I should have asked the hpn tower for a turn heading after departure when we were first cleared for takeoff. We knew that the white plains 9 SID stated to do but in the past we have sometimes been given turns to headings other than what the SID has on it due to traffic conflictions, a slower climbing aircraft ahead of us on climb out, aircraft diverting around WX, or inbound aircraft to the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR ACFT FAILS TO COMPLY WITH SID. HDG DEV.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS TO LEAVE HPN (WHITE PLAINS NY) AND FLY TO BOS. WHEN WE ASKED FOR OUR CLRNC FROM HPN TWR WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC. 'CLRED TO BOS BY THE WHITE PLAINS 9 DEP, VECTOR TO MERIT INTXN, DIRECT TO NORWICH VOR (ORW), NORWICH 2 ARR, MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY EXPECT TO CLB TO A HIGHER ALT, THE DEP FREQ FOR NEW YORK DEPS AND A XPONDER CODE. ON RECEIVING THE WHITE PLAINS 9 DEP CHART IT SHOWED FOR DEPARTING ON WHITE PLAINS RWY 16 'MAINTAIN RWY HDG TO 800 FT, THEN TURN R TO A 320 DEG HDG, MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO ASSIGNED RTE OR FIX. ON TAKING RWY 16 FOR TKOF, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF BY HPN TWR BUT WERE GIVEN NO HDG TO TURN TO AFTER DEP AS IS USUAL FOR MOST OF OUR PAST OPS. I DIDN'T QUESTION THIS AT THE TIME BUT I SHOULD HAVE. I GUESS THAT I WAS EXPECTING A TURN CLRNC IN THE AIR AFTER TKOF AND BEFORE BEING SET OVER TO THE NEW YORK DEP CTLR. SHORTLY AFTER LIFT OFF WE WERE REQUESTED BY THE HPN CTLR TO DO A MAX RATE OF CLB TO 3000 FT AND THEN SENT OVER TO THE DEP FREQ. WE CONTACTED NY DEP LEAVING 1800 FT STILL ON RWY HDG AND WERE ADVISED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 320 DEGS AND CLB TO 4000 FT. WE WERE THEN ASKED BY NY DEP WHY WE HAD NOT TURNED TO 320 DEGS SOONER. WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY TURN INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE HPN TWR. NY DEP ADVISED THAT THE TURN CLRNC WAS ON THE WHITE PLAINS 9 SID IF WE WOULD HAVE READ IT. MY PAST EXPERIENCES HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT THE ARPT TWR HAS ALWAYS GIVEN THE FIRST TURN AFTER DEP TO CLARIFY THAT BOTH THE CTLR AND THE PLT KNOW THE EXPECTED PROC TO EXPECT TO FOLLOW. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE HPN TWR FOR A TURN HDG AFTER DEP WHEN WE WERE FIRST CLRED FOR TKOF. WE KNEW THAT THE WHITE PLAINS 9 SID STATED TO DO BUT IN THE PAST WE HAVE SOMETIMES BEEN GIVEN TURNS TO HDGS OTHER THAN WHAT THE SID HAS ON IT DUE TO TFC CONFLICTIONS, A SLOWER CLBING ACFT AHEAD OF US ON CLBOUT, ACFT DIVERTING AROUND WX, OR INBOUND ACFT TO THE ARPT.

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.