Tower flight crew miscom on direction of turn after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	315050
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 245 flight time total : 13240 flight time type : 3573
ASRS Report	315050
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

On a flight from iah to mci, was cleared for immediate takeoff from runway 14L at iah with an immediate right turn to 360 degrees. The first officer was communicating and the captain flying. The captain confirmed a right turn from the first officer just as takeoff was started. Just after right turn was started, the controller indicated that he wanted a left turn, at which time the first officer indicated we believed we had received a clearance for a right turn. We were then instructed to continue the right turn to 020 degrees. The controller indicated no other problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR FLC MISCOM ON DIRECTION OF TURN AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM IAH TO MCI, WAS CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF FROM RWY 14L AT IAH WITH AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 360 DEGS. THE FO WAS COMMUNICATING AND THE CAPT FLYING. THE CAPT CONFIRMED A R TURN FROM THE FO JUST AS TKOF WAS STARTED. JUST AFTER R TURN WAS STARTED, THE CTLR INDICATED THAT HE WANTED A L TURN, AT WHICH TIME THE FO INDICATED WE BELIEVED WE HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC FOR A R TURN. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE THE R TURN TO 020 DEGS. THE CTLR INDICATED NO OTHER PROB.

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.