Narrative:

On takeoff from nassau, bahamas airport, at 600 ft, the captain immediately turned left. I questioned him and he stopped the turn at a 060 degree heading. The captain said, 'we were cleared left turn intercept, on course.' I told him I heard tower give us, 'runway heading, 4000 ft,' as we took position on the runway. I called tower and asked what our takeoff clearance was, and his answer was '121.0.' I called departure and she asked what our clearance was for takeoff. The captain answered, 'left turn intercept, on course.' she called traffic at 9 O'clock, 3 mi, 3000 ft. We were at 3000 ft climbing at 2500 FPM. The controller then said that tower did not issue that clearance, continue climb at 12000 ft and intercept the radial on course. (She had given us a turn to 310 degrees or 320 degrees for the intercept.) contributing factors were the tower controller's accent when giving the clearance, and the captain's lack of questioning the crew on clearance, if he was unsure, rather than him continuing on 'his experience of flying for 35 yrs.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT (PF) TURNED AFTER TKOF. FO INTERVENED BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THE CLRNC SPECIFIED RWY HDG. DEVIATION FROM CLRNC HDG, RESULTED IN A TFC CONFLICT LESS SEVERE.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM NASSAU, BAHAMAS ARPT, AT 600 FT, THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY TURNED L. I QUESTIONED HIM AND HE STOPPED THE TURN AT A 060 DEG HDG. THE CAPT SAID, 'WE WERE CLRED L TURN INTERCEPT, ON COURSE.' I TOLD HIM I HEARD TWR GIVE US, 'RWY HDG, 4000 FT,' AS WE TOOK POS ON THE RWY. I CALLED TWR AND ASKED WHAT OUR TKOF CLRNC WAS, AND HIS ANSWER WAS '121.0.' I CALLED DEP AND SHE ASKED WHAT OUR CLRNC WAS FOR TKOF. THE CAPT ANSWERED, 'L TURN INTERCEPT, ON COURSE.' SHE CALLED TFC AT 9 O'CLOCK, 3 MI, 3000 FT. WE WERE AT 3000 FT CLBING AT 2500 FPM. THE CTLR THEN SAID THAT TWR DID NOT ISSUE THAT CLRNC, CONTINUE CLB AT 12000 FT AND INTERCEPT THE RADIAL ON COURSE. (SHE HAD GIVEN US A TURN TO 310 DEGS OR 320 DEGS FOR THE INTERCEPT.) CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE TWR CTLR'S ACCENT WHEN GIVING THE CLRNC, AND THE CAPT'S LACK OF QUESTIONING THE CREW ON CLRNC, IF HE WAS UNSURE, RATHER THAN HIM CONTINUING ON 'HIS EXPERIENCE OF FLYING FOR 35 YRS.'

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.