Narrative:

On oct/xa/95, I went to renew my night currency requirement. Although I don't often fly at night, I like to try and stay night current just to keep my skills sharp. I also wanted to get more familiar with this airport as I had recently moved to it. The airport used to be an air force base, but has since converted to civilian use. It is a very large airport, with wide runways and txwys, not your common civilian airport by any means. Though I had flown in to and out of the airport, until that day, I had never flown in or out at night. After a preflight, I then got ATIS, started the engine and called the tower for clearance to taxi, which I received. I taxied to the left of 2 active runways, runway 30L, for my runup. After runup, I called and was cleared for takeoff. I believe the controller then said 'no read back necessary.' this was an unusual request at any tower controled airport I have been at before. I was a little confused, and made a quick acknowledgement of being cleared for takeoff anyway. I then departed. After a few mins, I began a slow turn to the right. In the past I had been given clearance to turn north (right), which is I am sure is given so aircraft will remain clear of another airport's airspace to the northwest. In a min or so, someone called the tower saying they just had a close call. At the same time I saw, below me, a large military aircraft moving off to the left, and I was moving to the right. The tower then said, 'he (referring to me) was given a straight out.' at that time I quickly called the tower and apologized for the turn. I did not receive a reply. Somewhere in the confusion of the night takeoff (the first in some time), being at a new and very large airport, and the possible confusion of the 'no readback' instruction, I was momentarily distracted and may not have heard or forgot the instruction to continue straight out. I was quite shaken after the call from the other pilot as he was very upset with me and the tower. I pride myself on being a very conscientious pilot and have never had anything remotely close to this happen to me before. I learned many things from the incident. First, read back all instructions, completely. Second, if unfamiliar with an airport, get someone to go with me and/or spend more time on the ramp listening to what and who the tower is talking to and what they are doing. Also listen for the 'standard' procedure of instructions for the airport in question. Third, write down all instructions (normally I do, but this time I must have been distracted by the above and therefore did not do so). Fourth, if I get distracted for any reason, look at the last instruction and/or clearance and follow it to the tee. Finally, call the tower if there is any question, no matter how small. I know this will never happen to me again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR FAILS TO COMPLY WITH TWR INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY STRAIGHT OUT AND HAS NMAC WITH LARGE MIL AIRPLANE.

Narrative: ON OCT/XA/95, I WENT TO RENEW MY NIGHT CURRENCY REQUIREMENT. ALTHOUGH I DON'T OFTEN FLY AT NIGHT, I LIKE TO TRY AND STAY NIGHT CURRENT JUST TO KEEP MY SKILLS SHARP. I ALSO WANTED TO GET MORE FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT AS I HAD RECENTLY MOVED TO IT. THE ARPT USED TO BE AN AIR FORCE BASE, BUT HAS SINCE CONVERTED TO CIVILIAN USE. IT IS A VERY LARGE ARPT, WITH WIDE RWYS AND TXWYS, NOT YOUR COMMON CIVILIAN ARPT BY ANY MEANS. THOUGH I HAD FLOWN IN TO AND OUT OF THE ARPT, UNTIL THAT DAY, I HAD NEVER FLOWN IN OR OUT AT NIGHT. AFTER A PREFLT, I THEN GOT ATIS, STARTED THE ENG AND CALLED THE TWR FOR CLRNC TO TAXI, WHICH I RECEIVED. I TAXIED TO THE L OF 2 ACTIVE RWYS, RWY 30L, FOR MY RUNUP. AFTER RUNUP, I CALLED AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I BELIEVE THE CTLR THEN SAID 'NO READ BACK NECESSARY.' THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL REQUEST AT ANY TWR CTLED ARPT I HAVE BEEN AT BEFORE. I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED, AND MADE A QUICK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF BEING CLRED FOR TKOF ANYWAY. I THEN DEPARTED. AFTER A FEW MINS, I BEGAN A SLOW TURN TO THE R. IN THE PAST I HAD BEEN GIVEN CLRNC TO TURN N (R), WHICH IS I AM SURE IS GIVEN SO ACFT WILL REMAIN CLR OF ANOTHER ARPT'S AIRSPACE TO THE NW. IN A MIN OR SO, SOMEONE CALLED THE TWR SAYING THEY JUST HAD A CLOSE CALL. AT THE SAME TIME I SAW, BELOW ME, A LARGE MIL ACFT MOVING OFF TO THE L, AND I WAS MOVING TO THE R. THE TWR THEN SAID, 'HE (REFERRING TO ME) WAS GIVEN A STRAIGHT OUT.' AT THAT TIME I QUICKLY CALLED THE TWR AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE TURN. I DID NOT RECEIVE A REPLY. SOMEWHERE IN THE CONFUSION OF THE NIGHT TKOF (THE FIRST IN SOME TIME), BEING AT A NEW AND VERY LARGE ARPT, AND THE POSSIBLE CONFUSION OF THE 'NO READBACK' INSTRUCTION, I WAS MOMENTARILY DISTRACTED AND MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OR FORGOT THE INSTRUCTION TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT OUT. I WAS QUITE SHAKEN AFTER THE CALL FROM THE OTHER PLT AS HE WAS VERY UPSET WITH ME AND THE TWR. I PRIDE MYSELF ON BEING A VERY CONSCIENTIOUS PLT AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING REMOTELY CLOSE TO THIS HAPPEN TO ME BEFORE. I LEARNED MANY THINGS FROM THE INCIDENT. FIRST, READ BACK ALL INSTRUCTIONS, COMPLETELY. SECOND, IF UNFAMILIAR WITH AN ARPT, GET SOMEONE TO GO WITH ME AND/OR SPEND MORE TIME ON THE RAMP LISTENING TO WHAT AND WHO THE TWR IS TALKING TO AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING. ALSO LISTEN FOR THE 'STANDARD' PROC OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ARPT IN QUESTION. THIRD, WRITE DOWN ALL INSTRUCTIONS (NORMALLY I DO, BUT THIS TIME I MUST HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE ABOVE AND THEREFORE DID NOT DO SO). FOURTH, IF I GET DISTRACTED FOR ANY REASON, LOOK AT THE LAST INSTRUCTION AND/OR CLRNC AND FOLLOW IT TO THE TEE. FINALLY, CALL THE TWR IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION, NO MATTER HOW SMALL. I KNOW THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN.

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.