Narrative:

We were at 6000 ft MSL being vectored by newark approach control on a heading of 150 degrees. The controller was extremely busy, he was doing almost non stop talking. He gave us a left turn to what I thought was 110 degrees. On that heading we soon noticed a TCASII target at our altitude and closing at about 3 mi. My first officer said 'I think he gave us 010 degrees' as he verified the heading (his heading pointer was on 010 degrees). I started a left turn and continued a 30 degree level turn as the controller reissued a 010 degree heading. Traffic was going behind us now and we were getting TCASII warning (alerts) then advisories. First was 'monitor vertical speed' followed by climb, climb. At the same time I could hear the controller telling us to descend. It was pretty noisy in the cockpit. A bit confusing too with all that conflicting instructions. As soon as I received 'clear of conflict' I descended to 5000 ft. I certainly had the wrong heading. Without TCASII I don't think I would have caught the error soon enough to have avoided a near miss. TCASII is a great tool. I'm sure that part of my misreading the heading was my expectation that the vector would head us toward the airport not to the north. Listen, don't assume anything in a busy control area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC TAKES UP WRONG HDG WHEN ISSUED VECTOR BY APCH CTL. TCASII ACTIVATES.

Narrative: WE WERE AT 6000 FT MSL BEING VECTORED BY NEWARK APCH CTL ON A HDG OF 150 DEGS. THE CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, HE WAS DOING ALMOST NON STOP TALKING. HE GAVE US A L TURN TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 110 DEGS. ON THAT HDG WE SOON NOTICED A TCASII TARGET AT OUR ALT AND CLOSING AT ABOUT 3 MI. MY FO SAID 'I THINK HE GAVE US 010 DEGS' AS HE VERIFIED THE HDG (HIS HDG POINTER WAS ON 010 DEGS). I STARTED A L TURN AND CONTINUED A 30 DEG LEVEL TURN AS THE CTLR REISSUED A 010 DEG HDG. TFC WAS GOING BEHIND US NOW AND WE WERE GETTING TCASII WARNING (ALERTS) THEN ADVISORIES. FIRST WAS 'MONITOR VERT SPD' FOLLOWED BY CLB, CLB. AT THE SAME TIME I COULD HEAR THE CTLR TELLING US TO DSND. IT WAS PRETTY NOISY IN THE COCKPIT. A BIT CONFUSING TOO WITH ALL THAT CONFLICTING INSTRUCTIONS. AS SOON AS I RECEIVED 'CLR OF CONFLICT' I DSNDED TO 5000 FT. I CERTAINLY HAD THE WRONG HDG. WITHOUT TCASII I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR SOON ENOUGH TO HAVE AVOIDED A NEAR MISS. TCASII IS A GREAT TOOL. I'M SURE THAT PART OF MY MISREADING THE HDG WAS MY EXPECTATION THAT THE VECTOR WOULD HEAD US TOWARD THE ARPT NOT TO THE N. LISTEN, DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING IN A BUSY CTL AREA.

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.