Narrative:

We had a very rushed preflight and departure out of den due to short scheduled airplane change from inbound lga flight, scheduled 40 mins but 30 mins late. The first officer and myself discussed the rockies 2 departure briefly, but did not reinforce initial departure heading/route, other than vectors on course. We delayed our takeoff sequence at departure end of runway 17R due to delay on final weights. One aircraft went in front of us and as the 2ND taxied up, we received our weights and I told tower we were ready. He said if we could go from our taxiway (M9), one short of the end, we were cleared to taxi into position, runway 17R, and hold. I said we could, so we went into position and finished our final checklist as we took the runway. We were cleared for takeoff and the first officer assumed the controls and PF duties. Our takeoff was normal and routine to a 1000 ft AGL when tower told us to contact departure. The first officer called LNAV for the departure mode, and I replied no-heading select for runway heading. He looked at his chart and confirmed departure heading should be 250 degrees. I checked in with departure and asked 2 times to confirm departure heading. Departure did not respond to request. I felt the first officer had confirmed a noise abatement note I had missed, or heard tower assign the 250 degree heading after takeoff, so I told the first officer to go ahead and start turn until I could confirm with departure. At about heading 220 degrees, departure asked our heading and I replied turning to 250 degrees. Departure advised that tower could not have assigned 250 degrees, and that we should continue turn to 290 degrees and level at 12000 ft, rather than the 17000 ft he had just assigned. He then told us to level at 11000 ft which we did. This took us away from other departing aircraft with no further incident. Caused by frequency congestion and a rushed preflight for PF not aware of first phase of departure sequence. Don't assume -- know, before you go! Final note: this was final leg of 3-DAY, west to east coast, all night flight, 24 hours off, early morning east coast departure with ATC delays lga. Throw in a little fatigue for disrupted sleep cycles.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC DEPARTED NOT KNOWING THEIR HDG ASSIGNMENT AFTER TKOF. IN ABSENCE OF BEING ABLE TO CONFIRM THEIR HDG DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION THEY GUESSED THE WRONG HDG. TRACON ASSIGNED A NEW HDG AND ALT.

Narrative: WE HAD A VERY RUSHED PREFLT AND DEP OUT OF DEN DUE TO SHORT SCHEDULED AIRPLANE CHANGE FROM INBOUND LGA FLT, SCHEDULED 40 MINS BUT 30 MINS LATE. THE FO AND MYSELF DISCUSSED THE ROCKIES 2 DEP BRIEFLY, BUT DID NOT REINFORCE INITIAL DEP HDG/RTE, OTHER THAN VECTORS ON COURSE. WE DELAYED OUR TKOF SEQUENCE AT DEP END OF RWY 17R DUE TO DELAY ON FINAL WTS. ONE ACFT WENT IN FRONT OF US AND AS THE 2ND TAXIED UP, WE RECEIVED OUR WTS AND I TOLD TWR WE WERE READY. HE SAID IF WE COULD GO FROM OUR TXWY (M9), ONE SHORT OF THE END, WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI INTO POS, RWY 17R, AND HOLD. I SAID WE COULD, SO WE WENT INTO POS AND FINISHED OUR FINAL CHKLIST AS WE TOOK THE RWY. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND THE FO ASSUMED THE CTLS AND PF DUTIES. OUR TKOF WAS NORMAL AND ROUTINE TO A 1000 FT AGL WHEN TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT DEP. THE FO CALLED LNAV FOR THE DEP MODE, AND I REPLIED NO-HDG SELECT FOR RWY HDG. HE LOOKED AT HIS CHART AND CONFIRMED DEP HDG SHOULD BE 250 DEGS. I CHKED IN WITH DEP AND ASKED 2 TIMES TO CONFIRM DEP HDG. DEP DID NOT RESPOND TO REQUEST. I FELT THE FO HAD CONFIRMED A NOISE ABATEMENT NOTE I HAD MISSED, OR HEARD TWR ASSIGN THE 250 DEG HDG AFTER TKOF, SO I TOLD THE FO TO GO AHEAD AND START TURN UNTIL I COULD CONFIRM WITH DEP. AT ABOUT HDG 220 DEGS, DEP ASKED OUR HDG AND I REPLIED TURNING TO 250 DEGS. DEP ADVISED THAT TWR COULD NOT HAVE ASSIGNED 250 DEGS, AND THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TURN TO 290 DEGS AND LEVEL AT 12000 FT, RATHER THAN THE 17000 FT HE HAD JUST ASSIGNED. HE THEN TOLD US TO LEVEL AT 11000 FT WHICH WE DID. THIS TOOK US AWAY FROM OTHER DEPARTING ACFT WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. CAUSED BY FREQ CONGESTION AND A RUSHED PREFLT FOR PF NOT AWARE OF FIRST PHASE OF DEP SEQUENCE. DON'T ASSUME -- KNOW, BEFORE YOU GO! FINAL NOTE: THIS WAS FINAL LEG OF 3-DAY, W TO E COAST, ALL NIGHT FLT, 24 HRS OFF, EARLY MORNING E COAST DEP WITH ATC DELAYS LGA. THROW IN A LITTLE FATIGUE FOR DISRUPTED SLEEP CYCLES.

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.