Narrative:

My son, is a witness to what happened. He has soloed and was in the right seat. From the pilot briefing office at FBO at pie, I obtained a preflight briefing from st petersburg FSS as to the most practical way to fly VFR from pie to ism. Earlier, on sept/xx/96, I heard the tampa approach controller give clearance for a VFR pilot to cross over tpa in line with runways 9 and 27 and I anticipated that I would be given a similar clearance. Before departing pie I obtained the transponder code from pie ground after listening to the ATIS. Pie ground did say to turn to 270 degrees after departing runway 17L. There was intense helicopter activity at the airport and I was distracted by this activity. There were 2 USCG helicopters practicing rescue operations and a civilian helicopter was doing spraying operations in the southeast quadrant of the airport grounds. A few moments after becoming airborne out of runway 17L, out of habit I turned left, at 600 ft and this is when pit tower told me to go to tampa approach. There was a delay in establishing contact with tpa approach because he was busy with other traffic. I believe that I did not penetrate tampa's class B airspace, I was still in the pie airspace, perhaps pie tower could have told me that my turn was wrong. I immediately complied when tpa approach told me to turn to a heading of 270 degrees. I was between gandy bridge and howard franklin bridge (I-275) when I made the turn to 270 degrees. I believe that my altitude was 1000 ft. I have been flying in the tampa bay area since 1955. From 1990 to 1993 I lived within 1 mi of tpa and kept my PA28 at X39. I am sorry that I misterp the departure clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT TURNS WRONG DIRECTION AFTER TKOF AND MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE PRIOR TO MAKING CONTACT WITH DEP.

Narrative: MY SON, IS A WITNESS TO WHAT HAPPENED. HE HAS SOLOED AND WAS IN THE R SEAT. FROM THE PLT BRIEFING OFFICE AT FBO AT PIE, I OBTAINED A PREFLT BRIEFING FROM ST PETERSBURG FSS AS TO THE MOST PRACTICAL WAY TO FLY VFR FROM PIE TO ISM. EARLIER, ON SEPT/XX/96, I HEARD THE TAMPA APCH CTLR GIVE CLRNC FOR A VFR PLT TO CROSS OVER TPA IN LINE WITH RWYS 9 AND 27 AND I ANTICIPATED THAT I WOULD BE GIVEN A SIMILAR CLRNC. BEFORE DEPARTING PIE I OBTAINED THE XPONDER CODE FROM PIE GND AFTER LISTENING TO THE ATIS. PIE GND DID SAY TO TURN TO 270 DEGS AFTER DEPARTING RWY 17L. THERE WAS INTENSE HELI ACTIVITY AT THE ARPT AND I WAS DISTRACTED BY THIS ACTIVITY. THERE WERE 2 USCG HELIS PRACTICING RESCUE OPS AND A CIVILIAN HELI WAS DOING SPRAYING OPS IN THE SE QUADRANT OF THE ARPT GNDS. A FEW MOMENTS AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE OUT OF RWY 17L, OUT OF HABIT I TURNED L, AT 600 FT AND THIS IS WHEN PIT TWR TOLD ME TO GO TO TAMPA APCH. THERE WAS A DELAY IN ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH TPA APCH BECAUSE HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. I BELIEVE THAT I DID NOT PENETRATE TAMPA'S CLASS B AIRSPACE, I WAS STILL IN THE PIE AIRSPACE, PERHAPS PIE TWR COULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT MY TURN WAS WRONG. I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED WHEN TPA APCH TOLD ME TO TURN TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS. I WAS BTWN GANDY BRIDGE AND HOWARD FRANKLIN BRIDGE (I-275) WHEN I MADE THE TURN TO 270 DEGS. I BELIEVE THAT MY ALT WAS 1000 FT. I HAVE BEEN FLYING IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA SINCE 1955. FROM 1990 TO 1993 I LIVED WITHIN 1 MI OF TPA AND KEPT MY PA28 AT X39. I AM SORRY THAT I MISTERP THE DEP CLRNC.

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.