Narrative:

There was only 1 supervisor assigned for the whole day, and he was assigned a 10-6 shift. Therefore, an ATC specialist was required to cover the supervisory position as a controller in charge. In order to accommodate breaks, I was assigned to work the ground control, clearance delivery, and flight data position combined. Historically, clearance delivery is busy at first with the XA30 am departures and then ground control begins to get busy at around XA20. In addition, ground control has taxiway inspections by city operations vehicles at around this time. The WX was IFR and included in my responsibilities at flight data position is monitoring the WX. A BE36 requested a clearance VFR on top. I typed in a clearance via the fdio, had a few other calls and duties to perform and then issued a clearance with a clearance limit of the sjc VOR and in accord with 7110.65J change 3 ch 7-3-1B.5, but failed to issue a left turn heading 140 degrees as instructed in sjc/bay TRACON LOA. The pilot read back the clearance with an incorrect squawk readback. I corrected the squawk and the pilot read it back correctly. Sometime after this the pilot called for taxi instructions. I issued instructions to runway 30R. Thereafter, the local controller obtained a release from bay TRACON and departed the BE36. The local controller issued the left turn heading 140 degrees to the pilot and then to contact bay departure. The pilot acknowledged, but did not readback. He then turned right instead of left and came within 3 mi of a previous cessna on a sunol 4 departure SID. I feel this situation could have been averted if the position would not have been combined. I feel the normal staffing of 2 supervisors for the day covering opening to xypm would have made it so that the position could be decombined. The position being combined caused a division of concentration caused by monitoring and managing too much information. I should have concentrated all my attention to issuing the clearance and the readback. The local controller should have gotten a readback of the turn instructions. The pilot should have listened more carefully and if he had any doubts as to the direction of the turn, he should have asked the local ctrl to repeat the instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IFR DEPARTING BE36 MAKES A WRONG TURN AFTER TKOF RESULTING IN LTSS WITH A PREVIOUS IFR DEP. BE36 CESSNA.

Narrative: THERE WAS ONLY 1 SUPVR ASSIGNED FOR THE WHOLE DAY, AND HE WAS ASSIGNED A 10-6 SHIFT. THEREFORE, AN ATC SPECIALIST WAS REQUIRED TO COVER THE SUPERVISORY POS AS A CIC. IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE BREAKS, I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK THE GND CTL, CLRNC DELIVERY, AND FLT DATA POS COMBINED. HISTORICALLY, CLRNC DELIVERY IS BUSY AT FIRST WITH THE XA30 AM DEPS AND THEN GND CTL BEGINS TO GET BUSY AT AROUND XA20. IN ADDITION, GND CTL HAS TXWY INSPECTIONS BY CITY OPS VEHICLES AT AROUND THIS TIME. THE WX WAS IFR AND INCLUDED IN MY RESPONSIBILITIES AT FLT DATA POS IS MONITORING THE WX. A BE36 REQUESTED A CLRNC VFR ON TOP. I TYPED IN A CLRNC VIA THE FDIO, HAD A FEW OTHER CALLS AND DUTIES TO PERFORM AND THEN ISSUED A CLRNC WITH A CLRNC LIMIT OF THE SJC VOR AND IN ACCORD WITH 7110.65J CHANGE 3 CH 7-3-1B.5, BUT FAILED TO ISSUE A L TURN HDG 140 DEGS AS INSTRUCTED IN SJC/BAY TRACON LOA. THE PLT READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH AN INCORRECT SQUAWK READBACK. I CORRECTED THE SQUAWK AND THE PLT READ IT BACK CORRECTLY. SOMETIME AFTER THIS THE PLT CALLED FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 30R. THEREAFTER, THE LCL CTLR OBTAINED A RELEASE FROM BAY TRACON AND DEPARTED THE BE36. THE LCL CTLR ISSUED THE L TURN HDG 140 DEGS TO THE PLT AND THEN TO CONTACT BAY DEP. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT DID NOT READBACK. HE THEN TURNED R INSTEAD OF L AND CAME WITHIN 3 MI OF A PREVIOUS CESSNA ON A SUNOL 4 DEP SID. I FEEL THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED IF THE POS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN COMBINED. I FEEL THE NORMAL STAFFING OF 2 SUPVRS FOR THE DAY COVERING OPENING TO XYPM WOULD HAVE MADE IT SO THAT THE POS COULD BE DECOMBINED. THE POS BEING COMBINED CAUSED A DIVISION OF CONCENTRATION CAUSED BY MONITORING AND MANAGING TOO MUCH INFO. I SHOULD HAVE CONCENTRATED ALL MY ATTN TO ISSUING THE CLRNC AND THE READBACK. THE LCL CTLR SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A READBACK OF THE TURN INSTRUCTIONS. THE PLT SHOULD HAVE LISTENED MORE CAREFULLY AND IF HE HAD ANY DOUBTS AS TO THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN, HE SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE LCL CTRL TO REPEAT THE INSTRUCTIONS.

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.