Narrative:

Our aircraft was taxiing our for departure. Upon reaching the end of the line in clt, we were instructed to taxi into position and hold. Upon reaching this position we were cleared for takeoff. At this point, a nosegear open annunciator light illuminated. After a brief discussion with the captain, we told the local controller that we wished to taxi clear to resolve the annunciator. A line of other aircraft had formed and there was some discussion with the local controller as to where the best location to taxi clear would be. During this conversation (taking place while the aircraft was in position on an active runway), the light and problem resolved itself, so we elected to continue the departure. The local controller then issued a new takeoff clearance, with a heading of 025 degrees (or so we thought). Upon departure, we contacted the departure controller as instructed. After some period of time (perhaps 1 - 1 1/2 mins), the departure controller asked us what our heading was, to which I (as the PNF) responded was 025 degrees. He then issued us an immediate right turn to 090 degrees, as jet traffic had departed behind us. The controller then queried us as to the origin of the 025 degree heading clearance. I responded that the tower had issued the clearance. After the fact, I asked the captain if he had also heard the 025 degree clearance, and indeed he had, and pointed to his heading bug, which he had set to the departure heading. The jet departure behind us was issued a TA with regard to our aircraft, to which they responded that they had had us in sight. It was difficult to determine distance as no TCASII information was displayed, nor any RA issued. The captain later stated that he was curious as to the 025 degree clearance, as a 070 degree heading was the usual clearance. There were several human factors involved with this incident. The first was the annunciator light which caused the delay on the runway. First, it distracted us (the flight crew), second, once resolved, the local controller was in a hurry to have us depart (we should not have let him hurry us, and instead gotten back into line on the taxiway). Either we misheard the clearance (which I had read back) or the controller had given us 025 degree heading (which was used for jet departures) by mistake. Finally, I should have confirmed the heading clearance with the departure controller, the same as I always do for altitude clrncs. As always, any clearance out of the ordinary should be confirmed if there is any question.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLR GAVE DHC8-102 CREW A 25 DEG HDG AFTER TKOF. THAT HDG IS MEANT FOR JETS. AFTER TKOF, CTLR WONDERED ABOUT HDG AND CORRECTED THEM.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS TAXIING OUR FOR DEP. UPON REACHING THE END OF THE LINE IN CLT, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. UPON REACHING THIS POS WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. AT THIS POINT, A NOSEGEAR OPEN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH THE CAPT, WE TOLD THE LCL CTLR THAT WE WISHED TO TAXI CLR TO RESOLVE THE ANNUNCIATOR. A LINE OF OTHER ACFT HAD FORMED AND THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION WITH THE LCL CTLR AS TO WHERE THE BEST LOCATION TO TAXI CLR WOULD BE. DURING THIS CONVERSATION (TAKING PLACE WHILE THE ACFT WAS IN POS ON AN ACTIVE RWY), THE LIGHT AND PROB RESOLVED ITSELF, SO WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE DEP. THE LCL CTLR THEN ISSUED A NEW TKOF CLRNC, WITH A HDG OF 025 DEGS (OR SO WE THOUGHT). UPON DEP, WE CONTACTED THE DEP CTLR AS INSTRUCTED. AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TIME (PERHAPS 1 - 1 1/2 MINS), THE DEP CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS, TO WHICH I (AS THE PNF) RESPONDED WAS 025 DEGS. HE THEN ISSUED US AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 090 DEGS, AS JET TFC HAD DEPARTED BEHIND US. THE CTLR THEN QUERIED US AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE 025 DEG HDG CLRNC. I RESPONDED THAT THE TWR HAD ISSUED THE CLRNC. AFTER THE FACT, I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE HAD ALSO HEARD THE 025 DEG CLRNC, AND INDEED HE HAD, AND POINTED TO HIS HDG BUG, WHICH HE HAD SET TO THE DEP HDG. THE JET DEP BEHIND US WAS ISSUED A TA WITH REGARD TO OUR ACFT, TO WHICH THEY RESPONDED THAT THEY HAD HAD US IN SIGHT. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE DISTANCE AS NO TCASII INFO WAS DISPLAYED, NOR ANY RA ISSUED. THE CAPT LATER STATED THAT HE WAS CURIOUS AS TO THE 025 DEG CLRNC, AS A 070 DEG HDG WAS THE USUAL CLRNC. THERE WERE SEVERAL HUMAN FACTORS INVOLVED WITH THIS INCIDENT. THE FIRST WAS THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT WHICH CAUSED THE DELAY ON THE RWY. FIRST, IT DISTRACTED US (THE FLC), SECOND, ONCE RESOLVED, THE LCL CTLR WAS IN A HURRY TO HAVE US DEPART (WE SHOULD NOT HAVE LET HIM HURRY US, AND INSTEAD GOTTEN BACK INTO LINE ON THE TXWY). EITHER WE MISHEARD THE CLRNC (WHICH I HAD READ BACK) OR THE CTLR HAD GIVEN US 025 DEG HDG (WHICH WAS USED FOR JET DEPS) BY MISTAKE. FINALLY, I SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THE HDG CLRNC WITH THE DEP CTLR, THE SAME AS I ALWAYS DO FOR ALT CLRNCS. AS ALWAYS, ANY CLRNC OUT OF THE ORDINARY SHOULD BE CONFIRMED IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION.

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.