Narrative:

Cessna: sjc clearance, cessna xx VFR rhv with ATIS information. Sjc clearance delivery: VFR rhv right downwind, maintain VFR. Cessna: right downwind, maintain VFR. Sjc clearance delivery: cessna readback correct. Tower: left downwind cleared for takeoff, caution wake turbulence MD80 departing. Cessna: roger, cleared for takeoff left downwind. I took off from runway 29 (thinking about the turbulence I might encounter with the previous departure of an MD80). At an altitude of approximately 500 ft MSL, I started my turn to the left. About 10-15 degrees into the turn, I received a change to my departure clearance of a right downwind departure. I acknowledged and turned right, crossing the field. After I was approximately 1/2 mi east of the runways, tower came back and said I made a mistake with the right downwind departure. I think I came back with an apology and they left it at that, then was handed off to rhv tower for a normal approach and landing. At rhv I was requested by the tower to report when I was ready to copy a special request. When I finally got the aircraft stopped and shut down for a mechanical inspection I completely forgot to call the tower. After 45 mins to 1 hour, a county truck came up and asked for the pilot of my aircraft. I told him that I was the pilot. He said to call the sjc tower and gave me the phone number. I tried to call for about 20-30 mins -- the line was busy. I then decided to fly back to sjc to try to call them again. That's when I found out what had happened. I had a meeting with the sjc tower training coordinator and we reviewed the tapes. Most of what I had remembered and described was approximately correct. At about 500 ft MSL when I started my turn left and thought I received another change (right turn), the tower actually said, '...continue left 270 degrees, cross midfield.' my acknowledgement was 'roger starting right turn.' we did discuss a couple of ways to possibly eliminate this type of error from happening again. The first is to whenever your destination is on the other side of the field than from runway 29, a left 270 degrees, cross midfield type of clearance would be in order, from runway 30R 29 a right 270 degree, cross midfield type of clearance would be given. The other option would be that clearance delivery would not give any departure instructions like 'right downwind or left downwind departure' so the pilot would not possibly have a mindset when ground or tower amends the clearance.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT GIVES INCORRECT CLRNC READBACK WHICH IS NOT CAUGHT BY CTLR RESULTING IN A CONFLICT WITH A DEPARTING MD80.

Narrative: CESSNA: SJC CLRNC, CESSNA XX VFR RHV WITH ATIS INFO. SJC CLRNC DELIVERY: VFR RHV R DOWNWIND, MAINTAIN VFR. CESSNA: R DOWNWIND, MAINTAIN VFR. SJC CLRNC DELIVERY: CESSNA READBACK CORRECT. TWR: L DOWNWIND CLRED FOR TKOF, CAUTION WAKE TURB MD80 DEPARTING. CESSNA: ROGER, CLRED FOR TKOF L DOWNWIND. I TOOK OFF FROM RWY 29 (THINKING ABOUT THE TURB I MIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH THE PREVIOUS DEP OF AN MD80). AT AN ALT OF APPROX 500 FT MSL, I STARTED MY TURN TO THE L. ABOUT 10-15 DEGS INTO THE TURN, I RECEIVED A CHANGE TO MY DEP CLRNC OF A R DOWNWIND DEP. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND TURNED R, XING THE FIELD. AFTER I WAS APPROX 1/2 MI E OF THE RWYS, TWR CAME BACK AND SAID I MADE A MISTAKE WITH THE R DOWNWIND DEP. I THINK I CAME BACK WITH AN APOLOGY AND THEY LEFT IT AT THAT, THEN WAS HANDED OFF TO RHV TWR FOR A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. AT RHV I WAS REQUESTED BY THE TWR TO RPT WHEN I WAS READY TO COPY A SPECIAL REQUEST. WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE ACFT STOPPED AND SHUT DOWN FOR A MECHANICAL INSPECTION I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO CALL THE TWR. AFTER 45 MINS TO 1 HR, A COUNTY TRUCK CAME UP AND ASKED FOR THE PLT OF MY ACFT. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS THE PLT. HE SAID TO CALL THE SJC TWR AND GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER. I TRIED TO CALL FOR ABOUT 20-30 MINS -- THE LINE WAS BUSY. I THEN DECIDED TO FLY BACK TO SJC TO TRY TO CALL THEM AGAIN. THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I HAD A MEETING WITH THE SJC TWR TRAINING COORDINATOR AND WE REVIEWED THE TAPES. MOST OF WHAT I HAD REMEMBERED AND DESCRIBED WAS APPROX CORRECT. AT ABOUT 500 FT MSL WHEN I STARTED MY TURN L AND THOUGHT I RECEIVED ANOTHER CHANGE (R TURN), THE TWR ACTUALLY SAID, '...CONTINUE L 270 DEGS, CROSS MIDFIELD.' MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WAS 'ROGER STARTING R TURN.' WE DID DISCUSS A COUPLE OF WAYS TO POSSIBLY ELIMINATE THIS TYPE OF ERROR FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. THE FIRST IS TO WHENEVER YOUR DEST IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD THAN FROM RWY 29, A L 270 DEGS, CROSS MIDFIELD TYPE OF CLRNC WOULD BE IN ORDER, FROM RWY 30R 29 A R 270 DEG, CROSS MIDFIELD TYPE OF CLRNC WOULD BE GIVEN. THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE THAT CLRNC DELIVERY WOULD NOT GIVE ANY DEP INSTRUCTIONS LIKE 'R DOWNWIND OR L DOWNWIND DEP' SO THE PLT WOULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE A MINDSET WHEN GND OR TWR AMENDS THE 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.