Narrative:

I have been basing my aircraft at slc #1 airport (class B airspace) for the past 2 yrs. On the morning of may/xx/97, I requested and received clearance (VFR) for a flight from slc to mesquite, nv. I was assigned a departure heading of 160 degrees after takeoff. Mesquite, nv, lies approximately 30 mi nne of las vegas and approximately 250 NM ssw of slc. I have flown this route about 6 times previously and expected the standard sbound departure procedure from ATC. I received taxi clearance and proceeded to the departure end of runway 17. Takeoff proceeding as normal. After takeoff I was assigned a left turn to a major north/south road as usual and assumed I was going south. I was then informed I missed my clearance and was told to turn 180 degrees and proceed due north on redwood road. Expecting a southerly heading, I misheard the controller. I was then sent 30 mi west to tvy airport. As I was released from ATC I was told to call the tower after landing because of my mistake on the departure clearance. I also informed ATC that I wanted to be heading south not wnw. This sojourn added 30 mins at least to the total length of my trip. Another factor in my missing the clearance was that the aircraft had just been released from major maintenance and I was concentrating on flying the aircraft. I called the tower on my arrival at mesquite and slc tower semi-apologized about the mix-up. I was told they had new controllers on that morning (apparently tower and approach/departure control) and that neither knew where mesquite, nv, was located! Yet I was cleared and sent 30 mi out of my way without anyone asking what direction I needed to go. Another contributed factor was my unwillingness to confront ATC when I received a clearance that sent me in a direction opposite to my intended direction of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA24 (PIPER COMMANCHE) DEPARTS SLC FOR MESQUITE, NV. DURING DEP THE PA24 IS GIVEN A HEADING OPPOSITE TO DESIRED DIRECTION OF FLT. PLT SUSPECTS ATC ERROR AND PROMPTS THEM FOR PROPER HEADING. AT CONCLUSION OF FLT, ATC ATTRIBUTES ERROR TO NEW CTLRS.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN BASING MY ACFT AT SLC #1 ARPT (CLASS B AIRSPACE) FOR THE PAST 2 YRS. ON THE MORNING OF MAY/XX/97, I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC (VFR) FOR A FLT FROM SLC TO MESQUITE, NV. I WAS ASSIGNED A DEP HDG OF 160 DEGS AFTER TKOF. MESQUITE, NV, LIES APPROX 30 MI NNE OF LAS VEGAS AND APPROX 250 NM SSW OF SLC. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE ABOUT 6 TIMES PREVIOUSLY AND EXPECTED THE STANDARD SBOUND DEP PROC FROM ATC. I RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC AND PROCEEDED TO THE DEP END OF RWY 17. TKOF PROCEEDING AS NORMAL. AFTER TKOF I WAS ASSIGNED A L TURN TO A MAJOR N/S ROAD AS USUAL AND ASSUMED I WAS GOING S. I WAS THEN INFORMED I MISSED MY CLRNC AND WAS TOLD TO TURN 180 DEGS AND PROCEED DUE N ON REDWOOD ROAD. EXPECTING A SOUTHERLY HEADING, I MISHEARD THE CTLR. I WAS THEN SENT 30 MI W TO TVY ARPT. AS I WAS RELEASED FROM ATC I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE TWR AFTER LNDG BECAUSE OF MY MISTAKE ON THE DEP CLRNC. I ALSO INFORMED ATC THAT I WANTED TO BE HEADING S NOT WNW. THIS SOJOURN ADDED 30 MINS AT LEAST TO THE TOTAL LENGTH OF MY TRIP. ANOTHER FACTOR IN MY MISSING THE CLRNC WAS THAT THE ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM MAJOR MAINT AND I WAS CONCENTRATING ON FLYING THE ACFT. I CALLED THE TWR ON MY ARR AT MESQUITE AND SLC TWR SEMI-APOLOGIZED ABOUT THE MIX-UP. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NEW CTLRS ON THAT MORNING (APPARENTLY TWR AND APCH/DEP CTL) AND THAT NEITHER KNEW WHERE MESQUITE, NV, WAS LOCATED! YET I WAS CLRED AND SENT 30 MI OUT OF MY WAY WITHOUT ANYONE ASKING WHAT DIRECTION I NEEDED TO GO. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTED FACTOR WAS MY UNWILLINGNESS TO CONFRONT ATC WHEN I RECEIVED A CLRNC THAT SENT ME IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO MY INTENDED DIRECTION OF FLT.

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.