Narrative:

Captain was PF, first officer working radios. First officer copied clearance for departure while PIC monitored CTAF. Taxi out to runway 30 and hold for departure while inbound twin lands. We then departed runway 30 (clearance as my first officer understood was typical of the standard clearance -- cleared to sea via V120, expect ephrata 4 arrival). We turned left to intercept V120 (253 degree radial off wenatchee VOR). We were asked to 'report established.' at approximately 2.4 mi my first officer advises ATC 'we are established V120 wbound.' ATC questions our direction and advises us we should be eastbound and to start our turn eastbound and report established V120. We start turn east. I question my first officer to verify direction and radial of V120. First officer agrees V120 is 253 degrees off wenatchee VOR. I question controller (while turning eastbound at 7000 ft, our clearance limit). An air carrier B pilot is inbound from sea and is holding until we are 'radar contact.' pilot is becoming irritated. Controller instructs us to turn farther east to heading 070 degrees to avoid terrain, and that air carrier B will pass over us (up until now, we had not had air carrier B on TCASII, but now a target shows up approximately 2-3 mi well north of our position and above 1000 ft from our altitude). I advise controller we have 'terrain in sight.' controller responds 'understand terrain in sight, are you requesting a VFR climb?' I reply, 'yes, if it will help the situation out.' we are then cleared to 14000 ft VFR climb on course, report established wbound V120. I delegate controls to first officer and ask to see the low altitude en route chart. I guess that V120 also is defined as 073 degree radial off wenatchee VOR. The problem stems from the fact that the clearance 'to join V120 ephrata' (which is east of wenatchee) sounds very similar to 'join V120 expect ephrata 4 arrival' (which climbs us wbound). I have flown into wenatchee (eat) approximately 150 times since november and have never received this clearance to climb eastbound V120. I had thought in such a situation that ATC would hold us on the ground until arriving aircraft has landed. It was our mistake to not question the abnormal clearance, but because we fly into this airport twice a day and typically have the exact same clearance, it did not sound abnormal. ATC also instructed us to 'expect no delay,' so we expected no delay in departing. The ATC controller told us he said 'no delay' and expected us to depart immediately. Because we waited for inbound traffic before we departed, the controller sounded irritated and consequently the air carrier B flight was closer to the airport than expected by ATC. Confusion with the clearance might have been avoided had the controller mentioned 'V120 eastbound' or put some emphasis on the fact that it was an unusual clearance. This flight was the 5TH leg of scheduled 8. 'Creature of habit' played a role in our mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT FLC DEPARTS THE WRONG DIRECTION ON V120. THE FLC USUALLY DEPARTS WBOUND, BUT ON THIS DAY THE CLRNC WAS EBOUND. AFTER SOME DELAY, THE CTLR WAS ABLE TO SORT OUT THE TFC PROB AND GET THEM ON THEIR WAY.

Narrative: CAPT WAS PF, FO WORKING RADIOS. FO COPIED CLRNC FOR DEP WHILE PIC MONITORED CTAF. TAXI OUT TO RWY 30 AND HOLD FOR DEP WHILE INBOUND TWIN LANDS. WE THEN DEPARTED RWY 30 (CLRNC AS MY FO UNDERSTOOD WAS TYPICAL OF THE STANDARD CLRNC -- CLRED TO SEA VIA V120, EXPECT EPHRATA 4 ARR). WE TURNED L TO INTERCEPT V120 (253 DEG RADIAL OFF WENATCHEE VOR). WE WERE ASKED TO 'RPT ESTABLISHED.' AT APPROX 2.4 MI MY FO ADVISES ATC 'WE ARE ESTABLISHED V120 WBOUND.' ATC QUESTIONS OUR DIRECTION AND ADVISES US WE SHOULD BE EBOUND AND TO START OUR TURN EBOUND AND RPT ESTABLISHED V120. WE START TURN E. I QUESTION MY FO TO VERIFY DIRECTION AND RADIAL OF V120. FO AGREES V120 IS 253 DEGS OFF WENATCHEE VOR. I QUESTION CTLR (WHILE TURNING EBOUND AT 7000 FT, OUR CLRNC LIMIT). AN ACR B PLT IS INBOUND FROM SEA AND IS HOLDING UNTIL WE ARE 'RADAR CONTACT.' PLT IS BECOMING IRRITATED. CTLR INSTRUCTS US TO TURN FARTHER E TO HDG 070 DEGS TO AVOID TERRAIN, AND THAT ACR B WILL PASS OVER US (UP UNTIL NOW, WE HAD NOT HAD ACR B ON TCASII, BUT NOW A TARGET SHOWS UP APPROX 2-3 MI WELL N OF OUR POS AND ABOVE 1000 FT FROM OUR ALT). I ADVISE CTLR WE HAVE 'TERRAIN IN SIGHT.' CTLR RESPONDS 'UNDERSTAND TERRAIN IN SIGHT, ARE YOU REQUESTING A VFR CLB?' I REPLY, 'YES, IF IT WILL HELP THE SIT OUT.' WE ARE THEN CLRED TO 14000 FT VFR CLB ON COURSE, RPT ESTABLISHED WBOUND V120. I DELEGATE CTLS TO FO AND ASK TO SEE THE LOW ALT ENRTE CHART. I GUESS THAT V120 ALSO IS DEFINED AS 073 DEG RADIAL OFF WENATCHEE VOR. THE PROB STEMS FROM THE FACT THAT THE CLRNC 'TO JOIN V120 EPHRATA' (WHICH IS E OF WENATCHEE) SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO 'JOIN V120 EXPECT EPHRATA 4 ARR' (WHICH CLBS US WBOUND). I HAVE FLOWN INTO WENATCHEE (EAT) APPROX 150 TIMES SINCE NOVEMBER AND HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THIS CLRNC TO CLB EBOUND V120. I HAD THOUGHT IN SUCH A SIT THAT ATC WOULD HOLD US ON THE GND UNTIL ARRIVING ACFT HAS LANDED. IT WAS OUR MISTAKE TO NOT QUESTION THE ABNORMAL CLRNC, BUT BECAUSE WE FLY INTO THIS ARPT TWICE A DAY AND TYPICALLY HAVE THE EXACT SAME CLRNC, IT DID NOT SOUND ABNORMAL. ATC ALSO INSTRUCTED US TO 'EXPECT NO DELAY,' SO WE EXPECTED NO DELAY IN DEPARTING. THE ATC CTLR TOLD US HE SAID 'NO DELAY' AND EXPECTED US TO DEPART IMMEDIATELY. BECAUSE WE WAITED FOR INBOUND TFC BEFORE WE DEPARTED, THE CTLR SOUNDED IRRITATED AND CONSEQUENTLY THE ACR B FLT WAS CLOSER TO THE ARPT THAN EXPECTED BY ATC. CONFUSION WITH THE CLRNC MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE CTLR MENTIONED 'V120 EBOUND' OR PUT SOME EMPHASIS ON THE FACT THAT IT WAS AN UNUSUAL CLRNC. THIS FLT WAS THE 5TH LEG OF SCHEDULED 8. 'CREATURE OF HABIT' PLAYED A ROLE IN OUR MISTAKE.

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.