PF of B727 flew heading 050 degrees vice 005 degrees as assigned by the tower.

Attributes
ACN	389230
Time
Date	199712
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	389230
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Night freight. Backside of body clock, subtle fatigue. PF has slight head cold. Departed runway 36L at dfw, published heading is 354 degrees magnetic. Tower hands us off to departure and assigns 005 degree heading. PF turns to 050 degrees, which we fly for approximately 1 min while captain (PNF) is trying to contact departure. At one point, PNF goes back to tower frequency and asks assigned heading, which tower confirms is supposed to be 005 degrees. Finally contacted departure, but by this time our flight path has taken us across at least extended centerline of runway 36R at dfw as well. Only good thing is at XA00, not too much traffic departing yet. On top of it, freighters do not require TCASII, so we would not have seen traffic departing on parallel if there had been some. As flight engineer, I was also busy monitoring panel, gear retraction, airspeed after immediate liftoff, climb out and did not have as much attention dedicated to tower's handoff. I don't know if there was a good reason for tower to give us an 11 degree heading change and handoff to departure at same time, but it is just one more item to try and assimilate at a very busy and critical phase of flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PF OF B727 FLEW HDG 050 DEGS VICE 005 DEGS AS ASSIGNED BY THE TWR.

Narrative: NIGHT FREIGHT. BACKSIDE OF BODY CLOCK, SUBTLE FATIGUE. PF HAS SLIGHT HEAD COLD. DEPARTED RWY 36L AT DFW, PUBLISHED HDG IS 354 DEGS MAGNETIC. TWR HANDS US OFF TO DEP AND ASSIGNS 005 DEG HDG. PF TURNS TO 050 DEGS, WHICH WE FLY FOR APPROX 1 MIN WHILE CAPT (PNF) IS TRYING TO CONTACT DEP. AT ONE POINT, PNF GOES BACK TO TWR FREQ AND ASKS ASSIGNED HDG, WHICH TWR CONFIRMS IS SUPPOSED TO BE 005 DEGS. FINALLY CONTACTED DEP, BUT BY THIS TIME OUR FLT PATH HAS TAKEN US ACROSS AT LEAST EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 36R AT DFW AS WELL. ONLY GOOD THING IS AT XA00, NOT TOO MUCH TFC DEPARTING YET. ON TOP OF IT, FREIGHTERS DO NOT REQUIRE TCASII, SO WE WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN TFC DEPARTING ON PARALLEL IF THERE HAD BEEN SOME. AS FE, I WAS ALSO BUSY MONITORING PANEL, GEAR RETRACTION, AIRSPD AFTER IMMEDIATE LIFTOFF, CLBOUT AND DID NOT HAVE AS MUCH ATTN DEDICATED TO TWR'S HDOF. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A GOOD REASON FOR TWR TO GIVE US AN 11 DEG HDG CHANGE AND HDOF TO DEP AT SAME TIME, BUT IT IS JUST ONE MORE ITEM TO TRY AND ASSIMILATE AT A VERY BUSY AND CRITICAL PHASE 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.