Flight crew in air carrier B757 on departing las were apparently given turn right instruction but re...

Attributes
ACN	415062
Time
Date	199809
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : las
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 11000
ASRS Report	415062
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : atp
ASRS Report	414866
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Error

Narrative:

Departure city las sep/xa/98 XA10. Beautiful clear day. Captain's log pre departure clearance read, 'air carrier X, ATC clearance mead 2 pgs J72 gup then as filed, maintain 7000 ft, expect 15000 ft 2 mins after departure, disregard departure/SID, fly runway heading vectors pgs.' after takeoff, cleared to departure frequency. Departure said at 5 DME turn left 080 degrees, climb to 15000 ft. First officer read back '5 DME left turn 080 degrees, climb to 15000 ft.' departure went on talking to other aircraft. At 5 DME, I started a climbing left turn. While in the turn, departure said to expedite through 13000 ft to maintain 15000 ft. Shortly thereafter, departure asked if we turned left, to which first officer replied affirmative. Departure said 'you were supposed to turn right, turn further left heading 360 degrees, level at 8000 ft.' first officer replied 'we understood a left turn, level 8000 ft turning left 360 degrees.' departure then said 'turn further left 330 degrees traffic separation lost.' ATC then took us north of las airport, then over bld VOR. Upon arrival dfw, I called las departure TRACON and talked to the shift supervisor. He said we were given a 'right turn,' but read back 'left turn' and the controller didn't catch our readback. He said it was their problem and would take care of it internally. Listening to clrncs when concentrating on several things somehow you don't clearly understand. In our case, taking off runway 25R, heavy weight, rising terrain to west of field, turn delayed to 5 DME instead of 4 DME, making sure aircraft keeps climbing, resetting MCP, clearing for traffic. Even on VFR day, 2 man cockpit gets busy. Departure control had a heavy workload issuing instructions one after another. Another problem. After flying into las several times. Every time when we didn't fly the published SID mead departure, we were given a left turn, so a left turn didn't sound unusual to me. Solution: listen up harder and question ATC more. During daylight operation, ATC have aircraft fly published departures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC IN ACR B757 ON DEPARTING LAS WERE APPARENTLY GIVEN TURN R INSTRUCTION BUT READ BACK TURN L AND NOT CAUGHT BY THE CTLR.

Narrative: DEP CITY LAS SEP/XA/98 XA10. BEAUTIFUL CLR DAY. CAPT'S LOG PDC READ, 'ACR X, ATC CLRNC MEAD 2 PGS J72 GUP THEN AS FILED, MAINTAIN 7000 FT, EXPECT 15000 FT 2 MINS AFTER DEP, DISREGARD DEP/SID, FLY RWY HDG VECTORS PGS.' AFTER TKOF, CLRED TO DEP FREQ. DEP SAID AT 5 DME TURN L 080 DEGS, CLB TO 15000 FT. FO READ BACK '5 DME L TURN 080 DEGS, CLB TO 15000 FT.' DEP WENT ON TALKING TO OTHER ACFT. AT 5 DME, I STARTED A CLBING L TURN. WHILE IN THE TURN, DEP SAID TO EXPEDITE THROUGH 13000 FT TO MAINTAIN 15000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DEP ASKED IF WE TURNED L, TO WHICH FO REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. DEP SAID 'YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TURN R, TURN FURTHER L HDG 360 DEGS, LEVEL AT 8000 FT.' FO REPLIED 'WE UNDERSTOOD A L TURN, LEVEL 8000 FT TURNING L 360 DEGS.' DEP THEN SAID 'TURN FURTHER L 330 DEGS TFC SEPARATION LOST.' ATC THEN TOOK US N OF LAS ARPT, THEN OVER BLD VOR. UPON ARR DFW, I CALLED LAS DEP TRACON AND TALKED TO THE SHIFT SUPVR. HE SAID WE WERE GIVEN A 'R TURN,' BUT READ BACK 'L TURN' AND THE CTLR DIDN'T CATCH OUR READBACK. HE SAID IT WAS THEIR PROB AND WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT INTERNALLY. LISTENING TO CLRNCS WHEN CONCENTRATING ON SEVERAL THINGS SOMEHOW YOU DON'T CLRLY UNDERSTAND. IN OUR CASE, TAKING OFF RWY 25R, HVY WT, RISING TERRAIN TO W OF FIELD, TURN DELAYED TO 5 DME INSTEAD OF 4 DME, MAKING SURE ACFT KEEPS CLBING, RESETTING MCP, CLRING FOR TFC. EVEN ON VFR DAY, 2 MAN COCKPIT GETS BUSY. DEP CTL HAD A HVY WORKLOAD ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS ONE AFTER ANOTHER. ANOTHER PROB. AFTER FLYING INTO LAS SEVERAL TIMES. EVERY TIME WHEN WE DIDN'T FLY THE PUBLISHED SID MEAD DEP, WE WERE GIVEN A L TURN, SO A L TURN DIDN'T SOUND UNUSUAL TO ME. SOLUTION: LISTEN UP HARDER AND QUESTION ATC MORE. DURING DAYLIGHT OP, ATC HAVE ACFT FLY PUBLISHED DEPS.

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.

Flight crew in air carrier B757 on departing las were apparently given turn right instruction but read back turn left and not caught by the controller.