Narrative:

Assigned lga runway 13 for departure with whitestone climb out to parke intersection. During taxi out, captain briefed crew (first officer) on departure routing. Mistakenly briefs right turn to 040 degree heading at lga 2.5 DME instead of left turn. First officer did not catch mistake. After takeoff and lga 2.5 DME, captain began right turn. First officer says 'right turn? That's the long way around.' I looked down at the departure plate and realized the error. I began an immediate 30 degree bank in the opposite direction. Lga departure asked us to expedite turn and climb as we were nearing jfk airspace. He asked us to confirm we were in a left turn. We acknowledged that we were, ATC issued traffic warning at 1-2 O'clock at 2000 ft. We were climbing through 3200 ft at the time and looked for traffic. We then continued on departure. Lga 8 departure is a very complicated plate, with 4 runway combinations and 4 climb options. In my opinion, too much information on 1 plate. The fact that the error in my briefing was not caught by the first officer indicates that either he was not ready to brief or perhaps I was too fast and not thorough enough and he assumed I was correct in my statements.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG DIRECTION TURN ON PUBLISHED DEP FROM LGA BY ACR FLC CAUSES TFC ALERT ISSUED BY DEP CTLR.

Narrative: ASSIGNED LGA RWY 13 FOR DEP WITH WHITESTONE CLBOUT TO PARKE INTXN. DURING TAXI OUT, CAPT BRIEFED CREW (FO) ON DEP ROUTING. MISTAKENLY BRIEFS R TURN TO 040 DEG HDG AT LGA 2.5 DME INSTEAD OF L TURN. FO DID NOT CATCH MISTAKE. AFTER TKOF AND LGA 2.5 DME, CAPT BEGAN R TURN. FO SAYS 'R TURN? THAT'S THE LONG WAY AROUND.' I LOOKED DOWN AT THE DEP PLATE AND REALIZED THE ERROR. I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE 30 DEG BANK IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. LGA DEP ASKED US TO EXPEDITE TURN AND CLB AS WE WERE NEARING JFK AIRSPACE. HE ASKED US TO CONFIRM WE WERE IN A L TURN. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE, ATC ISSUED TFC WARNING AT 1-2 O'CLOCK AT 2000 FT. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 3200 FT AT THE TIME AND LOOKED FOR TFC. WE THEN CONTINUED ON DEP. LGA 8 DEP IS A VERY COMPLICATED PLATE, WITH 4 RWY COMBINATIONS AND 4 CLB OPTIONS. IN MY OPINION, TOO MUCH INFO ON 1 PLATE. THE FACT THAT THE ERROR IN MY BRIEFING WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THE FO INDICATES THAT EITHER HE WAS NOT READY TO BRIEF OR PERHAPS I WAS TOO FAST AND NOT THOROUGH ENOUGH AND HE ASSUMED I WAS CORRECT IN MY STATEMENTS.

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.