Narrative:

First officer (PF) briefed the IFR departure as right turn to 270 degrees and 5000 ft. While taxiing to runway 15 (on parallel heading 320 degrees) he selected heading mode on display controller and put in 270 degrees. After takeoff on runway 15, I (PNF) on command got the gear and flaps up and switched to bwi departure control. The min I contacted the controller he asked if we were cleared a right or left turn to 270 degrees. I said right, however, we were in a left turn. The controller said continue the left turn to 270 degrees. I asked the first officer why he turned left instead of right and he said he was following the command steering bars. I believe when he selected heading and 270 degrees while the aircraft was on the parallel taxiway it locked in a left turn (closest direction from heading 320 degrees) and when we took the runway, even though we were heading 150 degrees for takeoff, the left turn command was programmed into the flight director system. After arriving at our destination, I talked to both tower and departure control supervisors and they said there was no conflict with other traffic. I have a call into honeywell (FMS, flight director manufacturer) to see if that was the problem. I also have notified our company to advise our other pilots of this problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he has not heard back from honeywell yet. He will be going to simulator training next week and will test his theory in the simulator. The chief pilot and reporter have agreed in discussion that the most likely scenario is as reporter describes it. His new procedure is to instruct the first officer to wait until they turn onto the runway to actually set the desired heading. Don't get too far ahead. The aircraft was a gulfstream iv.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF GULFSTREAM IV SETS THE HDG MODE TOO EARLY WHILE TAXIING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM DEP AND ACFT TURNS THE WRONG DIRECTION AFTER TKOF. ATC QUERIES FLC AND GIVES THEM AN AMENDED CLRNC.

Narrative: FO (PF) BRIEFED THE IFR DEP AS R TURN TO 270 DEGS AND 5000 FT. WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 15 (ON PARALLEL HDG 320 DEGS) HE SELECTED HDG MODE ON DISPLAY CONTROLLER AND PUT IN 270 DEGS. AFTER TKOF ON RWY 15, I (PNF) ON COMMAND GOT THE GEAR AND FLAPS UP AND SWITCHED TO BWI DEP CTL. THE MIN I CONTACTED THE CTLR HE ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED A R OR L TURN TO 270 DEGS. I SAID R, HOWEVER, WE WERE IN A L TURN. THE CTLR SAID CONTINUE THE L TURN TO 270 DEGS. I ASKED THE FO WHY HE TURNED L INSTEAD OF R AND HE SAID HE WAS FOLLOWING THE COMMAND STEERING BARS. I BELIEVE WHEN HE SELECTED HDG AND 270 DEGS WHILE THE ACFT WAS ON THE PARALLEL TXWY IT LOCKED IN A L TURN (CLOSEST DIRECTION FROM HDG 320 DEGS) AND WHEN WE TOOK THE RWY, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE HDG 150 DEGS FOR TKOF, THE L TURN COMMAND WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE FLT DIRECTOR SYS. AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR DEST, I TALKED TO BOTH TWR AND DEP CTL SUPVRS AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. I HAVE A CALL INTO HONEYWELL (FMS, FLT DIRECTOR MANUFACTURER) TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE PROB. I ALSO HAVE NOTIFIED OUR COMPANY TO ADVISE OUR OTHER PLTS OF THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS NOT HEARD BACK FROM HONEYWELL YET. HE WILL BE GOING TO SIMULATOR TRAINING NEXT WK AND WILL TEST HIS THEORY IN THE SIMULATOR. THE CHIEF PLT AND RPTR HAVE AGREED IN DISCUSSION THAT THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO IS AS RPTR DESCRIBES IT. HIS NEW PROC IS TO INSTRUCT THE FO TO WAIT UNTIL THEY TURN ONTO THE RWY TO ACTUALLY SET THE DESIRED HDG. DON'T GET TOO FAR AHEAD. THE ACFT WAS A GULFSTREAM IV.

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.