B737-300 PF sets and flies wrong SID departure heading at lga.

Attributes
ACN	457700
Time
Date	199912
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog Rain
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : lga 8 departure
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 350 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	457700
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : vortac other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Lga was departing on runway 13 with a whitestone climb. Clearance was received via pre departure clearance with an assigned frequency 120.4. The lga 8 departure with the whitestone climb was briefed during the before start checklist and again in more detail during the before takeoff checklist. After takeoff and climbing on 175 degree heading until 2.5 DME, I instructed the first officer to select 040 degree heading on the MCP, which he did. He apparently looked at his departure plate to confirm the heading and saw 340 degree heading listed for the maspeth climb and set that heading. During the climb out and heading change, we were trying to contact departure on 120.4, along with another aircraft. I told the first officer to go back to tower and get a good departure frequency. Tower told us that departure was now on 120.8. While turning through 040 degrees, I questioned the first officer on the heading and he said it was 340 degrees. (I was thinking that tower might have changed our heading and I did not hear.) when we attained the new frequency and checked in, the controller asked us what heading we were on. The first officer told him and the controller said that we might want to check the departure assigned heading. There were no conflicts with other traffic on the TCASII and no aircraft within 5 mi. Although the departure was thoroughly briefed, a misunderstanding was present -- combined with ATC changing the departure frequency. (Usually lga does an excellent job keeping aircraft informed when changes are made in frequency, heading or departure.)

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 PF SETS AND FLIES WRONG SID DEP HDG AT LGA.

Narrative: LGA WAS DEPARTING ON RWY 13 WITH A WHITESTONE CLB. CLRNC WAS RECEIVED VIA PDC WITH AN ASSIGNED FREQ 120.4. THE LGA 8 DEP WITH THE WHITESTONE CLB WAS BRIEFED DURING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST AND AGAIN IN MORE DETAIL DURING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. AFTER TKOF AND CLBING ON 175 DEG HDG UNTIL 2.5 DME, I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO SELECT 040 DEG HDG ON THE MCP, WHICH HE DID. HE APPARENTLY LOOKED AT HIS DEP PLATE TO CONFIRM THE HDG AND SAW 340 DEG HDG LISTED FOR THE MASPETH CLB AND SET THAT HDG. DURING THE CLBOUT AND HDG CHANGE, WE WERE TRYING TO CONTACT DEP ON 120.4, ALONG WITH ANOTHER ACFT. I TOLD THE FO TO GO BACK TO TWR AND GET A GOOD DEP FREQ. TWR TOLD US THAT DEP WAS NOW ON 120.8. WHILE TURNING THROUGH 040 DEGS, I QUESTIONED THE FO ON THE HDG AND HE SAID IT WAS 340 DEGS. (I WAS THINKING THAT TWR MIGHT HAVE CHANGED OUR HDG AND I DID NOT HEAR.) WHEN WE ATTAINED THE NEW FREQ AND CHKED IN, THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT HDG WE WERE ON. THE FO TOLD HIM AND THE CTLR SAID THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO CHK THE DEP ASSIGNED HDG. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER TFC ON THE TCASII AND NO ACFT WITHIN 5 MI. ALTHOUGH THE DEP WAS THOROUGHLY BRIEFED, A MISUNDERSTANDING WAS PRESENT -- COMBINED WITH ATC CHANGING THE DEP FREQ. (USUALLY LGA DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB KEEPING ACFT INFORMED WHEN CHANGES ARE MADE IN FREQ, HDG OR DEP.)

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.