Narrative:

I departed runway 31R at dallas love airport. I was cleared on the dallas 5 departure with the texarkana transition. The departure calls for runway heading to 5.5 DME using the runway 31R localizer, then a turn to 360 degrees, and a climb to 5000 ft. The departure was normal, except we had an early turn, as my copilot bugged me around to 360 degrees. Both my copilot and myself thought we had been cleared to turn to 360 degrees by the controller. We checked in with departure control at 3300 ft and the controller asked us to expedite our climb to 5000 ft, and we complied. The flight was uneventful otherwise. My chief pilot advised me that an official with the FSDO wanted to talk with me about a pilot deviation during a departure. I called and talked with him and we discussed the matter. He played the departure control tapes and informed me that there was no loss of separation due to the fact that I complied with the expedited climb. There was not a controller directive to turn to 360 degrees. It appeared that we had turned early. He stated that he had a radar plot showing our early turn. He stated the controller probably did not tell us to return to our runway heading because it was easier for us to climb to 5000 ft than turn. There seems to have been a lack of understanding of the departure briefing between the copilot and myself. We had just recently gone to the government charts, and I believe that my copilot did not fully understand the charts. He was unaware of the fact that the instructions for the sids and stars are in separate locations from the instrument approachs. The previous charts (commercial) have all of the information about an airport in 1 convenient location, and printed on white paper, with black text, giving a better contrast. In any case, it seems to have been a lack of attention on my part for turning when not absolutely sure that we were cleared to do so. This occurrence is disheartening to me as I share with the FAA the concern for safety. I have taken steps to correct such actions in the future by verifying every turn, making absolutely sure that both pilots know the departure/arrival procedure and there is no misinterp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EARLY TURN ON DEP FROM DAL, TX, REQUIRES AN EXPEDITED CLB CLRNC TO BE ISSUED BY TRACON.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RWY 31R AT DALLAS LOVE ARPT. I WAS CLRED ON THE DALLAS 5 DEP WITH THE TEXARKANA TRANSITION. THE DEP CALLS FOR RWY HDG TO 5.5 DME USING THE RWY 31R LOC, THEN A TURN TO 360 DEGS, AND A CLB TO 5000 FT. THE DEP WAS NORMAL, EXCEPT WE HAD AN EARLY TURN, AS MY COPLT BUGGED ME AROUND TO 360 DEGS. BOTH MY COPLT AND MYSELF THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO TURN TO 360 DEGS BY THE CTLR. WE CHKED IN WITH DEP CTL AT 3300 FT AND THE CTLR ASKED US TO EXPEDITE OUR CLB TO 5000 FT, AND WE COMPLIED. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL OTHERWISE. MY CHIEF PLT ADVISED ME THAT AN OFFICIAL WITH THE FSDO WANTED TO TALK WITH ME ABOUT A PLTDEV DURING A DEP. I CALLED AND TALKED WITH HIM AND WE DISCUSSED THE MATTER. HE PLAYED THE DEP CTL TAPES AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION DUE TO THE FACT THAT I COMPLIED WITH THE EXPEDITED CLB. THERE WAS NOT A CTLR DIRECTIVE TO TURN TO 360 DEGS. IT APPEARED THAT WE HAD TURNED EARLY. HE STATED THAT HE HAD A RADAR PLOT SHOWING OUR EARLY TURN. HE STATED THE CTLR PROBABLY DID NOT TELL US TO RETURN TO OUR RWY HDG BECAUSE IT WAS EASIER FOR US TO CLB TO 5000 FT THAN TURN. THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEP BRIEFING BTWN THE COPLT AND MYSELF. WE HAD JUST RECENTLY GONE TO THE GOV CHARTS, AND I BELIEVE THAT MY COPLT DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CHARTS. HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SIDS AND STARS ARE IN SEPARATE LOCATIONS FROM THE INST APCHS. THE PREVIOUS CHARTS (COMMERCIAL) HAVE ALL OF THE INFO ABOUT AN ARPT IN 1 CONVENIENT LOCATION, AND PRINTED ON WHITE PAPER, WITH BLACK TEXT, GIVING A BETTER CONTRAST. IN ANY CASE, IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A LACK OF ATTN ON MY PART FOR TURNING WHEN NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT WE WERE CLRED TO DO SO. THIS OCCURRENCE IS DISHEARTENING TO ME AS I SHARE WITH THE FAA THE CONCERN FOR SAFETY. I HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO CORRECT SUCH ACTIONS IN THE FUTURE BY VERIFYING EVERY TURN, MAKING ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT BOTH PLTS KNOW THE DEP/ARR PROC AND THERE IS NO MISINTERP.

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.