Narrative:

I was issued the canoga 8 departure on the ground, but on taking off the tower said he would call the right crosswind turn called for in the departure procedure. He never did, and I was handed off to a very busy departure frequency. As I waited to check in, I was getting closer and closer to the santa monica mountains, so I elected to start the turn to intercept the gorman 142 degree radial as in the departure procedure. I finally was able to check in and there was no further comment from the controller, so I believed I was doing the proper thing by resuming the departure procedure. But when I turned northwestward onto the radial, the controller told me to make an immediate turn sbound. She believed I was still on a vector yet none had been issued to me. Suggestions to avoid this in the future: 1) don't issue a departure procedure when it's obvious to the controllers that it won't be used and in fact its use would lead to a traffic conflict. 2) tower should reiterate on the handoff that the turn would still be called by the next controller. In retrospect, I should have included this in my initial call to the departure controller, but her frequency was really busy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE36 DEPARTS VNY AND INITIATES OWN COURSE CHANGE WHEN VNY ATCT DOES NOT ISSUE ON-COURSE TURN PRIOR TO COM XFER TO SCT.

Narrative: I WAS ISSUED THE CANOGA 8 DEP ON THE GND, BUT ON TAKING OFF THE TWR SAID HE WOULD CALL THE R XWIND TURN CALLED FOR IN THE DEP PROC. HE NEVER DID, AND I WAS HANDED OFF TO A VERY BUSY DEP FREQ. AS I WAITED TO CHK IN, I WAS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS, SO I ELECTED TO START THE TURN TO INTERCEPT THE GORMAN 142 DEG RADIAL AS IN THE DEP PROC. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO CHK IN AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE CTLR, SO I BELIEVED I WAS DOING THE PROPER THING BY RESUMING THE DEP PROC. BUT WHEN I TURNED NORTHWESTWARD ONTO THE RADIAL, THE CTLR TOLD ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN SBOUND. SHE BELIEVED I WAS STILL ON A VECTOR YET NONE HAD BEEN ISSUED TO ME. SUGGESTIONS TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE: 1) DON'T ISSUE A DEP PROC WHEN IT'S OBVIOUS TO THE CTLRS THAT IT WON'T BE USED AND IN FACT ITS USE WOULD LEAD TO A TFC CONFLICT. 2) TWR SHOULD REITERATE ON THE HDOF THAT THE TURN WOULD STILL BE CALLED BY THE NEXT CTLR. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THIS IN MY INITIAL CALL TO THE DEP CTLR, BUT HER FREQ WAS REALLY BUSY.

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.