Crew climbed runway heading instead of making a left turn on course.

Attributes
ACN	490800
Time
Date	200011
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apc.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc tower : apc.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Gulfstream IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	departure : other published ifr departure
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	490800
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 8900 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	490982
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : separated traffic flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On takeoff out of napa county (apc), I climbed out on runway heading off of runway 36L. We were not assigned any SID. The IFR clearance that I had received from ground had cleared us to sgd VOR. On departure, I maintained runway heading until checking in with departure. The center controller then asked us if we were in our turn. I immediately started the left turn to sgd VOR. We were asked to call center. When I did, the controller very politely asked if I was familiar with the departure procedure. I told him that I wasn't. He told me that we needed to start the turn to sgd by 1 mi. I hadn't realized that. I later looked at the published SID for that runway (lizard departure) and it spelled out the procedure. I looked at the instrument departure on the commercial airport diagram and realized that I had overlooked the note clearing the aircraft on course after takeoff. The controller cleared the airspace for us. He said he wasn't going to file a deviation. Although I did miss the turn on course off of the standard IFR departure procedure, I feel it could have been avoided if I had been assigned the lizard departure. It made the importance of the turn easily seen. It would be best to assign the SID no matter the meteorological conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW CLBED RWY HDG INSTEAD OF MAKING A L TURN ON COURSE.

Narrative: ON TKOF OUT OF NAPA COUNTY (APC), I CLBED OUT ON RWY HDG OFF OF RWY 36L. WE WERE NOT ASSIGNED ANY SID. THE IFR CLRNC THAT I HAD RECEIVED FROM GND HAD CLRED US TO SGD VOR. ON DEP, I MAINTAINED RWY HDG UNTIL CHKING IN WITH DEP. THE CTR CTLR THEN ASKED US IF WE WERE IN OUR TURN. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED THE L TURN TO SGD VOR. WE WERE ASKED TO CALL CTR. WHEN I DID, THE CTLR VERY POLITELY ASKED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE DEP PROC. I TOLD HIM THAT I WASN'T. HE TOLD ME THAT WE NEEDED TO START THE TURN TO SGD BY 1 MI. I HADN'T REALIZED THAT. I LATER LOOKED AT THE PUBLISHED SID FOR THAT RWY (LIZARD DEP) AND IT SPELLED OUT THE PROC. I LOOKED AT THE INST DEP ON THE COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM AND REALIZED THAT I HAD OVERLOOKED THE NOTE CLRING THE ACFT ON COURSE AFTER TKOF. THE CTLR CLRED THE AIRSPACE FOR US. HE SAID HE WASN'T GOING TO FILE A DEV. ALTHOUGH I DID MISS THE TURN ON COURSE OFF OF THE STANDARD IFR DEP PROC, I FEEL IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED THE LIZARD DEP. IT MADE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TURN EASILY SEEN. IT WOULD BE BEST TO ASSIGN THE SID NO MATTER THE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

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.