Flight crew misinterpreted clearance and set in the wrong heading.

Attributes
ACN	492250
Time
Date	200011
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 135 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other Other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	492250
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On vectors to a visual approach into cleveland hopkins airport, approach control assigned our aircraft a heading of 055 degrees. I acknowledged approach control and the captain set in the heading in the autoplt heading bug control. At that time I was identing the localizer and didn't notice that the captain had set in a heading of 155 degrees by mistake. I became aware of this when approach control queried our present heading. I then informed the captain that we were assigned heading 055 degrees not 155 degrees and I told approach control that we were now in a left turn to a heading of 055 degrees. Approach control asked us to continue our turn, hard left now to 035 degrees. This was acknowledged and complied with. The approach and landing continued without event and no other communication about the incident was brought up by ATC. I feel that this was a simple breakdown in the check and xchk system established in good cockpit communication. In the future more close attention to ATC instruction and crew understanding of that instruction will be paid.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISINTERPRETED CLRNC AND SET IN THE WRONG HEADING.

Narrative: ON VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH INTO CLEVELAND HOPKINS ARPT, APCH CTL ASSIGNED OUR ACFT A HEADING OF 055 DEGS. I ACKNOWLEDGED APCH CTL AND THE CAPT SET IN THE HEADING IN THE AUTOPLT HEADING BUG CTL. AT THAT TIME I WAS IDENTING THE LOC AND DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE CAPT HAD SET IN A HEADING OF 155 DEGS BY MISTAKE. I BECAME AWARE OF THIS WHEN APCH CTL QUERIED OUR PRESENT HEADING. I THEN INFORMED THE CAPT THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED HEADING 055 DEGS NOT 155 DEGS AND I TOLD APCH CTL THAT WE WERE NOW IN A L TURN TO A HEADING OF 055 DEGS. APCH CTL ASKED US TO CONTINUE OUR TURN, HARD L NOW TO 035 DEGS. THIS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED WITH. THE APCH AND LNDG CONTINUED WITHOUT EVENT AND NO OTHER COM ABOUT THE INCIDENT WAS BROUGHT UP BY ATC. I FEEL THAT THIS WAS A SIMPLE BREAKDOWN IN THE CHK AND XCHK SYS ESTABLISHED IN GOOD COCKPIT COM. IN THE FUTURE MORE CLOSE ATTN TO ATC INSTRUCTION AND CREW UNDERSTANDING OF THAT INSTRUCTION WILL BE PAID.

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.