Narrative:

I had filed an IFR flight plan to cordele-crisp county (ckf) airport. The WX was very good, VFR. I was cleared as filed to ckf via citrus III departure. I was to fly heading 045 degrees and climb and maintain 1500 ft MSL until established with orlando departure. I was cleared for takeoff using runway 7. At approximately 600 ft MSL, I turned left to a heading of approximately 340 degrees (crosswind heading). I should have turned to a heading of 045 degrees. After rolling the wings level, I turned to a heading of 290 degrees. I was thinking that after making contact with orlando departure, they would clear me to intercept V159. The controller in the tower at orl cleared me to contact orl departure. The controller was busy. I called once before turning downwind, but the controller did not acknowledge my call. I leveled off at 1500 ft MSL. I planned to maintain VFR separation from other aircraft, but I did not see any other aircraft. I called orlando departure again as I neared the 309 degree radial from orl. Once again the controller did not acknowledge my call. Shortly thereafter, I figured out that I had not flown the assigned heading of 045 degrees. As soon as the controller and I established 2-WAY radio communications, I acknowledged my mistake and asked for further instructions. I also apologized to the controller for not flying my assigned heading. The controller said that that was not a problem. He also said that they had noticed that I had not flown 045 degrees before being cleared to resume my own navigation. Shortly thereafter, the controller cleared me to climb to my assigned altitude and direct to the ocala VOR. I had written down my clearance but I forgot to emphasize in my notes that I had been instructed to fly 045 degrees after departure. I usually circle the departure heading in my notes. Also, I usually move the autoplt heading bug to the first assigned heading but, on this day, I forgot to do it. I instinctually flew the routine VFR northwest departure from orl. I accept full responsibility for not flying the assigned heading. I tried to anticipate what orl departure was going to do with me based on previous VFR and IFR flts. When I could not establish contact with departure, my instincts took over. I am sure that if I had been in IMC, I would have flown the assigned heading.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED ON DEP FROM ORL, EXECUTING A VFR DEP PROC INSTEAD OF HIS ASSIGNED IFR HDG.

Narrative: I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO CORDELE-CRISP COUNTY (CKF) ARPT. THE WX WAS VERY GOOD, VFR. I WAS CLRED AS FILED TO CKF VIA CITRUS III DEP. I WAS TO FLY HDG 045 DEGS AND CLB AND MAINTAIN 1500 FT MSL UNTIL ESTABLISHED WITH ORLANDO DEP. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF USING RWY 7. AT APPROX 600 FT MSL, I TURNED L TO A HDG OF APPROX 340 DEGS (XWIND HDG). I SHOULD HAVE TURNED TO A HDG OF 045 DEGS. AFTER ROLLING THE WINGS LEVEL, I TURNED TO A HDG OF 290 DEGS. I WAS THINKING THAT AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH ORLANDO DEP, THEY WOULD CLR ME TO INTERCEPT V159. THE CTLR IN THE TWR AT ORL CLRED ME TO CONTACT ORL DEP. THE CTLR WAS BUSY. I CALLED ONCE BEFORE TURNING DOWNWIND, BUT THE CTLR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY CALL. I LEVELED OFF AT 1500 FT MSL. I PLANNED TO MAINTAIN VFR SEPARATION FROM OTHER ACFT, BUT I DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER ACFT. I CALLED ORLANDO DEP AGAIN AS I NEARED THE 309 DEG RADIAL FROM ORL. ONCE AGAIN THE CTLR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY CALL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I FIGURED OUT THAT I HAD NOT FLOWN THE ASSIGNED HDG OF 045 DEGS. AS SOON AS THE CTLR AND I ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO COMS, I ACKNOWLEDGED MY MISTAKE AND ASKED FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. I ALSO APOLOGIZED TO THE CTLR FOR NOT FLYING MY ASSIGNED HDG. THE CTLR SAID THAT THAT WAS NOT A PROB. HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY HAD NOTICED THAT I HAD NOT FLOWN 045 DEGS BEFORE BEING CLRED TO RESUME MY OWN NAV. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CTLR CLRED ME TO CLB TO MY ASSIGNED ALT AND DIRECT TO THE OCALA VOR. I HAD WRITTEN DOWN MY CLRNC BUT I FORGOT TO EMPHASIZE IN MY NOTES THAT I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO FLY 045 DEGS AFTER DEP. I USUALLY CIRCLE THE DEP HDG IN MY NOTES. ALSO, I USUALLY MOVE THE AUTOPLT HDG BUG TO THE FIRST ASSIGNED HDG BUT, ON THIS DAY, I FORGOT TO DO IT. I INSTINCTUALLY FLEW THE ROUTINE VFR NW DEP FROM ORL. I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT FLYING THE ASSIGNED HDG. I TRIED TO ANTICIPATE WHAT ORL DEP WAS GOING TO DO WITH ME BASED ON PREVIOUS VFR AND IFR FLTS. WHEN I COULD NOT ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH DEP, MY INSTINCTS TOOK OVER. I AM SURE THAT IF I HAD BEEN IN IMC, I WOULD HAVE FLOWN THE ASSIGNED HDG.

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.