Narrative:

Aircraft heading deviation. Scheduled to depart slc at XA01. Received 45 min delay due to arrs at ord. Pushed off the gate 25 mins after scheduled to make an XC45 wheels-up time. Slc was departure/arrival runway 16L/right. Winds were 350 degrees at 5 KTS and we were at maximum weight. Due to the tailwind we weren't legal for runway 16 and requested a runway 34 departure. On runway to runway 34, captain's takeoff brief included (but not limited to) takeoff emergencys, terrain avoidance, and a left turn off runway 34 if we had any problems to avoid the terrain to the east. Once ready for takeoff at the south end, tower kept giving us delays. First to on the hour, then 5-10 mins each time we asked. They finally changed runways and we were cleared for takeoff and took off at XD24 with no assigned heading. It was my leg (first officer). We had runway heading in the FMA and performed a normal maximum performance takeoff. I took off in map mode with egpws on and a 40 mi scope selected. I knew our flight plan had us going over the slc VORTAC and then proceeding on the 055 degree radial to ocs. About 1 mi north of slc VORTAC, at about 6000 ft MSL, I initiated a turn to 055 degree heading when looking at the map mode our flight plan took us that way. I mistook that as the departure. The captain queried me on 'what heading are you going to?' and I told him I was 'following the departure.' the captain looked to verify which heading we were to be on and at the same time I looked at the map mode, saw the terrain out in front of us a ways and something didn't feel right. I immediately initiated a turn back to runway heading while at the same time ATC called and asked our heading. The captain seeing the correction to the north already in place asked ATC 'what heading do you want us on?' they replied with a 310 degree heading. We didn't make it to the 055 degree heading before we turned back north, but we were heading northeast. The whole incident from the time we were off runway heading to the point we were on a 310 degree heading I estimate at about 45 seconds. The captain was in the process of verifying we needed to be heading north the same time I was correcting to the north and ATC was asking us what heading we were on. It was a busy and confusing couple of seconds. In hindsight, I mistook the filed clearance that was loaded in the gfms as the departure routing even though looking back I knew it wasn't. I took off in the map mode because of the terrain and that made it perfectly clear to me that the heading I was turning to was incorrect. It had been a little while since I looked at the departure because of the delay so that may have caused some of the confusion also.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FO BEGAN TO FOLLOW THE EGPWS TRACK LINE AND CONFUSED IT WITH THE FMC TRACK LINE.

Narrative: ACFT HDG DEV. SCHEDULED TO DEPART SLC AT XA01. RECEIVED 45 MIN DELAY DUE TO ARRS AT ORD. PUSHED OFF THE GATE 25 MINS AFTER SCHEDULED TO MAKE AN XC45 WHEELS-UP TIME. SLC WAS DEP/ARR RWY 16L/R. WINDS WERE 350 DEGS AT 5 KTS AND WE WERE AT MAX WT. DUE TO THE TAILWIND WE WEREN'T LEGAL FOR RWY 16 AND REQUESTED A RWY 34 DEP. ON RWY TO RWY 34, CAPT'S TKOF BRIEF INCLUDED (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) TKOF EMERS, TERRAIN AVOIDANCE, AND A L TURN OFF RWY 34 IF WE HAD ANY PROBS TO AVOID THE TERRAIN TO THE E. ONCE READY FOR TKOF AT THE S END, TWR KEPT GIVING US DELAYS. FIRST TO ON THE HR, THEN 5-10 MINS EACH TIME WE ASKED. THEY FINALLY CHANGED RWYS AND WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND TOOK OFF AT XD24 WITH NO ASSIGNED HDG. IT WAS MY LEG (FO). WE HAD RWY HDG IN THE FMA AND PERFORMED A NORMAL MAX PERFORMANCE TKOF. I TOOK OFF IN MAP MODE WITH EGPWS ON AND A 40 MI SCOPE SELECTED. I KNEW OUR FLT PLAN HAD US GOING OVER THE SLC VORTAC AND THEN PROCEEDING ON THE 055 DEG RADIAL TO OCS. ABOUT 1 MI N OF SLC VORTAC, AT ABOUT 6000 FT MSL, I INITIATED A TURN TO 055 DEG HDG WHEN LOOKING AT THE MAP MODE OUR FLT PLAN TOOK US THAT WAY. I MISTOOK THAT AS THE DEP. THE CAPT QUERIED ME ON 'WHAT HDG ARE YOU GOING TO?' AND I TOLD HIM I WAS 'FOLLOWING THE DEP.' THE CAPT LOOKED TO VERIFY WHICH HDG WE WERE TO BE ON AND AT THE SAME TIME I LOOKED AT THE MAP MODE, SAW THE TERRAIN OUT IN FRONT OF US A WAYS AND SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A TURN BACK TO RWY HDG WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ATC CALLED AND ASKED OUR HDG. THE CAPT SEEING THE CORRECTION TO THE N ALREADY IN PLACE ASKED ATC 'WHAT HDG DO YOU WANT US ON?' THEY REPLIED WITH A 310 DEG HDG. WE DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE 055 DEG HDG BEFORE WE TURNED BACK N, BUT WE WERE HDG NE. THE WHOLE INCIDENT FROM THE TIME WE WERE OFF RWY HDG TO THE POINT WE WERE ON A 310 DEG HDG I ESTIMATE AT ABOUT 45 SECONDS. THE CAPT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF VERIFYING WE NEEDED TO BE HDG N THE SAME TIME I WAS CORRECTING TO THE N AND ATC WAS ASKING US WHAT HDG WE WERE ON. IT WAS A BUSY AND CONFUSING COUPLE OF SECONDS. IN HINDSIGHT, I MISTOOK THE FILED CLRNC THAT WAS LOADED IN THE GFMS AS THE DEP ROUTING EVEN THOUGH LOOKING BACK I KNEW IT WASN'T. I TOOK OFF IN THE MAP MODE BECAUSE OF THE TERRAIN AND THAT MADE IT PERFECTLY CLR TO ME THAT THE HDG I WAS TURNING TO WAS INCORRECT. IT HAD BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE I LOOKED AT THE DEP BECAUSE OF THE DELAY SO THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED SOME OF THE CONFUSION ALSO.

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.