Narrative:

On the return flight from houston to lafayette, I assumed the PF duties just prior to reaching the hold short lines at houston hobby. Aircraft Y departed hou at XA55. Prior to taxi at hou, ATC cleared aircraft X (us) to lafayette, ind, via the lufkin 2 departure procedure, lufkin transition. The initial altitude assigned was 4000 ft. While taxiing to runway 22 the departure briefing was accomplished. During the taxi, captain asked me what the procedure was for the lufkin 2 departure on becoming airborne. I recited the SID to the captain. We stopped at the hold short lines for runway 22, where hou tower cleared us into position and hold on runway 22. The before takeoff checklist and runway items were completed. Aircraft X was instructed to fly heading 350 degrees and was cleared for takeoff on runway 22. Captain read back the clearance to hou tower and set heading 350 degrees on the flight director using the heading control knob. I put the first officer's flight director into 'heading mode,' which indicated a right turn to heading 350 degrees from the runway heading of approximately 220 degrees. After liftoff, I began the turn to a 350 degree heading, when captain advised me to level the wings for a few more moments to gain additional altitude before turning. I complied and leveled the wings and gained additional altitude. I then reinitiated the turn to heading 350 degrees. At this point, we were rapidly approaching our initial clearance altitude of 4000 ft, and I was attending to level the airplane and reduce the power. As soon as we leveled and the workload decreased, I was informed by captain (who was informed by ATC) that we had turned the wrong way to heading 350 degrees and this was a major violation. Captain asked me 'why did you turn right?' when I did not reply, he stated 'why did I let you turn right?' the remainder of the flight was uneventful. Contributing to the misunderstanding was the failure of hou tower to emphasize the left turn (greater than 180 degrees) to 350 degree heading. Also, the lack of CRM in the cockpit to question each other about the turn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE400A FO TURNS THE WRONG DIRECTION OF FLT FOR AN ASSIGNED HDG ISSUED BY ATC DEP, HOU, TX.

Narrative: ON THE RETURN FLT FROM HOUSTON TO LAFAYETTE, I ASSUMED THE PF DUTIES JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE HOLD SHORT LINES AT HOUSTON HOBBY. ACFT Y DEPARTED HOU AT XA55. PRIOR TO TAXI AT HOU, ATC CLRED ACFT X (US) TO LAFAYETTE, IND, VIA THE LUFKIN 2 DEP PROC, LUFKIN TRANSITION. THE INITIAL ALT ASSIGNED WAS 4000 FT. WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 22 THE DEP BRIEFING WAS ACCOMPLISHED. DURING THE TAXI, CAPT ASKED ME WHAT THE PROC WAS FOR THE LUFKIN 2 DEP ON BECOMING AIRBORNE. I RECITED THE SID TO THE CAPT. WE STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINES FOR RWY 22, WHERE HOU TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 22. THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND RWY ITEMS WERE COMPLETED. ACFT X WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY HDG 350 DEGS AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 22. CAPT READ BACK THE CLRNC TO HOU TWR AND SET HDG 350 DEGS ON THE FLT DIRECTOR USING THE HDG CTL KNOB. I PUT THE FO'S FLT DIRECTOR INTO 'HDG MODE,' WHICH INDICATED A R TURN TO HDG 350 DEGS FROM THE RWY HDG OF APPROX 220 DEGS. AFTER LIFTOFF, I BEGAN THE TURN TO A 350 DEG HDG, WHEN CAPT ADVISED ME TO LEVEL THE WINGS FOR A FEW MORE MOMENTS TO GAIN ADDITIONAL ALT BEFORE TURNING. I COMPLIED AND LEVELED THE WINGS AND GAINED ADDITIONAL ALT. I THEN REINITIATED THE TURN TO HDG 350 DEGS. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE RAPIDLY APCHING OUR INITIAL CLRNC ALT OF 4000 FT, AND I WAS ATTENDING TO LEVEL THE AIRPLANE AND REDUCE THE PWR. AS SOON AS WE LEVELED AND THE WORKLOAD DECREASED, I WAS INFORMED BY CAPT (WHO WAS INFORMED BY ATC) THAT WE HAD TURNED THE WRONG WAY TO HDG 350 DEGS AND THIS WAS A MAJOR VIOLATION. CAPT ASKED ME 'WHY DID YOU TURN R?' WHEN I DID NOT REPLY, HE STATED 'WHY DID I LET YOU TURN R?' THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE MISUNDERSTANDING WAS THE FAILURE OF HOU TWR TO EMPHASIZE THE L TURN (GREATER THAN 180 DEGS) TO 350 DEG HDG. ALSO, THE LACK OF CRM IN THE COCKPIT TO QUESTION EACH OTHER ABOUT THE TURN.

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.