Narrative:

I was the first officer, PF. After departing runway 13 at lga, I executed a turn to 180 degree per the lga 9 departure, whitestone climb. At 2.5 DME off of lga VOR, I began a left turn as prescribed by the SID. The captain, as PNF, was manipulating the mode control panel and entered a heading of 140 degrees rather than 040 degrees per the SID. I had also asked him to bug me at a speed of 210 KTS per the SID. As the flight director leveled on the 140 degree heading, I sensed something was wrong after having briefed the headings twice on the ground. I looked down at the chart to verify the correct heading, but due to the darkness, turbulence, and very small print, I was unable to see the 040 degree heading. By the time all of this had transpired, ATC told us to turn to a 320 degree heading and tighten up the turn as we would soon be entering jfk airspace. I immediately began a tight left turn to 320 degrees and the rest of the departure was uneventful. After discussing this situation with the captain later, we had concluded these events occurred due to several factors. First, the WX played a major role in the concentration of both myself and the captain. Due to the dark, stormy and turbulence WX, I was fixated on flying the aircraft and complying with the departure procedure. The captain had been distracted by the WX and was adjusting the radar so as not to fly into any potential cells that may have existed and that divided his attention from manipulating the mode control panel. This, in turn, distraction him from looking at the departure chart in front of him, and he extrapolated the 140 degree heading from the combination of the 180 degree and 040 degree headings. He also stated that he had flown a redeye flight the day before and did not feel as 'sharp' as he would have liked. Second, the lga 9 departure chart contains an inordinate amount of information with routings and descriptions for several different climbs. Therefore, the print used on the chart is extremely small and is not easy to access or read, especially in such WX and lighting conditions. Supplemental information from acn 569771: I think in my mind, the 180 degree heading and 040 degree heading combined to make 140 degrees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW HAD A TRACK DEV WHILE DEPARTING LGA ON THE LGA 9 SID.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO, PF. AFTER DEPARTING RWY 13 AT LGA, I EXECUTED A TURN TO 180 DEG PER THE LGA 9 DEP, WHITESTONE CLB. AT 2.5 DME OFF OF LGA VOR, I BEGAN A L TURN AS PRESCRIBED BY THE SID. THE CAPT, AS PNF, WAS MANIPULATING THE MODE CTL PANEL AND ENTERED A HDG OF 140 DEGS RATHER THAN 040 DEGS PER THE SID. I HAD ALSO ASKED HIM TO BUG ME AT A SPD OF 210 KTS PER THE SID. AS THE FLT DIRECTOR LEVELED ON THE 140 DEG HDG, I SENSED SOMETHING WAS WRONG AFTER HAVING BRIEFED THE HDGS TWICE ON THE GND. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE CHART TO VERIFY THE CORRECT HDG, BUT DUE TO THE DARKNESS, TURB, AND VERY SMALL PRINT, I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE 040 DEG HDG. BY THE TIME ALL OF THIS HAD TRANSPIRED, ATC TOLD US TO TURN TO A 320 DEG HDG AND TIGHTEN UP THE TURN AS WE WOULD SOON BE ENTERING JFK AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A TIGHT L TURN TO 320 DEGS AND THE REST OF THE DEP WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS SIT WITH THE CAPT LATER, WE HAD CONCLUDED THESE EVENTS OCCURRED DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS. FIRST, THE WX PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE CONCENTRATION OF BOTH MYSELF AND THE CAPT. DUE TO THE DARK, STORMY AND TURB WX, I WAS FIXATED ON FLYING THE ACFT AND COMPLYING WITH THE DEP PROC. THE CAPT HAD BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE WX AND WAS ADJUSTING THE RADAR SO AS NOT TO FLY INTO ANY POTENTIAL CELLS THAT MAY HAVE EXISTED AND THAT DIVIDED HIS ATTN FROM MANIPULATING THE MODE CTL PANEL. THIS, IN TURN, DISTR HIM FROM LOOKING AT THE DEP CHART IN FRONT OF HIM, AND HE EXTRAPOLATED THE 140 DEG HDG FROM THE COMBINATION OF THE 180 DEG AND 040 DEG HDGS. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN A REDEYE FLT THE DAY BEFORE AND DID NOT FEEL AS 'SHARP' AS HE WOULD HAVE LIKED. SECOND, THE LGA 9 DEP CHART CONTAINS AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF INFO WITH ROUTINGS AND DESCRIPTIONS FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT CLBS. THEREFORE, THE PRINT USED ON THE CHART IS EXTREMELY SMALL AND IS NOT EASY TO ACCESS OR READ, ESPECIALLY IN SUCH WX AND LIGHTING CONDITIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 569771: I THINK IN MY MIND, THE 180 DEG HDG AND 040 DEG HDG COMBINED TO MAKE 140 DEGS.

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.