Narrative:

Cleared into position on runway 26L at atl. Instructed to hold for other aircraft crossing downfield. After brief pause, atl tower cleared our aircraft for takeoff, instructing us to 'fly heading two-zero-zero at the middle marker.' first officer read back full clearance and set heading bug. I restated clearance and assigned heading then called for completion of takeoff check. I did consider the heading assignment unusual for the north parallel, but due to the late hour and low traffic density, did not query tower controller. After rotation and frequency change to atl departure control, it became clear that a problem existed. Upon checking in with departure controller and announcing altitude passing and assigned heading, he began immediately, and quite smoothly, vectoring us around traffic as well as arresting our climb. Although nothing was stated, both the first officer and I sensed something was wrong and began to more closely monitor the TCASII. We noted no TA's or RA's. We continued climb out uneventfully. Departure controller handled us extraordinarily well. From our perspective on the flight deck, there seemed to be very little wrong, save 2 odd vectors and a segmented initial climb. We only became aware of a safety issue when departure controller later informed us that our aircraft had crossed the departure path of runway 27R, the south parallel runway. When I questioned departure controller about our actions in the event, he replied that he believed that 'the problem was on our (his, sic) end,' implying that tower had issued the 200 degree heading assignment in error. He declined to elaborate further on frequency. Remainder of flight uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLC ISSUED WRONG HDG ON DEP FROM ATL.

Narrative: CLRED INTO POS ON RWY 26L AT ATL. INSTRUCTED TO HOLD FOR OTHER ACFT XING DOWNFIELD. AFTER BRIEF PAUSE, ATL TWR CLRED OUR ACFT FOR TKOF, INSTRUCTING US TO 'FLY HDG TWO-ZERO-ZERO AT THE MIDDLE MARKER.' FO READ BACK FULL CLRNC AND SET HDG BUG. I RESTATED CLRNC AND ASSIGNED HDG THEN CALLED FOR COMPLETION OF TKOF CHK. I DID CONSIDER THE HDG ASSIGNMENT UNUSUAL FOR THE N PARALLEL, BUT DUE TO THE LATE HR AND LOW TFC DENSITY, DID NOT QUERY TWR CTLR. AFTER ROTATION AND FREQ CHANGE TO ATL DEP CTL, IT BECAME CLR THAT A PROB EXISTED. UPON CHKING IN WITH DEP CTLR AND ANNOUNCING ALT PASSING AND ASSIGNED HDG, HE BEGAN IMMEDIATELY, AND QUITE SMOOTHLY, VECTORING US AROUND TFC AS WELL AS ARRESTING OUR CLB. ALTHOUGH NOTHING WAS STATED, BOTH THE FO AND I SENSED SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND BEGAN TO MORE CLOSELY MONITOR THE TCASII. WE NOTED NO TA'S OR RA'S. WE CONTINUED CLBOUT UNEVENTFULLY. DEP CTLR HANDLED US EXTRAORDINARILY WELL. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE FLT DECK, THERE SEEMED TO BE VERY LITTLE WRONG, SAVE 2 ODD VECTORS AND A SEGMENTED INITIAL CLB. WE ONLY BECAME AWARE OF A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN DEP CTLR LATER INFORMED US THAT OUR ACFT HAD CROSSED THE DEP PATH OF RWY 27R, THE S PARALLEL RWY. WHEN I QUESTIONED DEP CTLR ABOUT OUR ACTIONS IN THE EVENT, HE REPLIED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT 'THE PROB WAS ON OUR (HIS, SIC) END,' IMPLYING THAT TWR HAD ISSUED THE 200 DEG HDG ASSIGNMENT IN ERROR. HE DECLINED TO ELABORATE FURTHER ON FREQ. REMAINDER OF FLT UNEVENTFUL.

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.