Narrative:

I flew from hro to xna. The flight over went just fine and I made a visual approach to the xna airport. I had filed an IFR flight plan back to hro and called for the clearance. The ground controller at xna cleared me for an intersection departure (about 7000+ ft). As I recall, he said I was cleared direct to hro, the highfill 2 departure. After departure on runway 34, I turned right to about 90 degrees heading, thinking that I was cleared direct to hro. The tower sent me to razorback departure (121.0). I called in to razorback departure and he asked my heading and altitude. He let me know in a hurry that I had turned toward an airline flight heading inbound to xna and furthermore that I should be on the runway 34 heading and flying at 3000 ft. By this time I had inadvertently climbed to 3400 ft. He again asked my altitude and I responded that it was 3400 ft and that I was descending back to 3000 ft. I told razorback departure I thought that the way my clearance was worded that I was cleared direct to hro. Departure told me that was not correct, that I should be flying runway heading at 3000 ft and that it was his duty to clear me to hro. I apologized. I now understand that I should have flown runway heading and stayed at 3000 ft altitude until instructed otherwise. This is the first time I have violated the regulations to my knowledge. I attend a 3 day instrument and multi-engine refresher course each yr. I am not a professional pilot, but I try to fly like one. I don't think this was a case of a near miss, but it could have been serious if razorback departure had not been monitoring me and the airline flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR BE58 DEPARTING XNA FAILED TO FLY ISSUED RTE AND ALT.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM HRO TO XNA. THE FLT OVER WENT JUST FINE AND I MADE A VISUAL APCH TO THE XNA ARPT. I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN BACK TO HRO AND CALLED FOR THE CLRNC. THE GND CTLR AT XNA CLRED ME FOR AN INTXN DEP (ABOUT 7000+ FT). AS I RECALL, HE SAID I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO HRO, THE HIGHFILL 2 DEP. AFTER DEP ON RWY 34, I TURNED R TO ABOUT 90 DEGS HDG, THINKING THAT I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO HRO. THE TWR SENT ME TO RAZORBACK DEP (121.0). I CALLED IN TO RAZORBACK DEP AND HE ASKED MY HEADING AND ALT. HE LET ME KNOW IN A HURRY THAT I HAD TURNED TOWARD AN AIRLINE FLT HEADING INBOUND TO XNA AND FURTHERMORE THAT I SHOULD BE ON THE RWY 34 HEADING AND FLYING AT 3000 FT. BY THIS TIME I HAD INADVERTENTLY CLBED TO 3400 FT. HE AGAIN ASKED MY ALT AND I RESPONDED THAT IT WAS 3400 FT AND THAT I WAS DSNDING BACK TO 3000 FT. I TOLD RAZORBACK DEP I THOUGHT THAT THE WAY MY CLRNC WAS WORDED THAT I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO HRO. DEP TOLD ME THAT WAS NOT CORRECT, THAT I SHOULD BE FLYING RWY HEADING AT 3000 FT AND THAT IT WAS HIS DUTY TO CLR ME TO HRO. I APOLOGIZED. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN RWY HEADING AND STAYED AT 3000 FT ALT UNTIL INSTRUCTED OTHERWISE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE VIOLATED THE REGS TO MY KNOWLEDGE. I ATTEND A 3 DAY INST AND MULTI-ENG REFRESHER COURSE EACH YR. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL PLT, BUT I TRY TO FLY LIKE ONE. I DON'T THINK THIS WAS A CASE OF A NEAR MISS, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS IF RAZORBACK DEP HAD NOT BEEN MONITORING ME AND THE AIRLINE FLT.

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.