Narrative:

After dealing with a lengthy delay at the end of the runway dealing with passenger issues in the back, we were given a clearance to take off on runway 8 at den with a right turn to a heading of 270 degrees. The captain did not hear the clearance as he was talking to the flight attendant to make sure they were all ready. He joined me as I was reading back the clearance. The SID took us to the north toward the lar VOR, but our initial clearance was a 190 degree right turn to the south. The heading of 270 degrees was set in the FCU and at 400 ft when the captain (PNF) pulled the heading knob the flight directors commanded a turn in the direction that would be the shortest distance to the new heading. Despite having an 'empty feeling,' I allowed myself to believe that it was a left turn and began to turn left. The controller stopped our turn at 065 degrees and told us to maintain that heading. He pointed out that our initial clearance was a right turn, but that it would work out fine the way we were going. We subsequently joined the rest of the SID and continued to destination without incident. Contributing factors were my mental overload as a result of a lot of pre-departure activity with checklists, single engine taxi, and start procedures interlaced with calls to dispatch and talking to the flight attendants. Also, I should have confirmed the clearance before we took off so we both could hear it one more time and make sure we understood it, especially because it was a clearance that lent itself to confusion and error. Also, after takeoff, I should have listened to my sinking feeling and confirmed the turn direction before I made the turn. Supplemental information from acn 582820: I was confirming with my purser that all of my passenger were safely seated and content when we were given takeoff clearance off runway 8. I heard the cleared for takeoff and saw the first officer put in 270 degrees for a heading. On initial climb first officer started a left turn to 270 degrees. My distraction with our medical issue and desire to make sure that passenger and flight attendants were prepared along with my failure to confirm the direction of the turn helped lead to the confusion in heading assignment. We had been flying this trip all month and had always been given a left turn to intercept the yellowstone departure so a left turn to 270 degrees didn't seem unusual. In fact, a right turn would have been queried by me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HEADING TRACK DEV JUST AFTER LIFTOFF BY AN A319 FLT CREW WHEN FOLLOWING AN INCORRECT FLT DIRECTION PRESENTATION AT DEN, CO.

Narrative: AFTER DEALING WITH A LENGTHY DELAY AT THE END OF THE RWY DEALING WITH PAX ISSUES IN THE BACK, WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 8 AT DEN WITH A R TURN TO A HEADING OF 270 DEGS. THE CAPT DID NOT HEAR THE CLRNC AS HE WAS TALKING TO THE FLT ATTENDANT TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE ALL READY. HE JOINED ME AS I WAS READING BACK THE CLRNC. THE SID TOOK US TO THE N TOWARD THE LAR VOR, BUT OUR INITIAL CLRNC WAS A 190 DEG R TURN TO THE S. THE HEADING OF 270 DEGS WAS SET IN THE FCU AND AT 400 FT WHEN THE CAPT (PNF) PULLED THE HEADING KNOB THE FLT DIRECTORS COMMANDED A TURN IN THE DIRECTION THAT WOULD BE THE SHORTEST DISTANCE TO THE NEW HEADING. DESPITE HAVING AN 'EMPTY FEELING,' I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS A L TURN AND BEGAN TO TURN L. THE CTLR STOPPED OUR TURN AT 065 DEGS AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN THAT HEADING. HE POINTED OUT THAT OUR INITIAL CLRNC WAS A R TURN, BUT THAT IT WOULD WORK OUT FINE THE WAY WE WERE GOING. WE SUBSEQUENTLY JOINED THE REST OF THE SID AND CONTINUED TO DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MY MENTAL OVERLOAD AS A RESULT OF A LOT OF PRE-DEP ACTIVITY WITH CHKLISTS, SINGLE ENG TAXI, AND START PROCS INTERLACED WITH CALLS TO DISPATCH AND TALKING TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THE CLRNC BEFORE WE TOOK OFF SO WE BOTH COULD HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME AND MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD IT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT WAS A CLRNC THAT LENT ITSELF TO CONFUSION AND ERROR. ALSO, AFTER TKOF, I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MY SINKING FEELING AND CONFIRMED THE TURN DIRECTION BEFORE I MADE THE TURN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 582820: I WAS CONFIRMING WITH MY PURSER THAT ALL OF MY PAX WERE SAFELY SEATED AND CONTENT WHEN WE WERE GIVEN TKOF CLRNC OFF RWY 8. I HEARD THE CLRED FOR TKOF AND SAW THE FO PUT IN 270 DEGS FOR A HEADING. ON INITIAL CLB FO STARTED A L TURN TO 270 DEGS. MY DISTR WITH OUR MEDICAL ISSUE AND DESIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS WERE PREPARED ALONG WITH MY FAILURE TO CONFIRM THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN HELPED LEAD TO THE CONFUSION IN HEADING ASSIGNMENT. WE HAD BEEN FLYING THIS TRIP ALL MONTH AND HAD ALWAYS BEEN GIVEN A L TURN TO INTERCEPT THE YELLOWSTONE DEP SO A L TURN TO 270 DEGS DIDN'T SEEM UNUSUAL. IN FACT, A R TURN WOULD HAVE BEEN QUERIED BY ME.

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.