Narrative:

I was operating a cessna caravan from corvalis, or. The flight was filed under IFR and initially proceeded north from cvo on V-23. I obtained a clearance from cascade departure while on the ground in corvalis and advised them I would be departing on runway 17. While obtaining the clearance I observed an aircraft preparing to depart on runway 27, and also heard (on CTAF) an aircraft inbound from the southeast intending a left downwind entry for runway 27. Cascade cleared me 'as filed' and told me to report airborne. I waited for the aircraft to depart on runway 27 and then announced on CTAF that I would be departing runway 17. After departure I notified cascade departure and they advised me of traffic inbound to corvalis as well as the traffic that had just departed. I advised cascade that I had the traffic in sight. Since the inbound aircraft was about to turn downwind for runway 27, I continued sbound on a 170 degree heading until well clear of that traffic, at which point I queried cascade approach to confirm that I was cleared to turn on course. As I was approximately 4-5 mi south of cvo at this point cascade questioned why I had not already turned on course. I responded that I had continued south to make sure I was well clear of the traffic into and out of corvalis. I then turned on course and the flight was completed without incident. I bring up this incident because of the confusion on my part and on that of the controller (cascade departure). Evidently cascade expected me to turn sooner than I did, and in hindsight, I realize I should have advised ATC that I was continuing south to be clear of the traffic that they pointed out. As I would not have turned on course sooner than I did in order to avoid the traffic, and since I was not that far from the departure airport, I did not consider my flight path to be unusual for a departure from runway 17. I was mistaken, however, to assume that ATC would expect me to give the traffic pattern wide berth. In the future, I can see I will need to be more vigilant in informing ATC any time my flight path may need to deviate even a small amount from my expected and cleared route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C208 DEPARTING CVO FAILED TO TURN NORTH ON COURSE PRIOR TO CONTACT WITH CASCADE DEP CTL. DELAYED TURN DUE TO INBOUND AND DEP TRAFFIC FOR OTHER RWYS.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING A CESSNA CARAVAN FROM CORVALIS, OR. THE FLT WAS FILED UNDER IFR AND INITIALLY PROCEEDED N FROM CVO ON V-23. I OBTAINED A CLRNC FROM CASCADE DEP WHILE ON THE GND IN CORVALIS AND ADVISED THEM I WOULD BE DEPARTING ON RWY 17. WHILE OBTAINING THE CLRNC I OBSERVED AN ACFT PREPARING TO DEPART ON RWY 27, AND ALSO HEARD (ON CTAF) AN ACFT INBOUND FROM THE SE INTENDING A L DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 27. CASCADE CLRED ME 'AS FILED' AND TOLD ME TO RPT AIRBORNE. I WAITED FOR THE ACFT TO DEPART ON RWY 27 AND THEN ANNOUNCED ON CTAF THAT I WOULD BE DEPARTING RWY 17. AFTER DEP I NOTIFIED CASCADE DEP AND THEY ADVISED ME OF TFC INBOUND TO CORVALIS AS WELL AS THE TFC THAT HAD JUST DEPARTED. I ADVISED CASCADE THAT I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. SINCE THE INBOUND ACFT WAS ABOUT TO TURN DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27, I CONTINUED SBOUND ON A 170 DEG HDG UNTIL WELL CLR OF THAT TFC, AT WHICH POINT I QUERIED CASCADE APCH TO CONFIRM THAT I WAS CLRED TO TURN ON COURSE. AS I WAS APPROX 4-5 MI S OF CVO AT THIS POINT CASCADE QUESTIONED WHY I HAD NOT ALREADY TURNED ON COURSE. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD CONTINUED S TO MAKE SURE I WAS WELL CLR OF THE TFC INTO AND OUT OF CORVALIS. I THEN TURNED ON COURSE AND THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BRING UP THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION ON MY PART AND ON THAT OF THE CTLR (CASCADE DEP). EVIDENTLY CASCADE EXPECTED ME TO TURN SOONER THAN I DID, AND IN HINDSIGHT, I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE ADVISED ATC THAT I WAS CONTINUING S TO BE CLR OF THE TFC THAT THEY POINTED OUT. AS I WOULD NOT HAVE TURNED ON COURSE SOONER THAN I DID IN ORDER TO AVOID THE TFC, AND SINCE I WAS NOT THAT FAR FROM THE DEP ARPT, I DID NOT CONSIDER MY FLT PATH TO BE UNUSUAL FOR A DEP FROM RWY 17. I WAS MISTAKEN, HOWEVER, TO ASSUME THAT ATC WOULD EXPECT ME TO GIVE THE TFC PATTERN WIDE BERTH. IN THE FUTURE, I CAN SEE I WILL NEED TO BE MORE VIGILANT IN INFORMING ATC ANY TIME MY FLT PATH MAY NEED TO DEVIATE EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT FROM MY EXPECTED AND CLRED RTE.

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.