Narrative:

I cleared aircraft X off of lit runway 18, turn left heading 160 degrees. I thought aircraft X was going to university of mississippi at oxford. Instead he was going to university of oklahoma at norman. I then cleared aircraft Y for takeoff on runway 22, turn left heading 180 degrees 1 min after aircraft X. I then put a couple of aircraft into position and hold on runway 18 and runway 22R. I then checked the d-brite to see if aircraft Y had automatic-acquired and noticed that aircraft X had started to turn swbound. I then issued 'fly heading 220 degrees and maintain 2000 ft' to aircraft Y. Aircraft X continued the turn to a westerly heading so I turned aircraft Y to a 280 degree heading. Within 1 mi of turning aircraft Y to a 280 degree heading, aircraft X passed through 3000 ft going to 4000 ft. I then turned aircraft Y back to a 160 degree heading. Little rock ATCT has departure gates painted on all strips where the aircraft is assigned 10000 ft and above. Below 10000 ft the departure strip just has destination airport. Therefore, you have to know what every identify is or ask. If you get one confused as I did (oyx versus own) you could turn the aircraft the wrong way. It would be very easy to put the departure gates on all strips thus avoiding any confusion. The radar controller on west did not have a strip because I had sent it to radar east, so the radar west controller asked the pilot of aircraft X his heading and he said 270 degrees, so the radar west controller turned aircraft X on course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIT CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR WITH 2 DEPS BEING VECTORED.

Narrative: I CLRED ACFT X OFF OF LIT RWY 18, TURN L HDG 160 DEGS. I THOUGHT ACFT X WAS GOING TO UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI AT OXFORD. INSTEAD HE WAS GOING TO UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA AT NORMAN. I THEN CLRED ACFT Y FOR TKOF ON RWY 22, TURN L HDG 180 DEGS 1 MIN AFTER ACFT X. I THEN PUT A COUPLE OF ACFT INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 18 AND RWY 22R. I THEN CHKED THE D-BRITE TO SEE IF ACFT Y HAD AUTO-ACQUIRED AND NOTICED THAT ACFT X HAD STARTED TO TURN SWBOUND. I THEN ISSUED 'FLY HDG 220 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT' TO ACFT Y. ACFT X CONTINUED THE TURN TO A WESTERLY HDG SO I TURNED ACFT Y TO A 280 DEG HDG. WITHIN 1 MI OF TURNING ACFT Y TO A 280 DEG HDG, ACFT X PASSED THROUGH 3000 FT GOING TO 4000 FT. I THEN TURNED ACFT Y BACK TO A 160 DEG HDG. LITTLE ROCK ATCT HAS DEP GATES PAINTED ON ALL STRIPS WHERE THE ACFT IS ASSIGNED 10000 FT AND ABOVE. BELOW 10000 FT THE DEP STRIP JUST HAS DEST ARPT. THEREFORE, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT EVERY IDENT IS OR ASK. IF YOU GET ONE CONFUSED AS I DID (OYX VERSUS OWN) YOU COULD TURN THE ACFT THE WRONG WAY. IT WOULD BE VERY EASY TO PUT THE DEP GATES ON ALL STRIPS THUS AVOIDING ANY CONFUSION. THE RADAR CTLR ON W DID NOT HAVE A STRIP BECAUSE I HAD SENT IT TO RADAR E, SO THE RADAR W CTLR ASKED THE PLT OF ACFT X HIS HDG AND HE SAID 270 DEGS, SO THE RADAR W CTLR TURNED ACFT X ON COURSE.

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.