A DA40 on the teb departure was cleared to 4000 ft; but failed to turn to 280 degrees at 1500 ft; as...

Attributes
ACN	670284
Time
Date	200509
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure sid : teb
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 445 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	670284
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Airport ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on the teb 5 departure and was instructed by teb to climb to (I believe it was) 4000 ft (prior to my reaching the published 1500 ft of the teb 5 departure); with which I complied. I (apparently mistakenly) thought that since I had been told a specific altitude I was being vectored around traffic and was no longer on the teb 5 published departure procedure; and waited to hear further vectors and altitudes from teb departure. A few mins later teb ATC asked me what my heading was and I informed him that it was 250 degrees (I had drifted a bit); and was waiting further heading/altitude guidance. He informed me that I had missed my turn to 280 degrees as published. He was a bit perturbed but quite nice about it and informed me how important it was that I follow the published procedure. He then instructed me to turn to 270 degrees; with which I complied. This is most ironic since I had read recently about how important it was to be sure that one follows the published teb departure procedure; I specifically read the departure procedure (after having been given it by clearance delivery at teb); and had my page (in the plates) bookmarked/clipped to the teb 5 procedure page of the us terminal procedure book; and then intentionally abandoned them when I thought I was being manually vectored by superseding; overriding ATC commands. I believe that this may be most instructional to other pilots who may have a similar misunderstanding; and appreciate the opportunity to feed this back into the system. Perhaps we might be able to stress to others that specific altitude instructions from departure that differ from a SID procedure do not mean that one is now being manually vectored or that the procedure no longer applies; and that one should continue to fly that published procedure from the new altitude (and perhaps heading if so vectored) unless specifically stated otherwise.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DA40 ON THE TEB DEP WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT; BUT FAILED TO TURN TO 280 DEGS AT 1500 FT; ASSUMING HE WAS ON A VECTOR WITH THE ALT ASSIGNMENT.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE TEB 5 DEP AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY TEB TO CLB TO (I BELIEVE IT WAS) 4000 FT (PRIOR TO MY REACHING THE PUBLISHED 1500 FT OF THE TEB 5 DEP); WITH WHICH I COMPLIED. I (APPARENTLY MISTAKENLY) THOUGHT THAT SINCE I HAD BEEN TOLD A SPECIFIC ALTITUDE I WAS BEING VECTORED AROUND TFC AND WAS NO LONGER ON THE TEB 5 PUBLISHED DEP PROC; AND WAITED TO HEAR FURTHER VECTORS AND ALTS FROM TEB DEP. A FEW MINS LATER TEB ATC ASKED ME WHAT MY HDG WAS AND I INFORMED HIM THAT IT WAS 250 DEGS (I HAD DRIFTED A BIT); AND WAS WAITING FURTHER HDG/ALT GUIDANCE. HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD MISSED MY TURN TO 280 DEGS AS PUBLISHED. HE WAS A BIT PERTURBED BUT QUITE NICE ABOUT IT AND INFORMED ME HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS THAT I FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED PROC. HE THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN TO 270 DEGS; WITH WHICH I COMPLIED. THIS IS MOST IRONIC SINCE I HAD READ RECENTLY ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO BE SURE THAT ONE FOLLOWS THE PUBLISHED TEB DEP PROC; I SPECIFICALLY READ THE DEP PROC (AFTER HAVING BEEN GIVEN IT BY CLRNC DELIVERY AT TEB); AND HAD MY PAGE (IN THE PLATES) BOOKMARKED/CLIPPED TO THE TEB 5 PROC PAGE OF THE US TERMINAL PROC BOOK; AND THEN INTENTIONALLY ABANDONED THEM WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS BEING MANUALLY VECTORED BY SUPERSEDING; OVERRIDING ATC COMMANDS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE MOST INSTRUCTIONAL TO OTHER PLTS WHO MAY HAVE A SIMILAR MISUNDERSTANDING; AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEED THIS BACK INTO THE SYSTEM. PERHAPS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO STRESS TO OTHERS THAT SPECIFIC ALT INSTRUCTIONS FROM DEP THAT DIFFER FROM A SID PROC DO NOT MEAN THAT ONE IS NOW BEING MANUALLY VECTORED OR THAT THE PROC NO LONGER APPLIES; AND THAT ONE SHOULD CONTINUE TO FLY THAT PUBLISHED PROC FROM THE NEW ALT (AND PERHAPS HDG IF SO VECTORED) UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED OTHERWISE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A DA40 on the teb departure was cleared to 4000 ft; but failed to turn to 280 degrees at 1500 ft; assuming he was on a vector with the altitude assignment.