Narrative:

While being clrd for takeoff, flight clrd for immediate turn to 110 degrees from runway 22L at ord. After takeoff turn was made using heading cursor and steering bar on HSI. After tower did not switch us to departure control, copilot made contact with them on 125.0. Departure control asked our position which was the ord 190/10 DME heading 190 degrees. Upon realizing we had stopped the turn early I started a further left turn with departure's consent. There were no conflicts that I am aware of but the circumstances leading to this excursion are of much concern to this captain. Copilot had total aircraft time of 105 hours and no previous turbojet time. When clrd for takeoff and the departure heading I told copilot to set 110 degrees. After takeoff I turned using the steering bar on HSI. What I didn't realize was he had set 190 degrees by accident. I feel I would have recognized this error except I became distracted first by the lack of a proper handoff from tower and the copilot questioning this. Secondly by departure control unable to locate us because the first officer had forgotten to turn on the transponder. Finally he could not give our position to departure control (wrong VOR tuned in) causing me to make the call, analyze the heading and transponder problems, correct them and request the turn to 110 degrees. Observations: captain as much to fault for missing transponder on checklist. I had verified code but not the on position since it is normally left on and control is through gear squat switch. Also, the flight plan papers were obscuring my vision to the switch. I did not verify the heading selected and allowed these other distrs to disrupt my xchk during departure phase of flight. Lastly, the snowballing effect of minor problems and distrs in a 2-MAN cockpit make it imperative that the PF do just that--fly the aircraft first and help or instruct second!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT FLYING DID NOT TURN TO HEADING ASSIGNED.

Narrative: WHILE BEING CLRD FOR TKOF, FLT CLRD FOR IMMEDIATE TURN TO 110 DEGS FROM RWY 22L AT ORD. AFTER TKOF TURN WAS MADE USING HDG CURSOR AND STEERING BAR ON HSI. AFTER TWR DID NOT SWITCH US TO DEP CTL, COPLT MADE CONTACT WITH THEM ON 125.0. DEP CTL ASKED OUR POS WHICH WAS THE ORD 190/10 DME HDG 190 DEGS. UPON REALIZING WE HAD STOPPED THE TURN EARLY I STARTED A FURTHER LEFT TURN WITH DEP'S CONSENT. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS THAT I AM AWARE OF BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THIS EXCURSION ARE OF MUCH CONCERN TO THIS CAPT. COPLT HAD TOTAL ACFT TIME OF 105 HRS AND NO PREVIOUS TURBOJET TIME. WHEN CLRD FOR TKOF AND THE DEP HDG I TOLD COPLT TO SET 110 DEGS. AFTER TKOF I TURNED USING THE STEERING BAR ON HSI. WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS HE HAD SET 190 DEGS BY ACCIDENT. I FEEL I WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THIS ERROR EXCEPT I BECAME DISTRACTED FIRST BY THE LACK OF A PROPER HANDOFF FROM TWR AND THE COPLT QUESTIONING THIS. SECONDLY BY DEP CTL UNABLE TO LOCATE US BECAUSE THE F/O HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN ON THE TRANSPONDER. FINALLY HE COULD NOT GIVE OUR POS TO DEP CTL (WRONG VOR TUNED IN) CAUSING ME TO MAKE THE CALL, ANALYZE THE HDG AND TRANSPONDER PROBS, CORRECT THEM AND REQUEST THE TURN TO 110 DEGS. OBSERVATIONS: CAPT AS MUCH TO FAULT FOR MISSING TRANSPONDER ON CHKLIST. I HAD VERIFIED CODE BUT NOT THE ON POS SINCE IT IS NORMALLY LEFT ON AND CTL IS THROUGH GEAR SQUAT SWITCH. ALSO, THE FLT PLAN PAPERS WERE OBSCURING MY VISION TO THE SWITCH. I DID NOT VERIFY THE HDG SELECTED AND ALLOWED THESE OTHER DISTRS TO DISRUPT MY XCHK DURING DEP PHASE OF FLT. LASTLY, THE SNOWBALLING EFFECT OF MINOR PROBS AND DISTRS IN A 2-MAN COCKPIT MAKE IT IMPERATIVE THAT THE PF DO JUST THAT--FLY THE ACFT FIRST AND HELP OR INSTRUCT SECOND!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.