Narrative:

I prepared for a standard trainers flight to prepare myself for my CFI chkride. I was unable to use my own aircraft so I acquired an unfamiliar aircraft with what I learned to have poor radio reception. After becoming somewhat familiar with this aircraft I was given a standard taxi to 30R at sjc. I completed a normal runup and systems check and everything seemed to work properly. After checking both my map and my dg I figured it would be necessary to make a southwest (left downwind) departure. I taxied up to the hold bars and asked ATC for a southwest departure. Through the radio I managed to hear, 'nxxxxx cleared for takeoff and what direction will you be departing?' I then repeated my southwest request. 'Well, why didn't you just ask for a right downwind?' the controller said. As I began to roll on departure the controller's attitude as being 'oh, oh, go ahead and make that request,' west/O saying 'negative, make right downwind' really confused me. I am not blaming the controller because I should have been paying more attention to what he had said exactly. As I followed the runway heading I climbed to 1000' AGL. At that time ATC came back and said, 'nxxxxx go ahead and make your turn,' not make your left (right) turn. I began a shallow bank to the left and looked to the left runway that I was going to be crossing and saw the shadow (not the airplane) of an medium large transport. At this time I was about 1200' AGL and I began an immediate right turn. The tower came back and said, 'XXX turn right, turn right!' as soon as my right wing dropped I could see the jet and told the tower, 'I have the jet.' he began a shallow (10 degree) bank to the left to avoid any confrontation. I would guess the sep vertical equalled 500', horizontal, 700'. It was obvious to me that he had seen me and was maintaining visual sep. I completed my 180 degree turn and began a right downwind departure. I never crossed the left runway. I feel contributing factors in this incident were the airplane in which I was not comfortable and had problems understanding the radios, and the tower for not speaking in a professional manner (but I should have been able to handle any of these situations had I paid careful attention to what the controller said).

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT WHEN LEFT TURN STARTED AFTER TKOF FROM RIGHT PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: I PREPARED FOR A STANDARD TRAINERS FLT TO PREPARE MYSELF FOR MY CFI CHKRIDE. I WAS UNABLE TO USE MY OWN ACFT SO I ACQUIRED AN UNFAMILIAR ACFT WITH WHAT I LEARNED TO HAVE POOR RADIO RECEPTION. AFTER BECOMING SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THIS ACFT I WAS GIVEN A STANDARD TAXI TO 30R AT SJC. I COMPLETED A NORMAL RUNUP AND SYSTEMS CHK AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK PROPERLY. AFTER CHKING BOTH MY MAP AND MY DG I FIGURED IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO MAKE A SW (LEFT DOWNWIND) DEP. I TAXIED UP TO THE HOLD BARS AND ASKED ATC FOR A SW DEP. THROUGH THE RADIO I MANAGED TO HEAR, 'NXXXXX CLRED FOR TKOF AND WHAT DIRECTION WILL YOU BE DEPARTING?' I THEN REPEATED MY SW REQUEST. 'WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST ASK FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND?' THE CTLR SAID. AS I BEGAN TO ROLL ON DEP THE CTLR'S ATTITUDE AS BEING 'OH, OH, GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT REQUEST,' W/O SAYING 'NEGATIVE, MAKE RIGHT DOWNWIND' REALLY CONFUSED ME. I AM NOT BLAMING THE CTLR BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO WHAT HE HAD SAID EXACTLY. AS I FOLLOWED THE RWY HDG I CLBED TO 1000' AGL. AT THAT TIME ATC CAME BACK AND SAID, 'NXXXXX GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR TURN,' NOT MAKE YOUR LEFT (RIGHT) TURN. I BEGAN A SHALLOW BANK TO THE LEFT AND LOOKED TO THE LEFT RWY THAT I WAS GOING TO BE XING AND SAW THE SHADOW (NOT THE AIRPLANE) OF AN MLG. AT THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 1200' AGL AND I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN. THE TWR CAME BACK AND SAID, 'XXX TURN RIGHT, TURN RIGHT!' AS SOON AS MY RIGHT WING DROPPED I COULD SEE THE JET AND TOLD THE TWR, 'I HAVE THE JET.' HE BEGAN A SHALLOW (10 DEG) BANK TO THE LEFT TO AVOID ANY CONFRONTATION. I WOULD GUESS THE SEP VERT EQUALLED 500', HORIZ, 700'. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT HE HAD SEEN ME AND WAS MAINTAINING VISUAL SEP. I COMPLETED MY 180 DEG TURN AND BEGAN A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP. I NEVER CROSSED THE LEFT RWY. I FEEL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT WERE THE AIRPLANE IN WHICH I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE AND HAD PROBS UNDERSTANDING THE RADIOS, AND THE TWR FOR NOT SPEAKING IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER (BUT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE ANY OF THESE SITUATIONS HAD I PAID CAREFUL ATTN TO WHAT THE CTLR SAID).

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.