Narrative:

According to the fir clearance that I read back to pontiac clearance delivery (and received a 'readback correct'), I was to climb to 3000' on the runway heading (270 degrees) and expect radar vectors to the pontiac 007 degree right to intercept the london 270 degree right to london VOR (yxu). From the tower chief at pontiac tower, I later learned from the tape playback, I was issued the 077 degree right. However, I wrote down and read back the 007 degree right. And although later communications with the tower mentioned the 077 degree right again, I was concentrating on getting the proper altitudes to fly and knew that the routing was as I had already written down. After takeoff on runway 27, I climbed on the runway heading to 3000'. When I was turned over to departure control (124.9) I was further cleared to 5000' and was told to turn to a heading of 060 degrees. As I began the climbing turn, I entered the solid overcast. I was experiencing some confusion over the heading (060 degrees) and how it would get me to what I thought was supposed to be the 007 degree right. At this point, I noticed the heading flag was showing on my HSI and had the added problem of not knowing if I was getting the correct heading information. At the same time I noticed that ice was beginning to form on the windshield and felt I should doublechk to see that the proper icing equipment was indeed on. At this point I retarded the power levers somewhat to slow my speed and rate of climb. While I was dealing with this emergency situation, det departure called and asked me to check my altitude. I first looked at my altimeter and saw that it indicated 5800'. This was well above my assigned 5000' altitude and I began an immediate descent to 5000'. I did notice that I had correctly set 5000' on the altitude alerter and that I had the correct setting on my altimeter. The next transmission from det warned me of small transport Y traffic at 12 O'clock and 6000'. I had just cleared the top of the cloud deck as I started my descent, and in the short seconds that I was clear of the clouds could not spot the traffic. My altitude alerted failed to work, and in the confusion, was an added factor that helped to cause the deviation. On return to my home base, I had the equipment checked and it was found to be inoperative. I feel that I did my best in dealing with an emergency situation that was caused by initial confusion over my clearance and a double equipment failure in solid IFR conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX FLEW WRONG HEADING ON DEP, HAD ACFT EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS AND OVERSHOT ALT ON CLIMB CREATING LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER SMT.

Narrative: ACCORDING TO THE FIR CLRNC THAT I READ BACK TO PONTIAC CLRNC DELIVERY (AND RECEIVED A 'READBACK CORRECT'), I WAS TO CLB TO 3000' ON THE RWY HDG (270 DEGS) AND EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO THE PONTIAC 007 DEG R TO INTERCEPT THE LONDON 270 DEG R TO LONDON VOR (YXU). FROM THE TWR CHIEF AT PONTIAC TWR, I LATER LEARNED FROM THE TAPE PLAYBACK, I WAS ISSUED THE 077 DEG R. HOWEVER, I WROTE DOWN AND READ BACK THE 007 DEG R. AND ALTHOUGH LATER COMS WITH THE TWR MENTIONED THE 077 DEG R AGAIN, I WAS CONCENTRATING ON GETTING THE PROPER ALTS TO FLY AND KNEW THAT THE ROUTING WAS AS I HAD ALREADY WRITTEN DOWN. AFTER TKOF ON RWY 27, I CLBED ON THE RWY HDG TO 3000'. WHEN I WAS TURNED OVER TO DEP CTL (124.9) I WAS FURTHER CLRED TO 5000' AND WAS TOLD TO TURN TO A HDG OF 060 DEGS. AS I BEGAN THE CLBING TURN, I ENTERED THE SOLID OVCST. I WAS EXPERIENCING SOME CONFUSION OVER THE HDG (060 DEGS) AND HOW IT WOULD GET ME TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE 007 DEG R. AT THIS POINT, I NOTICED THE HDG FLAG WAS SHOWING ON MY HSI AND HAD THE ADDED PROB OF NOT KNOWING IF I WAS GETTING THE CORRECT HDG INFO. AT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED THAT ICE WAS BEGINNING TO FORM ON THE WINDSHIELD AND FELT I SHOULD DOUBLECHK TO SEE THAT THE PROPER ICING EQUIP WAS INDEED ON. AT THIS POINT I RETARDED THE PWR LEVERS SOMEWHAT TO SLOW MY SPD AND RATE OF CLB. WHILE I WAS DEALING WITH THIS EMER SITUATION, DET DEP CALLED AND ASKED ME TO CHK MY ALT. I FIRST LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER AND SAW THAT IT INDICATED 5800'. THIS WAS WELL ABOVE MY ASSIGNED 5000' ALT AND I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 5000'. I DID NOTICE THAT I HAD CORRECTLY SET 5000' ON THE ALT ALERTER AND THAT I HAD THE CORRECT SETTING ON MY ALTIMETER. THE NEXT XMISSION FROM DET WARNED ME OF SMT Y TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 6000'. I HAD JUST CLRED THE TOP OF THE CLOUD DECK AS I STARTED MY DSCNT, AND IN THE SHORT SECS THAT I WAS CLR OF THE CLOUDS COULD NOT SPOT THE TFC. MY ALT ALERTED FAILED TO WORK, AND IN THE CONFUSION, WAS AN ADDED FACTOR THAT HELPED TO CAUSE THE DEVIATION. ON RETURN TO MY HOME BASE, I HAD THE EQUIP CHKED AND IT WAS FOUND TO BE INOP. I FEEL THAT I DID MY BEST IN DEALING WITH AN EMER SITUATION THAT WAS CAUSED BY INITIAL CONFUSION OVER MY CLRNC AND A DOUBLE EQUIP FAILURE IN SOLID IFR CONDITIONS.

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.