Narrative:

The incident, a deviation from assigned heading, occurred 11/88 immediately after takeoff from tys. I had received clearance to cha as filed, departure 123.9, and fly heading 020 degrees. When cleared for takeoff on runway 5R I was given a wake turbulence caution re: a transport size aircraft which had just taken off from runway 5L. I could see the aircraft in the distance. On the takeoff roll I became very concerned that a heading of 020 degrees would put me in trail behind the larger aircraft. I tried to climb so as to be above the larger plane's flight path and began a turn to the left to cross its flight path. Unfortunately, I did not communication my concern to ATC. In trying to assure myself of adequate wake turbulence avoidance, I continued my left turn well beyond my assigned heading. I was still with the tower beyond the end of the runway. When I was not asked to contact departure, I informed the tower that I was still with them. When told to contact departure, I realized that I had continued my left turn and was approximately 90 degrees beyond my assigned heading. In my panic over my deviation, I was unable to remember the departure frequency or the fact that I had written it down on my kneeboard and had to ask the tower for the correct frequency. I didn't feel that turning back to 020 degrees would serve any purpose. When I contacted departure, the controller informed me that I had been assigned a heading of 020 degrees. I responded that that was correct and apologized for the mix up. The controller stated that there was traffic west of me and I responded that I had the traffic in sight. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. I had arrived at the airport in a hurry to depart since the meeting I had attended all day had run over by more than 1 hour. In addition to being late, I was also tired. I experienced more than the usual degree of concern over wake turbulence avoidance since a nashville pilot recently was apparently vectored into wake turbulence and crashed. The combination of being in a hurry, being tired and the circumstances of being extremely concerned about a wake turbulence encounter were all contributing factors in my deviation from assigned heading. Had I not been in a hurry, I could have asked for a delay to allow for the wake turbulence to dissipate and I could have had the departure frequency in the #2 radio. Had I not been fixated on only 1 thought (ie, wake turbulence) I could have easily requested a heading change from the tower. I feel the deviation was completely my mistake. Fortunately no significant event (ie, near miss) resulted. The following are possible ways to avoid a similar event: 1) do not be in a hurry. 2) do not fly when tired. 3) consideration for mandatory 2-3 min hold when small aircraft are taking off near larger, transport size aircraft or the issuance of departure vectors that will assure little or no chance for wake turbulence encounters (ie, right turn out when taking off from a right parallel runway. 4) prompt handoff to departure so that the pilot isn't left wondering whether or not he has been forgotten.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA DEVIATED FROM CLRNC. HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT, A DEVIATION FROM ASSIGNED HDG, OCCURRED 11/88 IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF FROM TYS. I HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO CHA AS FILED, DEP 123.9, AND FLY HDG 020 DEGS. WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 5R I WAS GIVEN A WAKE TURB CAUTION RE: A TRANSPORT SIZE ACFT WHICH HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 5L. I COULD SEE THE ACFT IN THE DISTANCE. ON THE TKOF ROLL I BECAME VERY CONCERNED THAT A HDG OF 020 DEGS WOULD PUT ME IN TRAIL BEHIND THE LARGER ACFT. I TRIED TO CLB SO AS TO BE ABOVE THE LARGER PLANE'S FLT PATH AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE LEFT TO CROSS ITS FLT PATH. UNFORTUNATELY, I DID NOT COM MY CONCERN TO ATC. IN TRYING TO ASSURE MYSELF OF ADEQUATE WAKE TURB AVOIDANCE, I CONTINUED MY LEFT TURN WELL BEYOND MY ASSIGNED HDG. I WAS STILL WITH THE TWR BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY. WHEN I WAS NOT ASKED TO CONTACT DEP, I INFORMED THE TWR THAT I WAS STILL WITH THEM. WHEN TOLD TO CONTACT DEP, I REALIZED THAT I HAD CONTINUED MY LEFT TURN AND WAS APPROX 90 DEGS BEYOND MY ASSIGNED HDG. IN MY PANIC OVER MY DEVIATION, I WAS UNABLE TO REMEMBER THE DEP FREQ OR THE FACT THAT I HAD WRITTEN IT DOWN ON MY KNEEBOARD AND HAD TO ASK THE TWR FOR THE CORRECT FREQ. I DIDN'T FEEL THAT TURNING BACK TO 020 DEGS WOULD SERVE ANY PURPOSE. WHEN I CONTACTED DEP, THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED A HDG OF 020 DEGS. I RESPONDED THAT THAT WAS CORRECT AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE MIX UP. THE CTLR STATED THAT THERE WAS TFC W OF ME AND I RESPONDED THAT I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I HAD ARRIVED AT THE ARPT IN A HURRY TO DEPART SINCE THE MEETING I HAD ATTENDED ALL DAY HAD RUN OVER BY MORE THAN 1 HR. IN ADDITION TO BEING LATE, I WAS ALSO TIRED. I EXPERIENCED MORE THAN THE USUAL DEGREE OF CONCERN OVER WAKE TURB AVOIDANCE SINCE A NASHVILLE PLT RECENTLY WAS APPARENTLY VECTORED INTO WAKE TURB AND CRASHED. THE COMBINATION OF BEING IN A HURRY, BEING TIRED AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF BEING EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT A WAKE TURB ENCOUNTER WERE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN MY DEVIATION FROM ASSIGNED HDG. HAD I NOT BEEN IN A HURRY, I COULD HAVE ASKED FOR A DELAY TO ALLOW FOR THE WAKE TURB TO DISSIPATE AND I COULD HAVE HAD THE DEP FREQ IN THE #2 RADIO. HAD I NOT BEEN FIXATED ON ONLY 1 THOUGHT (IE, WAKE TURB) I COULD HAVE EASILY REQUESTED A HDG CHANGE FROM THE TWR. I FEEL THE DEVIATION WAS COMPLETELY MY MISTAKE. FORTUNATELY NO SIGNIFICANT EVENT (IE, NEAR MISS) RESULTED. THE FOLLOWING ARE POSSIBLE WAYS TO AVOID A SIMILAR EVENT: 1) DO NOT BE IN A HURRY. 2) DO NOT FLY WHEN TIRED. 3) CONSIDERATION FOR MANDATORY 2-3 MIN HOLD WHEN SMALL ACFT ARE TAKING OFF NEAR LARGER, TRANSPORT SIZE ACFT OR THE ISSUANCE OF DEP VECTORS THAT WILL ASSURE LITTLE OR NO CHANCE FOR WAKE TURB ENCOUNTERS (IE, RIGHT TURN OUT WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A RIGHT PARALLEL RWY. 4) PROMPT HDOF TO DEP SO THAT THE PLT ISN'T LEFT WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT HE HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN.

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.