Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff on the sfo 3 departure out of sfo on an 030 degree heading, departure advised us to turn left heading 350 degrees direct red bluff when able. The copilot responded normally by giving company name, flight # and read back departure's instructions. Shortly after arriving on a 350 degree heading, departure asked what heading we were on. We told him heading 350 degrees. He told us we should still be on an 030 degree heading and to turn immediately to heading 050 degrees, that we had converging mdt traffic at 11 O'clock. We turned to an 050 degree heading for approximately 30 seconds, and then he once again cleared us heading 340 direct red bluff when able. Both captain and copilot agreed on hearing our flight # cleared the first time to heading 350 degrees. The second officer was busy with the after takeoff checklist and had radio calls mentally tuned out. Not 100% sure that we were right and departure control was wrong. We did not press the issue further, nor did the departure controller. At no time did we see the mdt after breaking out of the clouds at 3000'. Also the mdt was not given evasive action on departure frequency. Another company flight was just departing oak at the same time, going in the same direction as we were. Maybe we were given his clearance to red bluff or maybe we just got the flight #'south confused, but when we read back company name and flight # with the 350 degree heading instructions, the controller did not catch the mistake until we were on the 350 degree heading.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-LGT ACR-MDT ON SFO SID WITH VECTORS.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF ON THE SFO 3 DEP OUT OF SFO ON AN 030 DEG HDG, DEP ADVISED US TO TURN LEFT HDG 350 DEGS DIRECT RED BLUFF WHEN ABLE. THE COPLT RESPONDED NORMALLY BY GIVING COMPANY NAME, FLT # AND READ BACK DEP'S INSTRUCTIONS. SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING ON A 350 DEG HDG, DEP ASKED WHAT HDG WE WERE ON. WE TOLD HIM HDG 350 DEGS. HE TOLD US WE SHOULD STILL BE ON AN 030 DEG HDG AND TO TURN IMMEDIATELY TO HDG 050 DEGS, THAT WE HAD CONVERGING MDT TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK. WE TURNED TO AN 050 DEG HDG FOR APPROX 30 SECS, AND THEN HE ONCE AGAIN CLRED US HDG 340 DIRECT RED BLUFF WHEN ABLE. BOTH CAPT AND COPLT AGREED ON HEARING OUR FLT # CLRED THE FIRST TIME TO HDG 350 DEGS. THE S/O WAS BUSY WITH THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST AND HAD RADIO CALLS MENTALLY TUNED OUT. NOT 100% SURE THAT WE WERE RIGHT AND DEP CTL WAS WRONG. WE DID NOT PRESS THE ISSUE FURTHER, NOR DID THE DEP CTLR. AT NO TIME DID WE SEE THE MDT AFTER BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 3000'. ALSO THE MDT WAS NOT GIVEN EVASIVE ACTION ON DEP FREQ. ANOTHER COMPANY FLT WAS JUST DEPARTING OAK AT THE SAME TIME, GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS WE WERE. MAYBE WE WERE GIVEN HIS CLRNC TO RED BLUFF OR MAYBE WE JUST GOT THE FLT #'S CONFUSED, BUT WHEN WE READ BACK COMPANY NAME AND FLT # WITH THE 350 DEG HDG INSTRUCTIONS, THE CTLR DID NOT CATCH THE MISTAKE UNTIL WE WERE ON THE 350 DEG HDG.

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.