Air carrier departing on SID receives clearance to turn opposite direction.

Attributes
ACN	145410
Time
Date	199005
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	145410
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Departing from lga we were given the lga 3 departure, vectors to white intersection, coney climb as per out clearance. We were given takeoff clearance at approximately ii:30 local. Once airborne I flew the SID as required by the coney climb (runway 13). At 3000' I began a right turn to heading 235 degrees. About 10 degrees into the tower the departure controller issued a turn to the left heading 040 degrees. At about the same time a second controller asked if we were turning right. At this point we were in a left turn to 040 degrees as requested. Now we were confused. We told the controller we had been issued the coney climb. He seemed surprised. There were no conflicts. When we reached our destination, I called the ny radar approach facility and spoke with the supervisor on duty at the time. He stated that we had been issued a coney climb, but at about the same time we were cleared for takeoff at lga, jfk changed runways, which in turn required lga to change the climb from coney to whitestone. However, we never received this change. The supervisor was very helpful in explaining what actually happened. However, we were made to feel that we had made the error, when we actually had not received the change in climbs. We all make mistakes, but sometimes controller are too quick to pin the blame on the pilot. We can only fly the clrncs as given--we can't read minds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DEPARTING ON SID RECEIVES CLRNC TO TURN OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Narrative: DEPARTING FROM LGA WE WERE GIVEN THE LGA 3 DEP, VECTORS TO WHITE INTXN, CONEY CLB AS PER OUT CLRNC. WE WERE GIVEN TKOF CLRNC AT APPROX II:30 LCL. ONCE AIRBORNE I FLEW THE SID AS REQUIRED BY THE CONEY CLB (RWY 13). AT 3000' I BEGAN A RIGHT TURN TO HDG 235 DEGS. ABOUT 10 DEGS INTO THE TWR THE DEP CTLR ISSUED A TURN TO THE LEFT HDG 040 DEGS. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME A SECOND CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE TURNING RIGHT. AT THIS POINT WE WERE IN A LEFT TURN TO 040 DEGS AS REQUESTED. NOW WE WERE CONFUSED. WE TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD BEEN ISSUED THE CONEY CLB. HE SEEMED SURPRISED. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS. WHEN WE REACHED OUR DEST, I CALLED THE NY RADAR APCH FAC AND SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR ON DUTY AT THE TIME. HE STATED THAT WE HAD BEEN ISSUED A CONEY CLB, BUT AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AT LGA, JFK CHANGED RWYS, WHICH IN TURN REQUIRED LGA TO CHANGE THE CLB FROM CONEY TO WHITESTONE. HOWEVER, WE NEVER RECEIVED THIS CHANGE. THE SUPVR WAS VERY HELPFUL IN EXPLAINING WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. HOWEVER, WE WERE MADE TO FEEL THAT WE HAD MADE THE ERROR, WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAD NOT RECEIVED THE CHANGE IN CLBS. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, BUT SOMETIMES CTLR ARE TOO QUICK TO PIN THE BLAME ON THE PLT. WE CAN ONLY FLY THE CLRNCS AS GIVEN--WE CAN'T READ MINDS.

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