Narrative:

The problem arose while on the standard instrument departure procedure out of westchester county airport's runway 34. I had originally requested runway 29, thinking it would be a more expedious departure because we were behind schedule. The standard instrument departure procedure for runway 29 is as follows: fly runway heading and climb and maintain assigned altitude by ATC. The altitude assigned was 3000'. The ground controller advised me that runway 34 would allow me to depart sooner, so I accepted runway 34 for departure. I started to taxi at that time. In the meantime an small transport requested taxi and started out before me. That momentary break in concentration caused me to neglect to review the standard instrument departure procedure for runway 34. That reads as follows: climb to 1000', then a left turn to 295 degrees and continue the climb to 3000'. My copilot and I reviewed the clearance received from ATC an were monitoring tower during the review. We were instructed to 'taxi into position and prepare for an immediate'. Instead of requesting to hold short in order to review the final few items and take a long delay, I elected to go in haste. Nothing was unsafe or illegal, so my decision seemed to be correct. After takeoff, the local controller never told us to contact departure, so I asked him and he gave us the frequency change. There was a lot of chatter on new york departure, so the heading difference put us in a different position to the norm; although at the correct altitude. He questioned whether the local controller had assigned us runway heading. That is when I realized my error. I admitted that he had not. We were assigned the vector with an additional 20 degrees left to correct the error. I asked him if there would be a problem. He never answered, just gave us a frequency change. I have learned a valuable lesson from this error. Never allow a schedule or person to force you into making a hasty decision. As a newly upgraded captain on probation, I thought maintaining schedule would be one less thing management would reprimand me on. Supplemental information from acn 147823. I flew the aircraft on runway heading when the clearance previously received called for a left turn. The recently upgraded captain told me during crew briefing that the clearance was 'runway heading for vectors to nnnnn intersection.' I flew captain's instructions perfectly. When checking in with departure, they questioned our position. 'Were you told to fly runway heading?' they said. Captain, confused, answered affirmative, then checked, and said, 'negative, my mistake.' to prevent this situation: question your rookie captain's briefings, don't be complacent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HEADING TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHILE ON THE STANDARD INSTRUMENT DEP PROC OUT OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY ARPT'S RWY 34. I HAD ORIGINALLY REQUESTED RWY 29, THINKING IT WOULD BE A MORE EXPEDIOUS DEP BECAUSE WE WERE BEHIND SCHEDULE. THE STANDARD INSTRUMENT DEP PROC FOR RWY 29 IS AS FOLLOWS: FLY RWY HDG AND CLB AND MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT BY ATC. THE ALT ASSIGNED WAS 3000'. THE GND CTLR ADVISED ME THAT RWY 34 WOULD ALLOW ME TO DEPART SOONER, SO I ACCEPTED RWY 34 FOR DEP. I STARTED TO TAXI AT THAT TIME. IN THE MEANTIME AN SMT REQUESTED TAXI AND STARTED OUT BEFORE ME. THAT MOMENTARY BREAK IN CONCENTRATION CAUSED ME TO NEGLECT TO REVIEW THE STANDARD INSTRUMENT DEP PROC FOR RWY 34. THAT READS AS FOLLOWS: CLB TO 1000', THEN A L TURN TO 295 DEGS AND CONTINUE THE CLB TO 3000'. MY COPLT AND I REVIEWED THE CLRNC RECEIVED FROM ATC AN WERE MONITORING TWR DURING THE REVIEW. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND PREPARE FOR AN IMMEDIATE'. INSTEAD OF REQUESTING TO HOLD SHORT IN ORDER TO REVIEW THE FINAL FEW ITEMS AND TAKE A LONG DELAY, I ELECTED TO GO IN HASTE. NOTHING WAS UNSAFE OR ILLEGAL, SO MY DECISION SEEMED TO BE CORRECT. AFTER TKOF, THE LCL CTLR NEVER TOLD US TO CONTACT DEP, SO I ASKED HIM AND HE GAVE US THE FREQ CHANGE. THERE WAS A LOT OF CHATTER ON NEW YORK DEP, SO THE HDG DIFFERENCE PUT US IN A DIFFERENT POS TO THE NORM; ALTHOUGH AT THE CORRECT ALT. HE QUESTIONED WHETHER THE LCL CTLR HAD ASSIGNED US RWY HDG. THAT IS WHEN I REALIZED MY ERROR. I ADMITTED THAT HE HAD NOT. WE WERE ASSIGNED THE VECTOR WITH AN ADDITIONAL 20 DEGS L TO CORRECT THE ERROR. I ASKED HIM IF THERE WOULD BE A PROB. HE NEVER ANSWERED, JUST GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. I HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON FROM THIS ERROR. NEVER ALLOW A SCHEDULE OR PERSON TO FORCE YOU INTO MAKING A HASTY DECISION. AS A NEWLY UPGRADED CAPT ON PROBATION, I THOUGHT MAINTAINING SCHEDULE WOULD BE ONE LESS THING MGMNT WOULD REPRIMAND ME ON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 147823. I FLEW THE ACFT ON RWY HDG WHEN THE CLRNC PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED CALLED FOR A L TURN. THE RECENTLY UPGRADED CAPT TOLD ME DURING CREW BRIEFING THAT THE CLRNC WAS 'RWY HDG FOR VECTORS TO NNNNN INTXN.' I FLEW CAPT'S INSTRUCTIONS PERFECTLY. WHEN CHKING IN WITH DEP, THEY QUESTIONED OUR POS. 'WERE YOU TOLD TO FLY RWY HDG?' THEY SAID. CAPT, CONFUSED, ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE, THEN CHKED, AND SAID, 'NEGATIVE, MY MISTAKE.' TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION: QUESTION YOUR ROOKIE CAPT'S BRIEFINGS, DON'T BE COMPLACENT.

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.