Narrative:

It was first officer's turn to fly the aircraft. Runway 36L was the active and clearance was 'cleared as filed, turn left to a heading of 310 degrees, climb to 16000'...' departure was step climbing us and put us on a 350 degree heading. First officer questioned the heading because the day before act thought we were going to a different destination. He advised us because of the faster departures coming out of tpa. Departure cleared us from 11000 to 12000' and turn right to 020 degree heading and contact ZJX 128.05. I checked in and told center of the 020 degree heading. There was an aircraft off our right that we had in sight. I don't remember if departure or center told us, but I advised it was in sight. It was more than 5 mi away and I don't know if that was the aircraft we had conflict with. It was on a parallel course with my aircraft. ZJX said that he needed to talk to us. I went over to jax ATIS to get the WX. At the same time ZJX started to talk to first officer about some problem. I got on the radio with ZJX and center told me that my aircraft took an east heading west/O center's permission, and it activated an alarm caused by a near miss with another aircraft. I advised center that the last controller gave us the 020 degree heading. First officer and I didn't see any aircraft other than the 1 discussed earlier. ZJX frequency was not congested at the time, and no evasive action was taken.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC QUESTIONS ACR LTT'S TURN FROM 310 TO 020 DEGREES. FLT CREW CLAIMS DEP CTLR GAVE THE HEADING ASSIGNMENT.

Narrative: IT WAS F/O'S TURN TO FLY THE ACFT. RWY 36L WAS THE ACTIVE AND CLRNC WAS 'CLRED AS FILED, TURN LEFT TO A HDG OF 310 DEGS, CLB TO 16000'...' DEP WAS STEP CLBING US AND PUT US ON A 350 DEG HDG. F/O QUESTIONED THE HDG BECAUSE THE DAY BEFORE ACT THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO A DIFFERENT DEST. HE ADVISED US BECAUSE OF THE FASTER DEPS COMING OUT OF TPA. DEP CLRED US FROM 11000 TO 12000' AND TURN RIGHT TO 020 DEG HDG AND CONTACT ZJX 128.05. I CHKED IN AND TOLD CENTER OF THE 020 DEG HDG. THERE WAS AN ACFT OFF OUR RIGHT THAT WE HAD IN SIGHT. I DON'T REMEMBER IF DEP OR CENTER TOLD US, BUT I ADVISED IT WAS IN SIGHT. IT WAS MORE THAN 5 MI AWAY AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS THE ACFT WE HAD CONFLICT WITH. IT WAS ON A PARALLEL COURSE WITH MY ACFT. ZJX SAID THAT HE NEEDED TO TALK TO US. I WENT OVER TO JAX ATIS TO GET THE WX. AT THE SAME TIME ZJX STARTED TO TALK TO F/O ABOUT SOME PROB. I GOT ON THE RADIO WITH ZJX AND CENTER TOLD ME THAT MY ACFT TOOK AN E HDG W/O CENTER'S PERMISSION, AND IT ACTIVATED AN ALARM CAUSED BY A NEAR MISS WITH ANOTHER ACFT. I ADVISED CENTER THAT THE LAST CTLR GAVE US THE 020 DEG HDG. F/O AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY ACFT OTHER THAN THE 1 DISCUSSED EARLIER. ZJX FREQ WAS NOT CONGESTED AT THE TIME, AND NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN.

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.