Narrative:

I discovered the problem when I was asked to call the tower when I landed. The controller told me that I had not flown the assigned heading of 115 degrees after takeoff from runway 5. I believe that I verified 115 degrees when assigned on the runway. I remember feeling hurried. I must have placed my directional gyro bug on '15.' after takeoff I turned right toward the heading bug. I noticed that I was a few degrees south of the bug about the same time that the controller told me to turn left to 115 degrees. I felt I had done that by turning back to the bug heading. After my initial mistake of placing the bug on 15 instead of 115, my mind could not discover that I was completely on the wrong heading. The controller told me that I had interrupted sep practices. There was an inbound aircraft to runway 32 that I saw well below me. Possible changes that could help or contributing factors: I have just returned to flying after 1 yr off. I felt somewhat rusty, even though legal. Maybe a heading bug is not a good ideal. It may make a pilot fix on the bug or not easily allow discovery of an error. I did not hear in the controller's voice that there was a major problem. The controller could have told me to turn 30 degrees left and regardless of the heading I thought I should fly, that would have eliminated the traffic conflict. I was also having communication problems with poor headset--vol on high gain. I was changing to cabin speaker at that time. 2 persons told me that I looked like I felt bad that day. I did not feel bad, but did feel tired. At rdu departure heading was assigned with clearance delivery. This would give a chance to write down departure heading and take time setting heading bug. I was given the heading while on the runway in a congested phase of flight. I do not like this new system because writing while preparing for takeoff on runway 5 is difficult--little opportunity to double-check what I was doing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DEPARTS ON IFR FLT, MISSETS HEADING BUG, FLIES WRONG HEADING AND CAUSES LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: I DISCOVERED THE PROB WHEN I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I LANDED. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT I HAD NOT FLOWN THE ASSIGNED HDG OF 115 DEGS AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 5. I BELIEVE THAT I VERIFIED 115 DEGS WHEN ASSIGNED ON THE RWY. I REMEMBER FEELING HURRIED. I MUST HAVE PLACED MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO BUG ON '15.' AFTER TKOF I TURNED RIGHT TOWARD THE HDG BUG. I NOTICED THAT I WAS A FEW DEGS S OF THE BUG ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TURN LEFT TO 115 DEGS. I FELT I HAD DONE THAT BY TURNING BACK TO THE BUG HDG. AFTER MY INITIAL MISTAKE OF PLACING THE BUG ON 15 INSTEAD OF 115, MY MIND COULD NOT DISCOVER THAT I WAS COMPLETELY ON THE WRONG HDG. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT I HAD INTERRUPTED SEP PRACTICES. THERE WAS AN INBND ACFT TO RWY 32 THAT I SAW WELL BELOW ME. POSSIBLE CHANGES THAT COULD HELP OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I HAVE JUST RETURNED TO FLYING AFTER 1 YR OFF. I FELT SOMEWHAT RUSTY, EVEN THOUGH LEGAL. MAYBE A HDG BUG IS NOT A GOOD IDEAL. IT MAY MAKE A PLT FIX ON THE BUG OR NOT EASILY ALLOW DISCOVERY OF AN ERROR. I DID NOT HEAR IN THE CTLR'S VOICE THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR PROB. THE CTLR COULD HAVE TOLD ME TO TURN 30 DEGS LEFT AND REGARDLESS OF THE HDG I THOUGHT I SHOULD FLY, THAT WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE TFC CONFLICT. I WAS ALSO HAVING COM PROBS WITH POOR HEADSET--VOL ON HIGH GAIN. I WAS CHANGING TO CABIN SPEAKER AT THAT TIME. 2 PERSONS TOLD ME THAT I LOOKED LIKE I FELT BAD THAT DAY. I DID NOT FEEL BAD, BUT DID FEEL TIRED. AT RDU DEP HDG WAS ASSIGNED WITH CLRNC DELIVERY. THIS WOULD GIVE A CHANCE TO WRITE DOWN DEP HDG AND TAKE TIME SETTING HDG BUG. I WAS GIVEN THE HDG WHILE ON THE RWY IN A CONGESTED PHASE OF FLT. I DO NOT LIKE THIS NEW SYS BECAUSE WRITING WHILE PREPARING FOR TKOF ON RWY 5 IS DIFFICULT--LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO DOUBLE-CHK WHAT I WAS DOING.

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.