Air carrier medium large transport track heading deviation on SID out of las.

Attributes
ACN	194333
Time
Date	199111
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : las tower : las
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude
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 : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	194333
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Deviation

Narrative:

Received departure clearance via aircraft ACARS, as is standard procedure now. Clearance called for mead 8 SID, as filed to bwi. At the runway, takeoff clearance was received and acknowledged. After takeoff, the tower asked us to start our right turn and contact departure. We initiated the right turn as called for in the mead 8 SID to an initial heading of 070 degree. Leaving 4000 ft we turned direct to the bld VOR corresponding to the mead 8 routing. Upon switching frequencys to las departure (133.95), the controller asked if we were heading 060 degree, our heading at the time for bdl VOR was approximately 085 degree. I (PNF) replied negative, we were flying the mead 8 identification as it was published. He then responded our clearance was suppose to have been a 060 degree heading, however, he did not say whether this clearance was suppose to have been issued by the pre-departure clearance over ACARS or by the tower controller. The departure controller then cleared us to bld VOR and indicated he would check what our clearance had been. He said nothing more about the incident. As far as I know, no other traffic was affected.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HDG DEV ON SID OUT OF LAS.

Narrative: RECEIVED DEP CLRNC VIA ACFT ACARS, AS IS STANDARD PROC NOW. CLRNC CALLED FOR MEAD 8 SID, AS FILED TO BWI. AT THE RWY, TKOF CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED. AFTER TKOF, THE TWR ASKED US TO START OUR R TURN AND CONTACT DEP. WE INITIATED THE R TURN AS CALLED FOR IN THE MEAD 8 SID TO AN INITIAL HDG OF 070 DEG. LEAVING 4000 FT WE TURNED DIRECT TO THE BLD VOR CORRESPONDING TO THE MEAD 8 ROUTING. UPON SWITCHING FREQS TO LAS DEP (133.95), THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE HDG 060 DEG, OUR HDG AT THE TIME FOR BDL VOR WAS APPROX 085 DEG. I (PNF) REPLIED NEGATIVE, WE WERE FLYING THE MEAD 8 ID AS IT WAS PUBLISHED. HE THEN RESPONDED OUR CLRNC WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE BEEN A 060 DEG HDG, HOWEVER, HE DID NOT SAY WHETHER THIS CLRNC WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY THE PRE-DEP CLRNC OVER ACARS OR BY THE TWR CTLR. THE DEP CTLR THEN CLRED US TO BLD VOR AND INDICATED HE WOULD CHK WHAT OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN. HE SAID NOTHING MORE ABOUT THE INCIDENT. AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO OTHER TFC WAS AFFECTED.

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.