Narrative:

I was giving a multi-engine introductory lesson in an small aircraft twin. A VFR flight plan had been filed from myf to hii, cruising at 9500 ft. The purpose of the flight was instructional in nature, but the destination had been chosen because the student had business to attend in lake havasu city. During the initial taxi, takeoff, and climb out phase of the lesson, I handled all the radio calls. The student was sole manipulator of the controls of the aircraft for the entire flight, following my instructions. We were granted taxi clearance and told to copy the TCA clearance from tower prior to departure. Runways 28R and 28L were in use, we were cleared to 28L. Holding short of 28L I requested from ground control permission to cross to 28R for a right downwind departure. Crossing clearance was granted. We crossed the left and pulled into the runup area short of the right, and completed the runup procedures. Tower contacted us and offered our clearance whenever we were ready to copy, which I accepted. The clearance read, 'small aircraft is cleared into the TCA, after departure heading 270, maintain 2000 expect higher in 10 mins, departure frequency 119.6, squawk to be assigned by tower.' my readback was precise, but entirely mechanical. In my mind we were going to make a right downwind departure, which is how I have always gone from myf to jli, even with a TCA clearance. The tower controller and I are acquaintances and we exchanged friendly greetings inclusive with our required radio transmissions. Approximately a half min later, the tower controller gave us our squawk code and a clearance for takeoff on runway 28R, along with wishes for a nice flight. I responded with 'roger, cleared for takeoff, right downwind. Rolling.' to this, the tower controller made no corrections or comments. We climbed through 800 ft MSL and were handed off to approach by the tower. We turned right crosswind and downwind before I could get to the radio to contact approach. Small aircraft: san diego approach, with you at 1200 for 2000. San approach: roger, radar contact 1 mi no of montgomery field, say heading. Small aircraft: heading 080, (suddenly, I realize our error in turning downwind). San approach: what heading were you assigned by the tower? Small aircraft: 270. San approach: confirm you were assigned a heading of 270. Small aircraft: that's affirmative, 270. My mistake, sir, we are currently clear of the TCA and could squawk VFR and cancel our TCA clearance if you like. San approach: small aircraft, standby. San approach: small aircraft cleared direct julian, through the san diego TCA. Small aircraft: okay, we're cleared direct julian, and I apologize for the error, sir. That's my bust. -- At this time we were handed off to another approach sector. We had by this time climbed above our assigned altitude of 2000 ft, but only after we were well underway eastbound. Honestly, I was rattled enough by the heading error that I had not been concerned with the altitude restriction. I realized that we were almost to 3000 ft but I figured the initial 2000 ft restriction was for our assigned wbound course anyway. Upon contact with the next sector I asked if we were subject to any altitude restrictions and was told we were not. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH NEW MULTI STUDENT TURNS DOWNWIND INSTEAD OF CONTINUING ON ASSIGNED HDG ON TCA CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING A MULTI-ENG INTRODUCTORY LESSON IN AN SMA TWIN. A VFR FLT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FROM MYF TO HII, CRUISING AT 9500 FT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS INSTRUCTIONAL IN NATURE, BUT THE DEST HAD BEEN CHOSEN BECAUSE THE STUDENT HAD BUSINESS TO ATTEND IN LAKE HAVASU CITY. DURING THE INITIAL TAXI, TKOF, AND CLBOUT PHASE OF THE LESSON, I HANDLED ALL THE RADIO CALLS. THE STUDENT WAS SOLE MANIPULATOR OF THE CTLS OF THE ACFT FOR THE ENTIRE FLT, FOLLOWING MY INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE GRANTED TAXI CLRNC AND TOLD TO COPY THE TCA CLRNC FROM TWR PRIOR TO DEP. RWYS 28R AND 28L WERE IN USE, WE WERE CLRED TO 28L. HOLDING SHORT OF 28L I REQUESTED FROM GND CTL PERMISSION TO CROSS TO 28R FOR A R DOWNWIND DEP. XING CLRNC WAS GRANTED. WE CROSSED THE L AND PULLED INTO THE RUNUP AREA SHORT OF THE R, AND COMPLETED THE RUNUP PROCS. TWR CONTACTED US AND OFFERED OUR CLRNC WHENEVER WE WERE READY TO COPY, WHICH I ACCEPTED. THE CLRNC READ, 'SMA IS CLRED INTO THE TCA, AFTER DEP HDG 270, MAINTAIN 2000 EXPECT HIGHER IN 10 MINS, DEP FREQ 119.6, SQUAWK TO BE ASSIGNED BY TWR.' MY READBACK WAS PRECISE, BUT ENTIRELY MECHANICAL. IN MY MIND WE WERE GOING TO MAKE A R DOWNWIND DEP, WHICH IS HOW I HAVE ALWAYS GONE FROM MYF TO JLI, EVEN WITH A TCA CLRNC. THE TWR CTLR AND I ARE ACQUAINTANCES AND WE EXCHANGED FRIENDLY GREETINGS INCLUSIVE WITH OUR REQUIRED RADIO TRANSMISSIONS. APPROX A HALF MIN LATER, THE TWR CTLR GAVE US OUR SQUAWK CODE AND A CLRNC FOR TKOF ON RWY 28R, ALONG WITH WISHES FOR A NICE FLT. I RESPONDED WITH 'ROGER, CLRED FOR TKOF, R DOWNWIND. ROLLING.' TO THIS, THE TWR CTLR MADE NO CORRECTIONS OR COMMENTS. WE CLBED THROUGH 800 FT MSL AND WERE HANDED OFF TO APCH BY THE TWR. WE TURNED R XWIND AND DOWNWIND BEFORE I COULD GET TO THE RADIO TO CONTACT APCH. SMA: SAN DIEGO APCH, WITH YOU AT 1200 FOR 2000. SAN APCH: ROGER, RADAR CONTACT 1 MI NO OF MONTGOMERY FIELD, SAY HDG. SMA: HEADING 080, (SUDDENLY, I REALIZE OUR ERROR IN TURNING DOWNWIND). SAN APCH: WHAT HDG WERE YOU ASSIGNED BY THE TWR? SMA: 270. SAN APCH: CONFIRM YOU WERE ASSIGNED A HDG OF 270. SMA: THAT'S AFFIRMATIVE, 270. MY MISTAKE, SIR, WE ARE CURRENTLY CLR OF THE TCA AND COULD SQUAWK VFR AND CANCEL OUR TCA CLRNC IF YOU LIKE. SAN APCH: SMA, STANDBY. SAN APCH: SMA CLRED DIRECT JULIAN, THROUGH THE SAN DIEGO TCA. SMA: OKAY, WE'RE CLRED DIRECT JULIAN, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE ERROR, SIR. THAT'S MY BUST. -- AT THIS TIME WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER APCH SECTOR. WE HAD BY THIS TIME CLBED ABOVE OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT, BUT ONLY AFTER WE WERE WELL UNDERWAY EBOUND. HONESTLY, I WAS RATTLED ENOUGH BY THE HDG ERROR THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CONCERNED WITH THE ALT RESTRICTION. I REALIZED THAT WE WERE ALMOST TO 3000 FT BUT I FIGURED THE INITIAL 2000 FT RESTRICTION WAS FOR OUR ASSIGNED WBOUND COURSE ANYWAY. UPON CONTACT WITH THE NEXT SECTOR I ASKED IF WE WERE SUBJECT TO ANY ALT RESTRICTIONS AND WAS TOLD WE WERE NOT. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.