Narrative:

On the above date I was the first officer and PF on a flight from eyw to mia. It was our first flight of the day on the 4TH day of a 4-DAY trip. We boarded our passenger and after a normal engines start, taxied to runway 9 at eyw. Just after switching to the tower frequency, the tower informed us that our company operations people needed to speak with us. During this time we came to a stop at the approach end of runway 9. I went off to talk to the company and was told that we had a tpa passenger on board by mistake and they would re-book her through mia if she wanted. I informed the captain of the situation and he got on the cabin interphone and informed the flight attendant who went to find the passenger and discuss it. Meanwhile in the time taken by the flight attendant the captain completed the taxi checks which included a review of the clearance (as filed, which normally included a left turnout to intercept V157 northeast of the field) and my briefing as PF in the event of a problem. After V1 we would make a left turnout and proceed visually back to runway 9. I informed the tower that we were ready for takeoff and they cleared us for takeoff, fly runway heading. Takeoff was normal and at 400 ft AGL the captain said 'clear left' and I started a slow turn to the left just plain forgetting the tower instruction. At the same time tower said contact departure which the captain did right away. (Departure is navy key west.) they asked to fly a 070 degree heading for traffic to the north of us inbound to eyw. I was at a 055 degree heading when this instruction was given and promptly turned to 070 degrees. The traffic was an mlt at our 9 O'clock position and 3 mi. I could see the traffic just starting to fade into my TCASII screen at about the 8:30 position and shortly thereafter pass off the screen. Just after this departure asked us if we had been assigned runway heading by the tower and we replied that we had. He did not admonish us at all and we never got an RA or a TA from our TCASII unit. He then handed us off to ZMA. In retrospect, I think that once an airplane leaves the gate the only communication should be with ATC until after takeoff and area departure. Same thing with after landing and gate arrival, unless it has something to do with the safety of flight. Also, our takeoff briefing was full of left turns and when the captain mistakenly said 'clear left' I mistakenly blanked out the tower instruction and started my turn. There was no traffic conflict but the potential was there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV IN A NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION ON DEP PROC. RADAR VECTORING.

Narrative: ON THE ABOVE DATE I WAS THE FO AND PF ON A FLT FROM EYW TO MIA. IT WAS OUR FIRST FLT OF THE DAY ON THE 4TH DAY OF A 4-DAY TRIP. WE BOARDED OUR PAX AND AFTER A NORMAL ENGS START, TAXIED TO RWY 9 AT EYW. JUST AFTER SWITCHING TO THE TWR FREQ, THE TWR INFORMED US THAT OUR COMPANY OPS PEOPLE NEEDED TO SPEAK WITH US. DURING THIS TIME WE CAME TO A STOP AT THE APCH END OF RWY 9. I WENT OFF TO TALK TO THE COMPANY AND WAS TOLD THAT WE HAD A TPA PAX ON BOARD BY MISTAKE AND THEY WOULD RE-BOOK HER THROUGH MIA IF SHE WANTED. I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE SIT AND HE GOT ON THE CABIN INTERPHONE AND INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO WENT TO FIND THE PAX AND DISCUSS IT. MEANWHILE IN THE TIME TAKEN BY THE FLT ATTENDANT THE CAPT COMPLETED THE TAXI CHKS WHICH INCLUDED A REVIEW OF THE CLRNC (AS FILED, WHICH NORMALLY INCLUDED A L TURNOUT TO INTERCEPT V157 NE OF THE FIELD) AND MY BRIEFING AS PF IN THE EVENT OF A PROB. AFTER V1 WE WOULD MAKE A L TURNOUT AND PROCEED VISUALLY BACK TO RWY 9. I INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE WERE READY FOR TKOF AND THEY CLRED US FOR TKOF, FLY RWY HDG. TKOF WAS NORMAL AND AT 400 FT AGL THE CAPT SAID 'CLR L' AND I STARTED A SLOW TURN TO THE L JUST PLAIN FORGETTING THE TWR INSTRUCTION. AT THE SAME TIME TWR SAID CONTACT DEP WHICH THE CAPT DID RIGHT AWAY. (DEP IS NAVY KEY WEST.) THEY ASKED TO FLY A 070 DEG HDG FOR TFC TO THE N OF US INBOUND TO EYW. I WAS AT A 055 DEG HDG WHEN THIS INSTRUCTION WAS GIVEN AND PROMPTLY TURNED TO 070 DEGS. THE TFC WAS AN MLT AT OUR 9 O'CLOCK POS AND 3 MI. I COULD SEE THE TFC JUST STARTING TO FADE INTO MY TCASII SCREEN AT ABOUT THE 8:30 POS AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER PASS OFF THE SCREEN. JUST AFTER THIS DEP ASKED US IF WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED RWY HDG BY THE TWR AND WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD. HE DID NOT ADMONISH US AT ALL AND WE NEVER GOT AN RA OR A TA FROM OUR TCASII UNIT. HE THEN HANDED US OFF TO ZMA. IN RETROSPECT, I THINK THAT ONCE AN AIRPLANE LEAVES THE GATE THE ONLY COM SHOULD BE WITH ATC UNTIL AFTER TKOF AND AREA DEP. SAME THING WITH AFTER LNDG AND GATE ARR, UNLESS IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SAFETY OF FLT. ALSO, OUR TKOF BRIEFING WAS FULL OF L TURNS AND WHEN THE CAPT MISTAKENLY SAID 'CLR L' I MISTAKENLY BLANKED OUT THE TWR INSTRUCTION AND STARTED MY TURN. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS THERE.

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.