Narrative:

After departure I was assigned a 115 degree heading. After the takeoff roll and climbing out of approximately 1500-2000 ft I attempted to set the heading bug on the aircraft directional gyroscope to 115 degrees, and as I was setting the heading bug the pilot's overhead fresh air vent plunger blew out of its hold and the plunger and a series of papers blew about the cockpit. The only thing I can figure is I must have stopped the heading bug on a 150 degree heading at the time the vent blew out because I thought I saw mins later that it was the assigned heading by the tower. When the tower called me and asked for my assigned heading I told them 150 degrees. They told me to turn to heading 090 degrees. When I was on the ZTL frequency some moments later, they asked me to call the tower when I got on the ground. When I called the tower they told me radar separation was lost due to the fact they departed an aircraft after us and put him on an assigned heading of 150 degrees. I explained to him what happened and said I was sorry for any mix-up that might have occurred and explained about the blowing papers and blown out air duct. I found out later that a retaining button and felt strip were broken that helped hold the air duct in position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA SEL FAILED TO FLY ASSIGNED HDG DURING DEP DUE TO A DISTR CAUSED BY A CABIN VENT FAILURE.

Narrative: AFTER DEP I WAS ASSIGNED A 115 DEG HDG. AFTER THE TKOF ROLL AND CLBING OUT OF APPROX 1500-2000 FT I ATTEMPTED TO SET THE HDG BUG ON THE ACFT DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE TO 115 DEGS, AND AS I WAS SETTING THE HDG BUG THE PLT'S OVERHEAD FRESH AIR VENT PLUNGER BLEW OUT OF ITS HOLD AND THE PLUNGER AND A SERIES OF PAPERS BLEW ABOUT THE COCKPIT. THE ONLY THING I CAN FIGURE IS I MUST HAVE STOPPED THE HDG BUG ON A 150 DEG HDG AT THE TIME THE VENT BLEW OUT BECAUSE I THOUGHT I SAW MINS LATER THAT IT WAS THE ASSIGNED HDG BY THE TWR. WHEN THE TWR CALLED ME AND ASKED FOR MY ASSIGNED HDG I TOLD THEM 150 DEGS. THEY TOLD ME TO TURN TO HDG 090 DEGS. WHEN I WAS ON THE ZTL FREQ SOME MOMENTS LATER, THEY ASKED ME TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I GOT ON THE GND. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR THEY TOLD ME RADAR SEPARATION WAS LOST DUE TO THE FACT THEY DEPARTED AN ACFT AFTER US AND PUT HIM ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 150 DEGS. I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT HAPPENED AND SAID I WAS SORRY FOR ANY MIX-UP THAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED AND EXPLAINED ABOUT THE BLOWING PAPERS AND BLOWN OUT AIR DUCT. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT A RETAINING BUTTON AND FELT STRIP WERE BROKEN THAT HELPED HOLD THE AIR DUCT IN POS.

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.