Pilot slow response to heading request caused less than legal separation.

Attributes
ACN	302980
Time
Date	199504
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bpt
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	302980
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On apr/thur/95 at XA00 local time I was involved in a traffic control over the bpt air traffic area. The events leading up to the conflict are as follows: local tower had cleared us for an immediate takeoff from runway 34. After departure a standard company call was made at 500 ft. I had not set my heading bug and asked my first officer what heading had been issued on the clearance. The first officer responded '1-0-0.' I began to execute a turn to 100 degrees. Tower then released us to departure control. My first officer contacted departure at which time the controller asked our heading. The first officer responded '0- '0-3-5.' the controller then requested an immediate turn to '1- 2-0.' no mention of conflicting traffic or other TA's were given. Upon reaching our destination, contact was made with the bpt supervisor. The supervisor stated that a loss of separation had occurred with conflicting traffic. The reason for the occurrence was a deviation of the assigned heading issued on the takeoff clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT SLOW RESPONSE TO HDG REQUEST CAUSED LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION.

Narrative: ON APR/THUR/95 AT XA00 LCL TIME I WAS INVOLVED IN A TFC CTL OVER THE BPT ATA. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE CONFLICT ARE AS FOLLOWS: LCL TWR HAD CLRED US FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF FROM RWY 34. AFTER DEP A STANDARD COMPANY CALL WAS MADE AT 500 FT. I HAD NOT SET MY HDG BUG AND ASKED MY FO WHAT HDG HAD BEEN ISSUED ON THE CLRNC. THE FO RESPONDED '1-0-0.' I BEGAN TO EXECUTE A TURN TO 100 DEGS. TWR THEN RELEASED US TO DEP CTL. MY FO CONTACTED DEP AT WHICH TIME THE CTLR ASKED OUR HDG. THE FO RESPONDED '0- '0-3-5.' THE CTLR THEN REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO '1- 2-0.' NO MENTION OF CONFLICTING TFC OR OTHER TA'S WERE GIVEN. UPON REACHING OUR DEST, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE BPT SUPVR. THE SUPVR STATED THAT A LOSS OF SEPARATION HAD OCCURRED WITH CONFLICTING TFC. THE REASON FOR THE OCCURRENCE WAS A DEV OF THE ASSIGNED HDG ISSUED ON THE TKOF CLRNC.

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.