Narrative:

Our departure clearance was to maintain a heading of 275 degrees for vectors. Departure control issued us a turn to 090 degrees for vectors to bondo intersection. Bondo is just about due north of san diego a distance of 27 NM. Departure control in san diego says that they issued a left turn, but the first officer and I both thought we heard right turn, perhaps because this was the shorter direction and the direction we were bound. In any case, we turned right, and during our turn (passing through approximately 040 degrees) the controller came back on and gave us a left turn to 110 degrees. The first officer began rolling out of the right hand turn and back into a left hand turn. Because it seemed strange to receive a clearance for a turn of over 290 degrees to a heading that was taking us away from bondo intersection, we requested confirmation. The controller confirmed that he meant left turn and added 'immediately.' now we were in a left turn to 110 degrees. Passing through approximately 010 degrees the controller came back on and issued us a turn to 040 degrees from whatever direction was shorter. From this point we proceeded uneventfully to ontario, california. Upon reaching ontario there was a message to call in san diego departure control. During this conversation I was informed that the tape clearly revealed we had been told to turn left to 090 degrees. He also informed me my readback consisted of the flight number and 'heading 090 degrees.' my normal habit pattern is to repeat the entire clearance including direction of turn, but for some unknown reason this time I did not. While I believe this is my error for not hearing correctly and for not reading back what I thought I heard, still I think there is or should be some shared responsibility with the controller. I think the controller should have been especially careful to listen to the readback, since the turn was so large and in essentially the wrong direction. Because I did not use the term 'roger' or 'left turn' I think he should have confirmed that we understood. Because there are literally thousands of such communications a day and so much is weighing on them, both sides have to be diligent. In this case all that was missed in all the radio xmissions was 1 word!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG DEV. DIRECTION OF TURN.

Narrative: OUR DEP CLRNC WAS TO MAINTAIN A HDG OF 275 DEGS FOR VECTORS. DEP CTL ISSUED US A TURN TO 090 DEGS FOR VECTORS TO BONDO INTXN. BONDO IS JUST ABOUT DUE N OF SAN DIEGO A DISTANCE OF 27 NM. DEP CTL IN SAN DIEGO SAYS THAT THEY ISSUED A L TURN, BUT THE FO AND I BOTH THOUGHT WE HEARD R TURN, PERHAPS BECAUSE THIS WAS THE SHORTER DIRECTION AND THE DIRECTION WE WERE BOUND. IN ANY CASE, WE TURNED R, AND DURING OUR TURN (PASSING THROUGH APPROX 040 DEGS) THE CTLR CAME BACK ON AND GAVE US A L TURN TO 110 DEGS. THE FO BEGAN ROLLING OUT OF THE R HAND TURN AND BACK INTO A L HAND TURN. BECAUSE IT SEEMED STRANGE TO RECEIVE A CLRNC FOR A TURN OF OVER 290 DEGS TO A HDG THAT WAS TAKING US AWAY FROM BONDO INTXN, WE REQUESTED CONFIRMATION. THE CTLR CONFIRMED THAT HE MEANT L TURN AND ADDED 'IMMEDIATELY.' NOW WE WERE IN A L TURN TO 110 DEGS. PASSING THROUGH APPROX 010 DEGS THE CTLR CAME BACK ON AND ISSUED US A TURN TO 040 DEGS FROM WHATEVER DIRECTION WAS SHORTER. FROM THIS POINT WE PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA. UPON REACHING ONTARIO THERE WAS A MESSAGE TO CALL IN SAN DIEGO DEP CTL. DURING THIS CONVERSATION I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TAPE CLRLY REVEALED WE HAD BEEN TOLD TO TURN L TO 090 DEGS. HE ALSO INFORMED ME MY READBACK CONSISTED OF THE FLT NUMBER AND 'HDG 090 DEGS.' MY NORMAL HABIT PATTERN IS TO REPEAT THE ENTIRE CLRNC INCLUDING DIRECTION OF TURN, BUT FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THIS TIME I DID NOT. WHILE I BELIEVE THIS IS MY ERROR FOR NOT HEARING CORRECTLY AND FOR NOT READING BACK WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD, STILL I THINK THERE IS OR SHOULD BE SOME SHARED RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE CTLR. I THINK THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY CAREFUL TO LISTEN TO THE READBACK, SINCE THE TURN WAS SO LARGE AND IN ESSENTIALLY THE WRONG DIRECTION. BECAUSE I DID NOT USE THE TERM 'ROGER' OR 'L TURN' I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THAT WE UNDERSTOOD. BECAUSE THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF SUCH COMS A DAY AND SO MUCH IS WEIGHING ON THEM, BOTH SIDES HAVE TO BE DILIGENT. IN THIS CASE ALL THAT WAS MISSED IN ALL THE RADIO XMISSIONS WAS 1 WORD!

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.