An air carrier B737 may have turned the wrong way after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	339920
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hou
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 275 flight time total : 7400 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	339920
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Tower cleared our flight for takeoff while on taxiway east. The crew understood, 'cleared to depart runway 12R, turn right 280 degrees.' I'm sure that was what was read back to tower. We were running the checklist and then discussed the fact that we were told to taxi down runway 17 onto runway 12R for takeoff (taxiway east was closed on the approach end of runway 12R). We climbed out and turned to the right. I'm not sure if we had contacted departure or were still with tower, but we were told to stop our heading at 220 degrees and that we were cleared left to 280 degrees, not right. We looked at each other not sure what to think, but again we both thought that we had been given a clearance to turn right instead of left.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 MAY HAVE TURNED THE WRONG WAY AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: TWR CLRED OUR FLT FOR TKOF WHILE ON TXWY E. THE CREW UNDERSTOOD, 'CLRED TO DEPART RWY 12R, TURN R 280 DEGS.' I'M SURE THAT WAS WHAT WAS READ BACK TO TWR. WE WERE RUNNING THE CHKLIST AND THEN DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI DOWN RWY 17 ONTO RWY 12R FOR TKOF (TXWY E WAS CLOSED ON THE APCH END OF RWY 12R). WE CLBED OUT AND TURNED TO THE R. I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAD CONTACTED DEP OR WERE STILL WITH TWR, BUT WE WERE TOLD TO STOP OUR HDG AT 220 DEGS AND THAT WE WERE CLRED L TO 280 DEGS, NOT R. WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER NOT SURE WHAT TO THINK, BUT AGAIN WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A CLRNC TO TURN R INSTEAD OF L.

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.