B737-300 began a turn to on course after takeoff unaware they had been assigned a heading.

Attributes
ACN	352530
Time
Date	199611
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tus
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tus tower : tus tower : cle
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14500 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	352530
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance 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:

After departing runway 11L at tucson, I started my right turn to intercept the outbound radial on the departure. The controller asked what our heading was. We told him we were going through 160 degrees to 180 degrees to intercept. He advised us the tower gave us a 120 degree heading on departure. He gave us a heading, then turned us over to someone else. We got to san and called the tus tower. I talked with tower supervisor and he said they saw us in the turn and coordinated with TRACON. He said no harm done, have a good day. My first officer and I could only come up with when given the takeoff clearance, we were doing the final checklist, before departure. We just both missed it. We shall listen up, a little closer next time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 BEGAN A TURN TO ON COURSE AFTER TKOF UNAWARE THEY HAD BEEN ASSIGNED A HEADING.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING RWY 11L AT TUCSON, I STARTED MY R TURN TO INTERCEPT THE OUTBOUND RADIAL ON THE DEP. THE CTLR ASKED WHAT OUR HEADING WAS. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE GOING THROUGH 160 DEGS TO 180 DEGS TO INTERCEPT. HE ADVISED US THE TWR GAVE US A 120 DEG HDG ON DEP. HE GAVE US A HEADING, THEN TURNED US OVER TO SOMEONE ELSE. WE GOT TO SAN AND CALLED THE TUS TWR. I TALKED WITH TWR SUPVR AND HE SAID THEY SAW US IN THE TURN AND COORDINATED WITH TRACON. HE SAID NO HARM DONE, HAVE A GOOD DAY. MY FO AND I COULD ONLY COME UP WITH WHEN GIVEN THE TKOF CLRNC, WE WERE DOING THE FINAL CHKLIST, BEFORE DEP. WE JUST BOTH MISSED IT. WE SHALL LISTEN UP, A LITTLE CLOSER NEXT TIME.

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.