Narrative:

Departed ewr from runway 22R on heading 190 degrees on ewr 6 SID. At approximately 1200 ft, #3 engine low oil pressure light illuminated. As the so reported all other engine indications and indicators were reading normal, ewr departure directed a turn (as we later learned) to the right to heading 040 degrees. At the time, I do not remember a direction of turn being issued, however, we were operating at low altitude 1200 ft AGL, in a critical phase of flight (clean up after takeoff with potential severe engine malfunction) in a very high density traffic area (ewr at XA00). A left turn was the shortest direction to 040 degrees from our present heading of 190 degrees. I told PF turn to 040 degrees and slewed heading marker left to 040 degrees. The PF started a left turn to 040 degrees. Once established in left turn, ewr departure control told us he had directed a right turn to 040 degrees, but to continue to the left and to keep the turn tight. Soon thereafter, the #3 engine low oil pressure light extinguished. The entire event lasted approximately 1 min. Supplemental information from acn 425727: captain retarded throttle and engine fail illuminated due to autopack trip still being selected after takeoff checklist had not been called. During troubleshooting and cockpit discussion, departure control called for a right turn to 040 degrees from current aircraft heading of 190 degrees. Captain was involved with low altitude emergency procedures when low oil light extinguished, so a turn was commenced to comply with the new heading in the shortest direction (left to 040 degrees). During the turn, departure recognized that the turn had been made in the wrong direction and informed us that he had directed a right turn to 040 degrees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC WITH EMER SIT TURNED OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION ISSUED BY CTLR ON DEP FROM EWR.

Narrative: DEPARTED EWR FROM RWY 22R ON HDG 190 DEGS ON EWR 6 SID. AT APPROX 1200 FT, #3 ENG LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AS THE SO RPTED ALL OTHER ENG INDICATIONS AND INDICATORS WERE READING NORMAL, EWR DEP DIRECTED A TURN (AS WE LATER LEARNED) TO THE R TO HDG 040 DEGS. AT THE TIME, I DO NOT REMEMBER A DIRECTION OF TURN BEING ISSUED, HOWEVER, WE WERE OPERATING AT LOW ALT 1200 FT AGL, IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT (CLEAN UP AFTER TKOF WITH POTENTIAL SEVERE ENG MALFUNCTION) IN A VERY HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA (EWR AT XA00). A L TURN WAS THE SHORTEST DIRECTION TO 040 DEGS FROM OUR PRESENT HDG OF 190 DEGS. I TOLD PF TURN TO 040 DEGS AND SLEWED HDG MARKER L TO 040 DEGS. THE PF STARTED A L TURN TO 040 DEGS. ONCE ESTABLISHED IN L TURN, EWR DEP CTL TOLD US HE HAD DIRECTED A R TURN TO 040 DEGS, BUT TO CONTINUE TO THE L AND TO KEEP THE TURN TIGHT. SOON THEREAFTER, THE #3 ENG LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. THE ENTIRE EVENT LASTED APPROX 1 MIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 425727: CAPT RETARDED THROTTLE AND ENG FAIL ILLUMINATED DUE TO AUTOPACK TRIP STILL BEING SELECTED AFTER TKOF CHKLIST HAD NOT BEEN CALLED. DURING TROUBLESHOOTING AND COCKPIT DISCUSSION, DEP CTL CALLED FOR A R TURN TO 040 DEGS FROM CURRENT ACFT HDG OF 190 DEGS. CAPT WAS INVOLVED WITH LOW ALT EMER PROCS WHEN LOW OIL LIGHT EXTINGUISHED, SO A TURN WAS COMMENCED TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW HDG IN THE SHORTEST DIRECTION (L TO 040 DEGS). DURING THE TURN, DEP RECOGNIZED THAT THE TURN HAD BEEN MADE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND INFORMED US THAT HE HAD DIRECTED A R TURN TO 040 DEGS.

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.