Narrative:

Air crew was assigned the luvve 2 departure, vectors scaggs island 112.1, as filed by sfo clearance. Air crew taxied to and held short of runway 10R as assigned. The first officer and the captain reviewed the SID and the initially assigned routing. A contributing factor was that the first officer looked at where scaggs island was in relation to luvve intersection on the SID it is at the sfo 120 degree radial for 10 DME. Scaggs island is to the north, left of luvve intersection. Also, contributing was that the crew was used to taking off on either runway 1R or runway 1L at sfo and proceeding north to scaggs island. On reflection, the first officer should have been aware that arrs and approachs which were being conducted to runway 19L precluded turns to the north during departure. Aircraft was cleared for takeoff and did so uneventfully. Passing above approximately 3000 ft MSL, aircraft was directed to turn right to heading 310 degrees, direct sfo when able. The first officer commenced a turn to the left to 310 degrees and was cleared to do so by the captain as the aircraft was between layers and in VMC conditions for the moment. ATC quickly noticed the wrong turn and directed the air crew to reverse the turn and go right to 310 degree heading. The rest of the flight was conducted uneventfully. The human factor that contributed most to the error was the first officer's perception that the turn would go left (north) and was used to that habitually to correct: 1)vigilance to listening, especially when receiving a new clearance, 2) a better review of what's happening in terms of how aircraft are being routed into and out of the terminal area, ie, update your situational awareness resulting from changes to your preconceived idea of what's normal in your typical routine or better yet, realize there isn't a 'typical routine' in aviation, and 3) develop a habit pattern of specifically reading back the direction of turn, plus use some kind of visual aid to reinforce the instruction such as using a radio knob with an arrow painted on it to show the direction of turn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A BRASILIA-120 TURNS WRONG DIRECTION AFTER DEPARTING SFO ON CLRED SID.

Narrative: AIR CREW WAS ASSIGNED THE LUVVE 2 DEP, VECTORS SCAGGS ISLAND 112.1, AS FILED BY SFO CLRNC. AIR CREW TAXIED TO AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 10R AS ASSIGNED. THE FO AND THE CAPT REVIEWED THE SID AND THE INITIALLY ASSIGNED ROUTING. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE FO LOOKED AT WHERE SCAGGS ISLAND WAS IN RELATION TO LUVVE INTXN ON THE SID IT IS AT THE SFO 120 DEG RADIAL FOR 10 DME. SCAGGS ISLAND IS TO THE N, L OF LUVVE INTXN. ALSO, CONTRIBUTING WAS THAT THE CREW WAS USED TO TAKING OFF ON EITHER RWY 1R OR RWY 1L AT SFO AND PROCEEDING N TO SCAGGS ISLAND. ON REFLECTION, THE FO SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE THAT ARRS AND APCHS WHICH WERE BEING CONDUCTED TO RWY 19L PRECLUDED TURNS TO THE N DURING DEP. ACFT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND DID SO UNEVENTFULLY. PASSING ABOVE APPROX 3000 FT MSL, ACFT WAS DIRECTED TO TURN R TO HDG 310 DEGS, DIRECT SFO WHEN ABLE. THE FO COMMENCED A TURN TO THE L TO 310 DEGS AND WAS CLRED TO DO SO BY THE CAPT AS THE ACFT WAS BTWN LAYERS AND IN VMC CONDITIONS FOR THE MOMENT. ATC QUICKLY NOTICED THE WRONG TURN AND DIRECTED THE AIR CREW TO REVERSE THE TURN AND GO R TO 310 DEG HDG. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED UNEVENTFULLY. THE HUMAN FACTOR THAT CONTRIBUTED MOST TO THE ERROR WAS THE FO'S PERCEPTION THAT THE TURN WOULD GO L (N) AND WAS USED TO THAT HABITUALLY TO CORRECT: 1)VIGILANCE TO LISTENING, ESPECIALLY WHEN RECEIVING A NEW CLRNC, 2) A BETTER REVIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TERMS OF HOW ACFT ARE BEING ROUTED INTO AND OUT OF THE TERMINAL AREA, IE, UPDATE YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS RESULTING FROM CHANGES TO YOUR PRECONCEIVED IDEA OF WHAT'S NORMAL IN YOUR TYPICAL ROUTINE OR BETTER YET, REALIZE THERE ISN'T A 'TYPICAL ROUTINE' IN AVIATION, AND 3) DEVELOP A HABIT PATTERN OF SPECIFICALLY READING BACK THE DIRECTION OF TURN, PLUS USE SOME KIND OF VISUAL AID TO REINFORCE THE INSTRUCTION SUCH AS USING A RADIO KNOB WITH AN ARROW PAINTED ON IT TO SHOW THE DIRECTION OF TURN.

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.