Narrative:

After takeoff, ATC gave us a 3 instruction clearance: turn left 320 degrees, climb to 13000 ft, and contact ord on xyz frequency. I was PF and new captain on the A320. First officer read back all correct except the heading, which he repeated as 230 degrees, and dialed into the heading selector. I was in a high workload phase and missed the ATC assigned heading of 320 degrees. The first officer was sure of his clearance readback, so I decided to follow the flight director/EFIS to a heading of 230 degrees. Turning through about heading 270-280 degrees, ATC said verify you're into a turn of 320 degrees, which I quickly did. We were not told of any traffic conflict. When a radio call is missed, it's so easy to just go with what the other pilot heard, rather than get a verification from ATC. This works 99-100% of the time, but is foolish and I know better. At busy airports like ord it could be lethal. Contributing factors for this are my new assignment to this aircraft, our company policy of saying out loud FMA changes below 300 ft asl (very distracting to ATC radio calls), less than 4-5 hours sleep before our early departure.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PIC TURNS L TO 230 DEGS AFTER TKOF FROM ORD RWY 32R AFTER HIS FO MISTAKENLY READS BACK 'L HDG 230' VICE 'TURN L 320 DEGS' TO TWR CTLR.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, ATC GAVE US A 3 INSTRUCTION CLRNC: TURN L 320 DEGS, CLB TO 13000 FT, AND CONTACT ORD ON XYZ FREQ. I WAS PF AND NEW CAPT ON THE A320. FO READ BACK ALL CORRECT EXCEPT THE HDG, WHICH HE REPEATED AS 230 DEGS, AND DIALED INTO THE HDG SELECTOR. I WAS IN A HIGH WORKLOAD PHASE AND MISSED THE ATC ASSIGNED HDG OF 320 DEGS. THE FO WAS SURE OF HIS CLRNC READBACK, SO I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE FLT DIRECTOR/EFIS TO A HDG OF 230 DEGS. TURNING THROUGH ABOUT HDG 270-280 DEGS, ATC SAID VERIFY YOU'RE INTO A TURN OF 320 DEGS, WHICH I QUICKLY DID. WE WERE NOT TOLD OF ANY TFC CONFLICT. WHEN A RADIO CALL IS MISSED, IT'S SO EASY TO JUST GO WITH WHAT THE OTHER PLT HEARD, RATHER THAN GET A VERIFICATION FROM ATC. THIS WORKS 99-100% OF THE TIME, BUT IS FOOLISH AND I KNOW BETTER. AT BUSY ARPTS LIKE ORD IT COULD BE LETHAL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THIS ARE MY NEW ASSIGNMENT TO THIS ACFT, OUR COMPANY POLICY OF SAYING OUT LOUD FMA CHANGES BELOW 300 FT ASL (VERY DISTRACTING TO ATC RADIO CALLS), LESS THAN 4-5 HRS SLEEP BEFORE OUR EARLY DEP.

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.