Air carrier pilot departing runway 35L at dfw drifts 5 degrees left of assigned heading.

Attributes
ACN	433620
Time
Date	199904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	433620
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Takeoff runway 35L, assigned heading of 360 degrees, captain's takeoff. While I was reconfiguring the aircraft after takeoff and switching from tower to departure control, the captain drifted off heading to 355 degrees. Departure control immediately gave us a heading of 010 degrees to avoid departures from runways 36. If 5 degrees makes this much difference, perhaps tower should have assigned a heading of 010 degrees upon takeoff clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT DEPARTING RWY 35L AT DFW DRIFTS 5 DEGS L OF ASSIGNED HDG.

Narrative: TKOF RWY 35L, ASSIGNED HDG OF 360 DEGS, CAPT'S TKOF. WHILE I WAS RECONFIGURING THE ACFT AFTER TKOF AND SWITCHING FROM TWR TO DEP CTL, THE CAPT DRIFTED OFF HDG TO 355 DEGS. DEP CTL IMMEDIATELY GAVE US A HDG OF 010 DEGS TO AVOID DEPS FROM RWYS 36. IF 5 DEGS MAKES THIS MUCH DIFFERENCE, PERHAPS TWR SHOULD HAVE ASSIGNED A HDG OF 010 DEGS UPON TKOF CLRNC.

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.