Air carrier turns the wrong way after takeoff from runway 22 at hou, tx.

Attributes
ACN	460790
Time
Date	200001
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
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 : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 268 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 915
ASRS Report	460790
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On departure on runway 22 at hou, we were instructed to turn to a heading of 020 degrees after departure. At the time it was busy and the controller was working ground and tower. In the cockpit it was very busy due to a short taxi from the terminal to runway 22. The 2 previous jet departures made left turns after departure. The takeoff was normal and at 400 ft AGL I began a left turn to a heading of 020 degrees. After turning through a heading of 120 degree tower asked if we were in a right turn to 020 degrees (the long way around). We informed them no, we had mistakenly turned left and began a turn back to the right. The controller said 'no problem, continue l-hand turn heading 360 degrees.' there was no traffic conflict or TCASII alert. The rest of the climb was normal. Due to the fact it is a scheduled short turn (20 mins) at hou, and the fact that we were 10 mins late, it was a very hectic taxi and takeoff. Also, the controller was busy working 2 frequencys and he could have missed my wrong readback for the direction of the turn. I would say the problem was mainly due to the busy cockpit at the time and a busy controller. This led to a wrong readback on my part.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TURNS THE WRONG WAY AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 22 AT HOU, TX.

Narrative: ON DEP ON RWY 22 AT HOU, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO A HDG OF 020 DEGS AFTER DEP. AT THE TIME IT WAS BUSY AND THE CTLR WAS WORKING GND AND TWR. IN THE COCKPIT IT WAS VERY BUSY DUE TO A SHORT TAXI FROM THE TERMINAL TO RWY 22. THE 2 PREVIOUS JET DEPS MADE L TURNS AFTER DEP. THE TKOF WAS NORMAL AND AT 400 FT AGL I BEGAN A L TURN TO A HDG OF 020 DEGS. AFTER TURNING THROUGH A HDG OF 120 DEG TWR ASKED IF WE WERE IN A R TURN TO 020 DEGS (THE LONG WAY AROUND). WE INFORMED THEM NO, WE HAD MISTAKENLY TURNED L AND BEGAN A TURN BACK TO THE R. THE CTLR SAID 'NO PROB, CONTINUE L-HAND TURN HDG 360 DEGS.' THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT OR TCASII ALERT. THE REST OF THE CLB WAS NORMAL. DUE TO THE FACT IT IS A SCHEDULED SHORT TURN (20 MINS) AT HOU, AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE 10 MINS LATE, IT WAS A VERY HECTIC TAXI AND TKOF. ALSO, THE CTLR WAS BUSY WORKING 2 FREQS AND HE COULD HAVE MISSED MY WRONG READBACK FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN. I WOULD SAY THE PROB WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE BUSY COCKPIT AT THE TIME AND A BUSY CTLR. THIS LED TO A WRONG READBACK ON MY PART.

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.