Narrative:

While I was inside the FBO, the co-captain, who was designated PNF for that leg, obtained our clearance. She read the clearance to me when I got back to the plane. She said our clearance was 'cleared to biv via the orf 3 departure radar vectors heading 290 degrees to flat rock VOR....' I looked up the orf 3 which states 'runway heading.' I questioned her saying 'are you sure they said heading 290 degrees?' she answered 'yes.' I questioned a second time 'are you sure they said it was a heading?' she answered 'yes.' I started the airplane and taxied to the runway using normal procedures and checklists. After takeoff, ATC questioned our heading and proceeded to give us other vectors. I asked the co-captain to ask for a clarification of our clearance. ATC responded orf 3 radar vectors to the 290 degree radial 76 DME from orf VOR direct flat rock....' factors: this was our first trip together. My co-captain was new to the company but very experienced. Corrections: I should have been there for the clearance since I hadn't ever observed this new crew member obtaining a clearance. Supplemental information from acn 465730: prior to our departure from orf, I received IFR clearance for our proposed trip, which I copied and clipped to the right yoke. During this time, the PIC for this leg was on the phone with our flight operations. When he boarded the aircraft, I was looking through charts, setting up frequencys, and reviewing the SID we were assigned. We were behind schedule and he appeared hurried. I remember reading the clearance to him, mentioning the SID was runway heading and radar vectors to the 290 degree radial, etc and he began the engine start. Everything went uneventful until we departed. On the takeoff roll he asked something about heading, and I remember mentioning something about the 290 degree radial. He replied '290?' I affirmed 290 degrees. He immediately turned the aircraft to 290 degrees and just as quickly ATC came back to tell us we had turned toward arriving aircraft. We should have still been on runway heading at this time, and although the correction was done immediately, the departure controller was furious. I feel there were several contributing factors. One was that the 2 of us had not flown together before, and hadn't really developed a comfortable CRM plan of action. The other was that he'd mentioned having been in and out of that particular airport and having been familiar with their local procedures. I had only mentioned the runway heading and radial or vectors once and he didn't really acknowledge. On the runway it seemed like he wanted to know the radial to tune his obs to and that was why I said 290 degrees. We should have communicated better and he should have manually viewed the SID himself to verify. I, myself, did not understand what he was questioning and I should have clarified his question. I guess that matter should have been addressed before the takeoff roll, when things get noisy and a lot of things are going on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CREW NOT COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER SUCCESSFULLY TAKES AN INCORRECT HDG AFTER TKOF FROM ORF, VA.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS INSIDE THE FBO, THE CO-CAPT, WHO WAS DESIGNATED PNF FOR THAT LEG, OBTAINED OUR CLRNC. SHE READ THE CLRNC TO ME WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE PLANE. SHE SAID OUR CLRNC WAS 'CLRED TO BIV VIA THE ORF 3 DEP RADAR VECTORS HDG 290 DEGS TO FLAT ROCK VOR....' I LOOKED UP THE ORF 3 WHICH STATES 'RWY HDG.' I QUESTIONED HER SAYING 'ARE YOU SURE THEY SAID HDG 290 DEGS?' SHE ANSWERED 'YES.' I QUESTIONED A SECOND TIME 'ARE YOU SURE THEY SAID IT WAS A HDG?' SHE ANSWERED 'YES.' I STARTED THE AIRPLANE AND TAXIED TO THE RWY USING NORMAL PROCS AND CHKLISTS. AFTER TKOF, ATC QUESTIONED OUR HDG AND PROCEEDED TO GIVE US OTHER VECTORS. I ASKED THE CO-CAPT TO ASK FOR A CLARIFICATION OF OUR CLRNC. ATC RESPONDED ORF 3 RADAR VECTORS TO THE 290 DEG RADIAL 76 DME FROM ORF VOR DIRECT FLAT ROCK....' FACTORS: THIS WAS OUR FIRST TRIP TOGETHER. MY CO-CAPT WAS NEW TO THE COMPANY BUT VERY EXPERIENCED. CORRECTIONS: I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE FOR THE CLRNC SINCE I HADN'T EVER OBSERVED THIS NEW CREW MEMBER OBTAINING A CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 465730: PRIOR TO OUR DEP FROM ORF, I RECEIVED IFR CLRNC FOR OUR PROPOSED TRIP, WHICH I COPIED AND CLIPPED TO THE R YOKE. DURING THIS TIME, THE PIC FOR THIS LEG WAS ON THE PHONE WITH OUR FLT OPS. WHEN HE BOARDED THE ACFT, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH CHARTS, SETTING UP FREQS, AND REVIEWING THE SID WE WERE ASSIGNED. WE WERE BEHIND SCHEDULE AND HE APPEARED HURRIED. I REMEMBER READING THE CLRNC TO HIM, MENTIONING THE SID WAS RWY HDG AND RADAR VECTORS TO THE 290 DEG RADIAL, ETC AND HE BEGAN THE ENG START. EVERYTHING WENT UNEVENTFUL UNTIL WE DEPARTED. ON THE TKOF ROLL HE ASKED SOMETHING ABOUT HDG, AND I REMEMBER MENTIONING SOMETHING ABOUT THE 290 DEG RADIAL. HE REPLIED '290?' I AFFIRMED 290 DEGS. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE ACFT TO 290 DEGS AND JUST AS QUICKLY ATC CAME BACK TO TELL US WE HAD TURNED TOWARD ARRIVING ACFT. WE SHOULD HAVE STILL BEEN ON RWY HDG AT THIS TIME, AND ALTHOUGH THE CORRECTION WAS DONE IMMEDIATELY, THE DEP CTLR WAS FURIOUS. I FEEL THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. ONE WAS THAT THE 2 OF US HAD NOT FLOWN TOGETHER BEFORE, AND HADN'T REALLY DEVELOPED A COMFORTABLE CRM PLAN OF ACTION. THE OTHER WAS THAT HE'D MENTIONED HAVING BEEN IN AND OUT OF THAT PARTICULAR ARPT AND HAVING BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THEIR LCL PROCS. I HAD ONLY MENTIONED THE RWY HDG AND RADIAL OR VECTORS ONCE AND HE DIDN'T REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE. ON THE RWY IT SEEMED LIKE HE WANTED TO KNOW THE RADIAL TO TUNE HIS OBS TO AND THAT WAS WHY I SAID 290 DEGS. WE SHOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED BETTER AND HE SHOULD HAVE MANUALLY VIEWED THE SID HIMSELF TO VERIFY. I, MYSELF, DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS QUESTIONING AND I SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED HIS QUESTION. I GUESS THAT MATTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BEFORE THE TKOF ROLL, WHEN THINGS GET NOISY AND A LOT OF THINGS ARE GOING ON.

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.