Narrative:

Flight departed on runway 6 at bhm. The MSA at bhm is 3700 ft MSL and the obstacle clearance departure for this runway is to climb to 1700 ft MSL prior to turning on course. The clearance issued to us by bhm clearance delivery was as follows: air carrier X flight abc cleared to jackson via radar vectors to mei then as filed. Climb runway heading to 5000 ft, expect FL280 in 10 mins, contact departure control on frequency 123.8 and squawk abcd. The tower initially cleared us into position to hold for a king air which had just been given takeoff clearance. (We think that there was some confusion in the tower between us and this aircraft during the events that occurred on departure.) when the tower subsequently issued us takeoff clearance, they instructed us to maintain 2500 ft on departure. This clearance was read back and understood by all 3 crew members. This clearance was given to us by a female controller. (Gender is only referenced here to differentiate her from the controller who later took control of our flight.) just after takeoff, at about 700 ft AGL, a male controller abruptly came on the radio and said, 'air carrier X flight abc, start your turn.' I questioned this and he said, 'your turn to 140 degree heading which we assigned you and you acknowledged.' none of the 3 crew members on board heard any instruction to turn to 140 degree heading on departure. He then abruptly switched us to departure control. This tower controller seemed to be more interested in scolding us for what he thought was our mistake than clearing up the confusion which was now affecting the safety of flight. When we contacted departure control, they assigned us 5000 ft MSL and suggested that we turn immediately to a heading of 250 degrees to avoid WX. We feel that the tower controller who took control of our flight from the female controller may have confused us with the king air who departed ahead of us. His instructions to turn to a 140 degree heading were in conflict with the obstacle clearance procedure for runway 6 which requires runway heading to 1700 ft MSL prior to turning. Also, holding us to 2500 ft MSL in this turn did not make sense with the MSA at 3700 ft MSL when his turn vectored us into the area of the highest terrain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN UNEXPLAINED CHANGE IN CTLRS IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF LEADS CREW TO THINK THERE WAS CONFUSION IN THE TWR ABOUT WHICH ACFT WAS GIVEN WHAT HDG AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED ON RWY 6 AT BHM. THE MSA AT BHM IS 3700 FT MSL AND THE OBSTACLE CLRNC DEP FOR THIS RWY IS TO CLB TO 1700 FT MSL PRIOR TO TURNING ON COURSE. THE CLRNC ISSUED TO US BY BHM CLRNC DELIVERY WAS AS FOLLOWS: ACR X FLT ABC CLRED TO JACKSON VIA RADAR VECTORS TO MEI THEN AS FILED. CLB RWY HDG TO 5000 FT, EXPECT FL280 IN 10 MINS, CONTACT DEP CTL ON FREQ 123.8 AND SQUAWK ABCD. THE TWR INITIALLY CLRED US INTO POS TO HOLD FOR A KING AIR WHICH HAD JUST BEEN GIVEN TKOF CLRNC. (WE THINK THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION IN THE TWR BTWN US AND THIS ACFT DURING THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED ON DEP.) WHEN THE TWR SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED US TKOF CLRNC, THEY INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT ON DEP. THIS CLRNC WAS READ BACK AND UNDERSTOOD BY ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS. THIS CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO US BY A FEMALE CTLR. (GENDER IS ONLY REFED HERE TO DIFFERENTIATE HER FROM THE CTLR WHO LATER TOOK CTL OF OUR FLT.) JUST AFTER TKOF, AT ABOUT 700 FT AGL, A MALE CTLR ABRUPTLY CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID, 'ACR X FLT ABC, START YOUR TURN.' I QUESTIONED THIS AND HE SAID, 'YOUR TURN TO 140 DEG HDG WHICH WE ASSIGNED YOU AND YOU ACKNOWLEDGED.' NONE OF THE 3 CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD HEARD ANY INSTRUCTION TO TURN TO 140 DEG HDG ON DEP. HE THEN ABRUPTLY SWITCHED US TO DEP CTL. THIS TWR CTLR SEEMED TO BE MORE INTERESTED IN SCOLDING US FOR WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS OUR MISTAKE THAN CLRING UP THE CONFUSION WHICH WAS NOW AFFECTING THE SAFETY OF FLT. WHEN WE CONTACTED DEP CTL, THEY ASSIGNED US 5000 FT MSL AND SUGGESTED THAT WE TURN IMMEDIATELY TO A HDG OF 250 DEGS TO AVOID WX. WE FEEL THAT THE TWR CTLR WHO TOOK CTL OF OUR FLT FROM THE FEMALE CTLR MAY HAVE CONFUSED US WITH THE KING AIR WHO DEPARTED AHEAD OF US. HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN TO A 140 DEG HDG WERE IN CONFLICT WITH THE OBSTACLE CLRNC PROC FOR RWY 6 WHICH REQUIRES RWY HDG TO 1700 FT MSL PRIOR TO TURNING. ALSO, HOLDING US TO 2500 FT MSL IN THIS TURN DID NOT MAKE SENSE WITH THE MSA AT 3700 FT MSL WHEN HIS TURN VECTORED US INTO THE AREA OF THE HIGHEST TERRAIN.

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.