A BE36 bonanza pilot turns towards the departure heading the wrong way after takeoff from mdw, il.

Attributes
ACN	482250
Time
Date	200008
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 670 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	482250
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Mdw runway 4L. Received permission to takeoff to a heading of 130 degrees. I thought the tower controller said left turn. At about 400 ft AGL, I turned left. Controller contacted me and said, he said right turn to 130 degrees, not left. He immediately gave me a left turn to cross midfield and vectored me away from the airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE36 BONANZA PLT TURNS TOWARDS THE DEP HDG THE WRONG WAY AFTER TKOF FROM MDW, IL.

Narrative: MDW RWY 4L. RECEIVED PERMISSION TO TKOF TO A HDG OF 130 DEGS. I THOUGHT THE TWR CTLR SAID L TURN. AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL, I TURNED L. CTLR CONTACTED ME AND SAID, HE SAID R TURN TO 130 DEGS, NOT L. HE IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME A L TURN TO CROSS MIDFIELD AND VECTORED ME AWAY FROM THE ARPT.

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.