Heading deviation on departure from st thomas when clearance is not clear.

Attributes
ACN	490019
Time
Date	200010
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tist.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : palco 5
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	490019
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	490020
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

From st thomas to miami, clearance gave us the palco 5 departure direct to borinquen, climb to 3000 ft, expect FL350. After takeoff in a right turn to 3000 ft, we were switched to ZSU. Her instructions were to climb to 9000 ft, left turn at 3000 ft to heading 320 degrees. The palco 5 departure on runway 10 requires a right turn to 250 degrees and then 293 to palco. We were heading 270 degrees when we passed 3000 ft and assumed she meant a right turn for 320 degrees. She stopped our climb at 5000 ft to avoid traffic. Our climb was delayed for traffic. A better departure instruction would have been to stop right turn at 180 degree heading and climb to 3000 ft, then turn left to 320 degrees.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG DEV ON DEP FROM ST THOMAS WHEN CLRNC IS NOT CLR.

Narrative: FROM ST THOMAS TO MIAMI, CLRNC GAVE US THE PALCO 5 DEP DIRECT TO BORINQUEN, CLB TO 3000 FT, EXPECT FL350. AFTER TKOF IN A R TURN TO 3000 FT, WE WERE SWITCHED TO ZSU. HER INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO CLB TO 9000 FT, L TURN AT 3000 FT TO HDG 320 DEGS. THE PALCO 5 DEP ON RWY 10 REQUIRES A R TURN TO 250 DEGS AND THEN 293 TO PALCO. WE WERE HDG 270 DEGS WHEN WE PASSED 3000 FT AND ASSUMED SHE MEANT A R TURN FOR 320 DEGS. SHE STOPPED OUR CLB AT 5000 FT TO AVOID TFC. OUR CLB WAS DELAYED FOR TFC. A BETTER DEP INSTRUCTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO STOP R TURN AT 180 DEG HDG AND CLB TO 3000 FT, THEN TURN L TO 320 DEGS.

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.