Narrative:

Departed roanoke. Announced to tower cozy, was ready for departure and was cleared for takeoff on runway 24. A cessna 172 had taken off just before me on the same heading. I was overtaking him and turned left to maintain visual separation. Before I could contact departure, I was contacted and told I was deviating from assigned heading. I responded I was going around a slower plane. In retrospect, I could have avoided the situation by delaying my takeoff. The controller may not have been aware of the speed difference between the 2 aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FASTER SMA OVERTOOK, AND PASSED ON THE L SIDE, A SLOWER SMA (C172) DURING TKOF CLB FROM SAME RWY. ATCT LCL CTLR CLRED THE FASTER ACFT FOR TKOF AND THEN COMMENTED WHEN HE WAS NOT MAINTAINING RWY HEADING AS ASSIGNED.

Narrative: DEPARTED ROANOKE. ANNOUNCED TO TWR COZY, WAS READY FOR DEP AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 24. A CESSNA 172 HAD TAKEN OFF JUST BEFORE ME ON THE SAME HEADING. I WAS OVERTAKING HIM AND TURNED L TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. BEFORE I COULD CONTACT DEP, I WAS CONTACTED AND TOLD I WAS DEVIATING FROM ASSIGNED HEADING. I RESPONDED I WAS GOING AROUND A SLOWER PLANE. IN RETROSPECT, I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SIT BY DELAYING MY TKOF. THE CTLR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE SPD DIFFERENCE BTWN THE 2 ACFT.

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.