<< >> NASA ASRS Report 535288, January 2002

A CE525 flight crew deviates from their assigned required heading during a reflex reaction to a light that was assumed to be traffic on their departure procedure 2 NM from sna, ca.

Attributes
ACN	535288
Time
Date	200201
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation I/SP
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : channel 1
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	535288
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While intercepting the channel 1 departure (SID) my copilot and I caught a light in the left bottom corner of pilot's window. We both reacted to that light automatically. In just a couple of moments, we drifted right to a heading of about 200 degrees instead of a left turn to 175 degrees. Before we could make a correction, ATC (socal) asked us what our heading was and gave us a new heading of 160 degrees to resume the departure. No evasive action or traffic conflict occurred. A busy airport at night with a lot of lights on the ground and in the air. A lot of tasks to accomplish while also looking outside in a short time frame. Quick reactions to a situation that suddenly occurs can be distracting for just long enough to cause deviations.

Related reports:

• B727 deviates from SID heading on departure in oak airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CE525 FLC DEVIATES FROM THEIR ASSIGNED REQUIRED HDG DURING A REFLEX REACTION TO A LIGHT THAT WAS ASSUMED TO BE TFC ON THEIR DEP PROC 2 NM FROM SNA, CA.

Narrative: WHILE INTERCEPTING THE CHANNEL 1 DEP (SID) MY COPLT AND I CAUGHT A LIGHT IN THE L BOTTOM CORNER OF PLT'S WINDOW. WE BOTH REACTED TO THAT LIGHT AUTOMATICALLY. IN JUST A COUPLE OF MOMENTS, WE DRIFTED R TO A HDG OF ABOUT 200 DEGS INSTEAD OF A L TURN TO 175 DEGS. BEFORE WE COULD MAKE A CORRECTION, ATC (SOCAL) ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS AND GAVE US A NEW HDG OF 160 DEGS TO RESUME THE DEP. NO EVASIVE ACTION OR TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED. A BUSY ARPT AT NIGHT WITH A LOT OF LIGHTS ON THE GND AND IN THE AIR. A LOT OF TASKS TO ACCOMPLISH WHILE ALSO LOOKING OUTSIDE IN A SHORT TIME FRAME. QUICK REACTIONS TO A SIT THAT SUDDENLY OCCURS CAN BE DISTRACTING FOR JUST LONG ENOUGH TO CAUSE DEVS.

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.