Narrative:

I received the following clearance from smf clearance delivery. 'Company flight number, after departure, fly heading 010 degrees for radar vectors to red bluff (rbl), then as filed, maintain 11000 ft departure frequency and transponder code.' read it back as stated. We had a full aircraft with one of our pilots in the jumpseat. Everything was normal and all checklists and crew briefings were completed. The captain was aware of the clearance and turn after takeoff. We were parked at gate. A takeoff was planned for runway 16R. We were given takeoff clearance by the tower on runway 16R and no other instructions. The captain was the PF and the takeoff was normal. At 500 ft, he began his right turn to 010 degrees and the tower handed us off to departure control. As he started his right turn, I could see a company jet on the right downwind in our turn. I thought it was strange that we had been given a climb to 11000 ft and a turn. As I checked in with departure, I made sure I told him that 'company number is out of 1000 ft climbing to 11000 ft, right turn to 010 degrees.' at first he did not say anything back, but then came back and told us to stop the climb at 2000 ft. At the time, we were at around 1600 ft and a normal leveloff at 2000 ft was performed. Departure then informed us that we had turned the wrong direction. We should have turned to the left, and to maintain 2000 ft for company jet at 4000 ft on downwind. No problems were encountered by the company jet because of us and no TCASII conflicts were noted. We cleared the company and resumed our climb. Departure was very nice about what had happened and told us that it had been done at least 2 other times. He asked if the tower had issued the heading, and we said no it was given by clearance. He said the tower should have backed up the heading because it was not a normal thing to turn to the left across the active runway 16L and in the long way around to 010 degrees. The captain and I discussed this issue at length. I believe the problem needs to be address as soon as possible. Clearance delivery should not be giving turns after takeoff. That is something that the tower almost always does everywhere we fly into. Then the tower should have stated the need for a non-standard left turn around to 010 degree heading. The airport was not in the slightest bit busy. No reason for the tower not to give the heading after takeoff. Supplement information from acn 587042: during preflight briefing at the gate, first officer advised after takeoff we were assigned a 010 degree heading. I wrote down right turn 010 degrees. I repeated to the first officer right turn, 010 degree climb to 7000 ft. At the end of the runway, tower cleared us for takeoff without assigning a heading or a direction to turn. I confirmed the heading and turn with the first officer. He stated 'clearance delivery did not give a direction to make the turn' and he assumed it was a right turn also. I was sure of the right turn due to runway 16L being active, and the previous departure, no longer in use, calling for a right turn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AVOIDED BY DEP CTLR WHEN OBSERVING AN INCORRECT DEP TURN USED BY THE FLT CREW OF A DEP B737-700 OFF RWY 16R AT SMF, CA.

Narrative: I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC FROM SMF CLRNC DELIVERY. 'COMPANY FLT NUMBER, AFTER DEP, FLY HDG 010 DEGS FOR RADAR VECTORS TO RED BLUFF (RBL), THEN AS FILED, MAINTAIN 11000 FT DEP FREQ AND XPONDER CODE.' READ IT BACK AS STATED. WE HAD A FULL ACFT WITH ONE OF OUR PLTS IN THE JUMPSEAT. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND ALL CHKLISTS AND CREW BRIEFINGS WERE COMPLETED. THE CAPT WAS AWARE OF THE CLRNC AND TURN AFTER TKOF. WE WERE PARKED AT GATE. A TKOF WAS PLANNED FOR RWY 16R. WE WERE GIVEN TKOF CLRNC BY THE TWR ON RWY 16R AND NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS. THE CAPT WAS THE PF AND THE TKOF WAS NORMAL. AT 500 FT, HE BEGAN HIS R TURN TO 010 DEGS AND THE TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEP CTL. AS HE STARTED HIS R TURN, I COULD SEE A COMPANY JET ON THE R DOWNWIND IN OUR TURN. I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A CLB TO 11000 FT AND A TURN. AS I CHKED IN WITH DEP, I MADE SURE I TOLD HIM THAT 'COMPANY NUMBER IS OUT OF 1000 FT CLBING TO 11000 FT, R TURN TO 010 DEGS.' AT FIRST HE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING BACK, BUT THEN CAME BACK AND TOLD US TO STOP THE CLB AT 2000 FT. AT THE TIME, WE WERE AT AROUND 1600 FT AND A NORMAL LEVELOFF AT 2000 FT WAS PERFORMED. DEP THEN INFORMED US THAT WE HAD TURNED THE WRONG DIRECTION. WE SHOULD HAVE TURNED TO THE L, AND TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT FOR COMPANY JET AT 4000 FT ON DOWNWIND. NO PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED BY THE COMPANY JET BECAUSE OF US AND NO TCASII CONFLICTS WERE NOTED. WE CLRED THE COMPANY AND RESUMED OUR CLB. DEP WAS VERY NICE ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TOLD US THAT IT HAD BEEN DONE AT LEAST 2 OTHER TIMES. HE ASKED IF THE TWR HAD ISSUED THE HDG, AND WE SAID NO IT WAS GIVEN BY CLRNC. HE SAID THE TWR SHOULD HAVE BACKED UP THE HDG BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A NORMAL THING TO TURN TO THE L ACROSS THE ACTIVE RWY 16L AND IN THE LONG WAY AROUND TO 010 DEGS. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE AT LENGTH. I BELIEVE THE PROB NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS ASAP. CLRNC DELIVERY SHOULD NOT BE GIVING TURNS AFTER TKOF. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE TWR ALMOST ALWAYS DOES EVERYWHERE WE FLY INTO. THEN THE TWR SHOULD HAVE STATED THE NEED FOR A NON-STANDARD L TURN AROUND TO 010 DEG HDG. THE ARPT WAS NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST BIT BUSY. NO REASON FOR THE TWR NOT TO GIVE THE HDG AFTER TKOF. SUPPLEMENT INFO FROM ACN 587042: DURING PREFLT BRIEFING AT THE GATE, FO ADVISED AFTER TKOF WE WERE ASSIGNED A 010 DEG HDG. I WROTE DOWN R TURN 010 DEGS. I REPEATED TO THE FO R TURN, 010 DEG CLB TO 7000 FT. AT THE END OF THE RWY, TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF WITHOUT ASSIGNING A HDG OR A DIRECTION TO TURN. I CONFIRMED THE HDG AND TURN WITH THE FO. HE STATED 'CLRNC DELIVERY DID NOT GIVE A DIRECTION TO MAKE THE TURN' AND HE ASSUMED IT WAS A R TURN ALSO. I WAS SURE OF THE R TURN DUE TO RWY 16L BEING ACTIVE, AND THE PREVIOUS DEP, NO LONGER IN USE, CALLING FOR A R TURN.

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.