Narrative:

Aircraft X was holding short of runway 23 having already completed the before takeoff check 'to the box,' as per company profile. The PNF advised the control tower that they were ready for departure. Fwa tower cleared aircraft X for departure with a clearance stating the current winds, possibly the altimeter setting, a new initial altitude of 10000 ft from the original 5000 ft, and a heading of 050 degrees to join the mizar 3 arrival into detroit. The PNF read back the clearance, completed the 'boxed' items of the before takeoff check, set the new altitude, and bugged the heading of 050 degrees. At the same time, the PF taxied the aircraft onto the runway to begin a rolling takeoff. Normal procedures were followed for the takeoff. After rotation, aircraft X's takeoff profile calls for speed mode (from the automatic flight control system that directs/commands the flight director) to be selected at V2 +10 KTS which the PF called for and that mode was selected by the PNF. At 400 ft AGL as per profile, the PF called for heading mode from the afcs and the PNF selected heading mode. At this time, the flight director command bars initiated a left turn to the preset bug of 050 degrees. The PF cleared the airspace to the left and began the turn to 050 degrees to join the mizar 3 arrival. At that time, the PF queried the PNF if the initial turn was to be left or right. Neither crew member could recall correctly and before the PNF was able to verify, fwa tower transmitted, 'aircraft X, your initial turn was to be a right turn to 050 degrees to join the mizar 3, but no problem, continue left and contact departure.' the PF continued the left turn to 050 degrees and the PNF contacted departure control. At this time, the departure controller asked why we deviated from our original takeoff clearance. The PNF explained that, 'when the heading mode was selected, the command bars initiated a left turn.' since the heading in the takeoff clearance was 180 degrees from runway heading, the afcs heading mode initiated its own predetermined course of action. Fwa departure control explained that if this situation occurred in the afternoon, we would have turned into an area of practicing F16's. Departure said that we were not the only ones that had made the left turn and it was becoming a reoccurring problem. Departure then again asked why we had made a left turn instead of a right turn. The crew gave the same explanation. We were cleared to join the mizar 3 arrival with another heading from departure control. The issue is whether or not the PNF read back the correct direction, or any direction of turn for that matter, for the 050 degrees to join the mizar arrival. The crew cannot positively recall if they heard right turn or not -- merely just a 050 degree heading. Tower had the adequate visibility to immediately correct the crew from the left turn we had initiated. Fatigue may have also played a small role as the crew had arrived at the hotel the night before at approximately XA45 local, due to a delay in hotel transportation, and had an XA00 van ride to the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WRONG DIRECTION OF TURN IS MADE TO THE ASSIGNED INITIAL VECTOR HEADING OF 050 DEGS DURING A DEP FROM RWY 23 AT FWA.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 23 HAVING ALREADY COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHK 'TO THE BOX,' AS PER COMPANY PROFILE. THE PNF ADVISED THE CTL TWR THAT THEY WERE READY FOR DEP. FWA TWR CLRED ACFT X FOR DEP WITH A CLRNC STATING THE CURRENT WINDS, POSSIBLY THE ALTIMETER SETTING, A NEW INITIAL ALT OF 10000 FT FROM THE ORIGINAL 5000 FT, AND A HEADING OF 050 DEGS TO JOIN THE MIZAR 3 ARR INTO DETROIT. THE PNF READ BACK THE CLRNC, COMPLETED THE 'BOXED' ITEMS OF THE BEFORE TKOF CHK, SET THE NEW ALT, AND BUGGED THE HEADING OF 050 DEGS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE PF TAXIED THE ACFT ONTO THE RWY TO BEGIN A ROLLING TKOF. NORMAL PROCS WERE FOLLOWED FOR THE TKOF. AFTER ROTATION, ACFT X'S TKOF PROFILE CALLS FOR SPD MODE (FROM THE AUTOMATIC FLT CTL SYS THAT DIRECTS/COMMANDS THE FLT DIRECTOR) TO BE SELECTED AT V2 +10 KTS WHICH THE PF CALLED FOR AND THAT MODE WAS SELECTED BY THE PNF. AT 400 FT AGL AS PER PROFILE, THE PF CALLED FOR HEADING MODE FROM THE AFCS AND THE PNF SELECTED HEADING MODE. AT THIS TIME, THE FLT DIRECTOR COMMAND BARS INITIATED A L TURN TO THE PRESET BUG OF 050 DEGS. THE PF CLRED THE AIRSPACE TO THE L AND BEGAN THE TURN TO 050 DEGS TO JOIN THE MIZAR 3 ARR. AT THAT TIME, THE PF QUERIED THE PNF IF THE INITIAL TURN WAS TO BE L OR R. NEITHER CREW MEMBER COULD RECALL CORRECTLY AND BEFORE THE PNF WAS ABLE TO VERIFY, FWA TWR XMITTED, 'ACFT X, YOUR INITIAL TURN WAS TO BE A R TURN TO 050 DEGS TO JOIN THE MIZAR 3, BUT NO PROB, CONTINUE L AND CONTACT DEP.' THE PF CONTINUED THE L TURN TO 050 DEGS AND THE PNF CONTACTED DEP CTL. AT THIS TIME, THE DEP CTLR ASKED WHY WE DEVIATED FROM OUR ORIGINAL TKOF CLRNC. THE PNF EXPLAINED THAT, 'WHEN THE HEADING MODE WAS SELECTED, THE COMMAND BARS INITIATED A L TURN.' SINCE THE HEADING IN THE TKOF CLRNC WAS 180 DEGS FROM RWY HEADING, THE AFCS HEADING MODE INITIATED ITS OWN PREDETERMINED COURSE OF ACTION. FWA DEP CTL EXPLAINED THAT IF THIS SIT OCCURRED IN THE AFTERNOON, WE WOULD HAVE TURNED INTO AN AREA OF PRACTICING F16'S. DEP SAID THAT WE WERE NOT THE ONLY ONES THAT HAD MADE THE L TURN AND IT WAS BECOMING A REOCCURRING PROB. DEP THEN AGAIN ASKED WHY WE HAD MADE A L TURN INSTEAD OF A R TURN. THE CREW GAVE THE SAME EXPLANATION. WE WERE CLRED TO JOIN THE MIZAR 3 ARR WITH ANOTHER HEADING FROM DEP CTL. THE ISSUE IS WHETHER OR NOT THE PNF READ BACK THE CORRECT DIRECTION, OR ANY DIRECTION OF TURN FOR THAT MATTER, FOR THE 050 DEGS TO JOIN THE MIZAR ARR. THE CREW CANNOT POSITIVELY RECALL IF THEY HEARD R TURN OR NOT -- MERELY JUST A 050 DEG HEADING. TWR HAD THE ADEQUATE VISIBILITY TO IMMEDIATELY CORRECT THE CREW FROM THE L TURN WE HAD INITIATED. FATIGUE MAY HAVE ALSO PLAYED A SMALL ROLE AS THE CREW HAD ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL THE NIGHT BEFORE AT APPROX XA45 LCL, DUE TO A DELAY IN HOTEL TRANSPORTATION, AND HAD AN XA00 VAN RIDE TO 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.