Narrative:

In my airplane at new york laguardia airport, I called for my clearance. They told me, they had no clearance for me. This was because I had forgotten to get a departure reservation. That was what caused my 1.5 hour delay on the ground. On my way to runway 31 I was repositioned in the line twice and my departure clearance was changed I think, twice. The first part of my clearance was 'turn right heading 360 degrees, climb and maintain 5000 ft MSL.' tower instructed, 'cleared for takeoff runway 31, turn right 360 degrees, traffic on a 3 mi final.' I didn't see the traffic until I was on the 360 degree heading, and climbing. It was a large jet transport. I perceived this as a mistake by either me or the tower. The radio was very congested and I was not comfortable being this close to the approach path of the big jet transport, so I continued the turn past north 360 degrees and continued to climb to avoid the traffic landing on runway 22. When tower got back to me, he said, 'you were told to turn right to 360 degrees!' 'turn right to 070 degrees maintain 1500 ft,' turn right 140 degrees, and so on. The rest of the trip home was uneventful. Looking back now, I'm pretty sure that there would have been no collision, and possibly no close call. It just looked too close, and looked like a mistake to me so I turned to insure our clearance. The 360 degree heading was putting me straight for the traffic. The tower controller had no idea that our close proximity was going to scare me into continuing my turn past 360 degrees, but it did. When he came back with the vectors, I think he knew why I didn't follow the order to fly 360 degrees. It just didn't look right, from my perspective.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED IFR SINGLE PLT OF SMA DEPARTING LGA DEVIATED FROM ATCT LCL CTLR ASSIGNED HEADING DUE TO CONCERN OVER SEPARATION WITH INBOUND TRANSPORT.

Narrative: IN MY AIRPLANE AT NEW YORK LAGUARDIA ARPT, I CALLED FOR MY CLRNC. THEY TOLD ME, THEY HAD NO CLRNC FOR ME. THIS WAS BECAUSE I HAD FORGOTTEN TO GET A DEP RESERVATION. THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED MY 1.5 HR DELAY ON THE GND. ON MY WAY TO RWY 31 I WAS REPOSITIONED IN THE LINE TWICE AND MY DEP CLRNC WAS CHANGED I THINK, TWICE. THE FIRST PART OF MY CLRNC WAS 'TURN R HDG 360 DEGS, CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT MSL.' TWR INSTRUCTED, 'CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 31, TURN R 360 DEGS, TFC ON A 3 MI FINAL.' I DIDN'T SEE THE TFC UNTIL I WAS ON THE 360 DEG HDG, AND CLBING. IT WAS A LARGE JET TRANSPORT. I PERCEIVED THIS AS A MISTAKE BY EITHER ME OR THE TWR. THE RADIO WAS VERY CONGESTED AND I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE BEING THIS CLOSE TO THE APCH PATH OF THE BIG JET TRANSPORT, SO I CONTINUED THE TURN PAST N 360 DEGS AND CONTINUED TO CLB TO AVOID THE TFC LNDG ON RWY 22. WHEN TWR GOT BACK TO ME, HE SAID, 'YOU WERE TOLD TO TURN R TO 360 DEGS!' 'TURN R TO 070 DEGS MAINTAIN 1500 FT,' TURN R 140 DEGS, AND SO ON. THE REST OF THE TRIP HOME WAS UNEVENTFUL. LOOKING BACK NOW, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO COLLISION, AND POSSIBLY NO CLOSE CALL. IT JUST LOOKED TOO CLOSE, AND LOOKED LIKE A MISTAKE TO ME SO I TURNED TO INSURE OUR CLRNC. THE 360 DEG HDG WAS PUTTING ME STRAIGHT FOR THE TFC. THE TWR CTLR HAD NO IDEA THAT OUR CLOSE PROX WAS GOING TO SCARE ME INTO CONTINUING MY TURN PAST 360 DEGS, BUT IT DID. WHEN HE CAME BACK WITH THE VECTORS, I THINK HE KNEW WHY I DIDN'T FOLLOW THE ORDER TO FLY 360 DEGS. IT JUST DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.

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.