A310 flight crew attributes heading deviation on departure from cyyc to 'expectation' bias.

Attributes
ACN	635379
Time
Date	200410
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cyyc.airport
State Reference	AB
Altitude	msl single value : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cyyc.tracon tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A310
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors departure sid : stampede
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3700
ASRS Report	635379
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On contacting calgary departure control, received following clearance: 'climb and maintain FL250, passing 6500 ft, fly heading 160 degrees.' halfway through the turn, first officer (PF) questioned the heading as possibly being too far south. I queried ATC and they confirmed heading 160 degrees, but stated the turn was supposed to be to the left, not right. He advised to continue the right turn as there were no separation issues. I don't recall hearing 'turn left,' but don't dispute that it was part of the clearance. Reviewing the situation, there's a note on the cyyc stampede departure stating that no left turns should be commenced until passing 6500 ft, there is high terrain in the area west of the airport (to the left), and 'we always turn right on departure' from runway 34 or runway 28. If we were in fact instructed to turn left, expectation bias for the reasons stated above made a right turn seem like what was expected.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A310 FLT CREW ATTRIBUTES HDG DEV ON DEP FROM CYYC TO 'EXPECTATION' BIAS.

Narrative: ON CONTACTING CALGARY DEP CTL, RECEIVED FOLLOWING CLRNC: 'CLB AND MAINTAIN FL250, PASSING 6500 FT, FLY HDG 160 DEGS.' HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN, FO (PF) QUESTIONED THE HDG AS POSSIBLY BEING TOO FAR S. I QUERIED ATC AND THEY CONFIRMED HDG 160 DEGS, BUT STATED THE TURN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TO THE L, NOT R. HE ADVISED TO CONTINUE THE R TURN AS THERE WERE NO SEPARATION ISSUES. I DON'T RECALL HEARING 'TURN L,' BUT DON'T DISPUTE THAT IT WAS PART OF THE CLRNC. REVIEWING THE SIT, THERE'S A NOTE ON THE CYYC STAMPEDE DEP STATING THAT NO L TURNS SHOULD BE COMMENCED UNTIL PASSING 6500 FT, THERE IS HIGH TERRAIN IN THE AREA W OF THE ARPT (TO THE L), AND 'WE ALWAYS TURN R ON DEP' FROM RWY 34 OR RWY 28. IF WE WERE IN FACT INSTRUCTED TO TURN L, EXPECTATION BIAS FOR THE REASONS STATED ABOVE MADE A R TURN SEEM LIKE WHAT WAS EXPECTED.

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.