Widebody; Low Wing; 4 Turbojet Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 1.5
Communication Breakdown
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Procedure; Human Factors
Aircraft X was cleared for take-off runway 15L with a right turn heading 360; the pilot read the clearance back correctly including the right turn heading 360.  Becoming airborne; he made a left turn heading 360.  Because we were arriving west; this put him in conflict with traffic arriving runway 27; specifically involving the wake turbulence from the Aircraft X. Traffic was exchanged to both the Aircraft X and the Aircraft Y arriving runway 27.  Aircraft X was instructed to expedite his climb for traffic.  The Aircraft Y arriving runway 27 was advised of the wake turbulence and the altitude of Aircraft X and was told his best course would be to continue his descent and land keeping him below the wake.  Breaking out Aircraft Y would have put him in the middle of the wake turbulence.
IAH Tower Controller describes a departure turning the wrong direction; into the arrival path of a smaller jet causing a wake turbulence problem.