B727-200
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors
Non-tower operations after a significant ramp hold for weather at our destination and departure airports. Non-tower operations procedures reviewed and thoroughly briefed to include the Obstacle Departure Procedure (ODP). ATC clearance received at end of runway from Center which stated: You are released; fly runway heading; maintain 5;000; direct your first NAVAID as filed; and expect 340 ten minutes after departure; departure frequency 118.55. First Officer was flying and briefed runway heading 5;000...all other appropriate items covered with reminder of no turns below 2;000 for ODP. Takeoff uneventful with strong crosswind out of south and significant weather to the east and north. As pilot not flying; I made final call on CTAF that we were departing the airport airspace and would be turning west. Contacted Center as the First Officer entered right bank at 2;100 MSL to proceed on course (ODP). Center immediately answered my check-in and asked if we were maintaining runway heading. We had turned approximately 30 degrees right and I directed First Officer to turn immediately back to 092 degrees. Told Center we were executing ODP and turning back to runway heading. He replied OK and said we could maintain current heading which by then was back to runway heading. About 30 seconds later Center said 'Radar Contact' and gave us a right turn direct as filed. Center made no mention of any course deviation or any problem with our ground track. No other aircraft were in the immediate area and no separation issues occurred. For me; I was predisposed for the right turn on course after the ODP as that was the standard clearance we received from departure control on my two previous departures. So even though we had just briefed; 'runway heading to 5;000' as per our clearance; once airborne at the minimum turn altitude for the ODP; I expected a right turn. When the pilot flying turned right; it didn't flag as an error as it should have. Clearance was copied; appropriately briefed and two folks let 'the standard' occur when a 'non-standard' was the clearance. Don't allow familiarity with a location set 'expectation bias'.
A B727-200 departed a non towered airport cleared to maintain runway heading to 5;000 FT but at 2;000 FT turned as per the Obstacle Departure Procedure (ODP) because of a predisposition for briefed pre-takeoff procedure.