Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Procedure; Human Factors; Chart Or Publication
We were taking off from ELP on Runway 22 and had an initial clearance for the TDOWN3 RNAV Departure.  Tower cleared us for takeoff with revised clearance to turn left to 200 and climb to 17;000 [feet].  I was the flying pilot manually flying.  As we were accelerating and getting the aircraft to a clean configuration we were issued a frequency change to Departure.  Upon checking in we were immediately given further instructions which included a right turn after reaching 6;200 feet to 060.  Both of us misunderstood the turn right part of the clearance.  The FO (First Officer) read back 'passing 6;200 heading 060' and had no response from the controller.  We climbed through 6;200 and turned left. We were about half way through the left turn when the controller saw the mistake and told us it was a right turn; but then told us to continue the left turn.  He later asked us to call them for possible pilot certificate action. There are several causal factors [due to direction of turn by flight crew].  First; having a clearance for an RNAV departure that has a left turn from Runway 22 sets you up to expect a left turn out for protected airspace even after receiving a last minute change to the departure plan using radar vectors.  Because the radar vectors are given last minute the old departure stays in the FMC showing the original route on our map displaying that left turn; so even though we were not following the route displayed it probably influenced our thought pattern.  There is no published departures turning out to the right from Runway 22 due to mountainous terrain if you are departing east.  Secondly; we also had prebriefed the engine failure procedures that have you turn out to the left for the same reason.  Third; from a 200 heading to turn right to 060 is counter intuitive because it is more than 180 degree turn. All of these factors I think caused expectation bias to turn left and not hear the right turn instruction.  Fourth; the controllers failure to emphasize the right turn part when it is more than 180 from current heading and his not ensuring the read back was correct. Controllers need to emphasize the direction of turn especially if it's more than 180 degrees and ensure they get a correct read back.  On the phone the controller said this was normal to avoid traffic from Mexico.  If this is a common procedure to use radar vectors to turn us out an opposite direction of our assigned clearance then there needs to be some notes somewhere in our charts so we can prepare for that ahead of time.  This non published procedure could cause conflicts with terrain in the event of an engine failure.
The missed approach and takeoff engine failure profiles for Runway 22 tell you to turn left.  The TDOWN 3 SID; we were assigned; tells you to turn left off of Runway 22.  The reason all of the departures turn left on Runway 22 at El Paso is because there is high terrain if you turn right.  On takeoff; we were told to climb to 17;000 feet and turn left to heading 200.  When we contacted Departure; the controller quickly blurted out a long; involved clearance.  I responded; 'Passing 6.2; turn to 060.'  He did not respond back to my radio call.  On a heading of 200; the heading of 060 is to the left.  As we entered the left turn to 060; the controller informed us that he had told us to turn right to 060; he also told us to expedite our left turn and continue to a heading of 010.  When we rolled out on the heading; he told us to call a phone number because of a potential violation.  I read the phone number back to him and asked him to verify.  He did not respond because he was working two frequencies; and was talking to another aircraft on the other frequency. When we called the phone number for El Paso Departure Control; they told us that left turns off Runway 22 often conflict with traffic at a Mexican airport.  So; they often vector you to the right.  The Captain and I have both been in and out of El Paso numerous times; and have never gotten a right turn off Runway 22.  None of our guidance for El Paso says to expect a right hand turn.  Expectation bias caused us to hear 'turn to 060' instead of 'turn right to 060.'  Also; the Departure Controller was working two frequencies and did not catch that we said 'turn to 060.'  Here is what he blurted at us at 1;000 feet AGL while we were retracting the flaps; '[company name]; radar contact; turn right to 060 and climb to 17;000.'  He also had a thick; Hispanic accent.  If the keyword was 'right'; it didn't help that he placed it in the middle of a sentence with no emphasis or follow up. If left departures off Runway 22 conflict with Mexican air traffic; perhaps they need an updated departure procedure.  The ATKNN 5 Departure off Runway 22 turns right; but it continues west bound.  There are no departure procedures for Runway 22 that turn right initially; and then continue to the east.  Also; none of our guidance tells us to expect a right turn off of Runway 22.
Air carrier flight crew reported departure procedures require clarification by ATC and departure charts regarding direction of turn for southwest departures.