Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40; Flight Crew Total 300; Flight Crew Type 210
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
I was PIC on a Part 91 flight departing Fairbanks. I informed the Ground Controller on initial call up that my requested outbound heading was 232. When I received my takeoff clearance for [Runway] 2L the Tower Controller instructed me to fly runway heading. When he passed me off to Departure Control the Departure Controller instructed me to 'turn right on course.' I thought the right turn was unusual due to my requested heading of 232 but I choose not to further query the Controller because I assumed the right turn was to avoid traffic. Shortly after I started the right turn I noticed an aircraft directly in my flight path that had just departed runway Ski Strip 2. I started turning left to avoid the aircraft and at the same time the Departure Controller said something to the effect of '[callsign] turn left; turn left now.' I estimate the distance was no more than one or two hundred feet.
Light aircraft pilot reported an NMAC departing FAI airport following a misunderstanding of the heading clearance.