Small aircraft flight crews reported miscommunication of departure instructions resulting an NMAC event requiring evasive action.
Synopsis
Small aircraft flight crews reported miscommunication of departure instructions resulting an NMAC event requiring evasive action.
Narrative
I was an instructor flying with a student pilot in Aircraft X. We requested a right crosswind departure from the Palo Alto Airport on Runway 31. When cleared for takeoff the controller cleared us for takeoff and gave us a right Dumbarton departure from Runway 31 and instructed us to keep the departing aircraft off our right side. I did not clearly hear all of that instruction and the part regarding a right Dumbarton departure. The student did here it; and repeated it back to the controller. The intercom system in that aircraft is not the best so I did not here his response to the controller. Once we saw the departing aircraft pass us on the downwind; we started our turn from the upwind to the right cross-wind thinking that was okay to do since we requested a right crosswind departure. That's when we saw another aircraft on the downwind that was following the aircraft that we first saw on the downwind. We took an evasive action to avoid that aircraft. We then proceeded to our practice area for ground reference maneuvers. The student pilot was requested to call the tower upon landing; which we did. The issue with this event was a lack of clear communications and understanding.Contributing factors included a very busy aircraft environment at the Palo Alto Airport at the time and student/instructor communication interaction that led to the confusion.
Second reporter narrative
I was flying as a student pilot with my flight instructor. We requested a right cross wind departure from Palo Alto Airport; but received a right Dumbarton bridge departure and were instructed to keep the upwind plane on the right. Because it was the first time I flew the Aircraft X in some time and it had new equipment; I was more distracted than usual and missed that it was a 'Dumbarton' rather than 'crosswind' clearance. I must have repeated back Dumbarton; but in my head; as well as in my instructor's; we both thought it was Right Crosswind (because that is what we requested). After we took off and were at about 500-600 feet I asked my instructor if the upwind plane I was supposed to keep on my right was still a factor and he said he thought it was already past abeam us in the pattern; so was not a factor. So then I looked and did not immediately see any plane and turned right to exit the pattern. After turning; I saw the plane coming in our direction at the same time as the tower instructed us to 'make an immediate turn onto downwind leg'. Immediately after seeing the plane; I made the necessary correction; which was exactly what the tower instructed: turning right to the downwind leg. This was an unintentional deviation from the right Dumbarton departure clearance and was our fault for not hearing and remembering the Dumbarton departure clearance. And though I did hear 'keep the upwind plane on your right'; my flight instructor did not realize that it was still a factor. In this case; I should have asked ATC if I was clear to turn right to depart the pattern; because there was a bit of disagreement between my instructor and me on whether the plane ahead of us in pattern was still an issue. In this rare case; I was actually right and should have listened to my gut feeling and communicated better with ATC before turning right to exit the pattern.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.