PLT OF AN SMA FAILED TO TURN AT THE SPECIFIED ALT DURING DEP DUE TO NOT REMEMBERING OR COPYING; OR MISINTERPING THE CLRNC FOR THE LOW ALT TURN AFTER TKOF; RESULTING IN A CONFLICT WITH A MIL P3.

Narrative

DEP CLRNC: PREPARING TO DEPART CAMARILLO ARPT FOR EL MONTE ARPT AT APPROX XX20 ON NOV/XA/98. I REQUESTED A 'TWR ENRTE IFR CLRNC.' IN THE RUN-UP AREA; I COPIED AND READ BACK THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: 'SMA CLRED TO THE EL MONTE ARPT. AFTER DEP TURN R; HDG 230 DEGS; RADAR VECTORS VAN NUYS VICTOR 186 PARADISE DIRECT; MAINTAIN 4000 FT EXPECT 5000 FT IN 5 MINS; DEP FREQ 124.7; SQUAWK XXXX.' AFTER LIFTOFF AND AT APPROX 500 FT AGL; DEP CTL ASKED IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN AN INSTRUCTION TO START THE TURN AT 400 FT. I SAID NO; NOT THAT I RECALL; AND NOT THAT I READ BACK. HE GAVE ME AN INSTRUCTION TO TURN AND CALLED OUT TFC; I BELIEVE A MIL P3 XING N TO S ABOUT 3-4 MI E. THE RWY 8 IFR DEP PROC CALLS FOR '...CLB TO 2500 FT VIA THE CMA VOR 061 DEG RADIAL.' I THINK NORMALLY I WOULD START THE TURN JUST BELOW PATTERN ALT WITHOUT A SPECIAL INSTRUCTION. TWR CTLRS WERE VERY; VERY BUSY WITH LOTS OF LNDG AND DEPARTING TFC AND A LARGE MIX OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACFT. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL ASK FOR ALT AT WHICH TO START THE TURN.