B727 FLC WITH EMER SIT TURNED OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION ISSUED BY CTLR ON DEP FROM EWR.

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DEPARTED EWR FROM RWY 22R ON HDG 190 DEGS ON EWR 6 SID. AT APPROX 1200 FT; #3 ENG LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AS THE SO RPTED ALL OTHER ENG INDICATIONS AND INDICATORS WERE READING NORMAL; EWR DEP DIRECTED A TURN (AS WE LATER LEARNED) TO THE R TO HDG 040 DEGS. AT THE TIME; I DO NOT REMEMBER A DIRECTION OF TURN BEING ISSUED; HOWEVER; WE WERE OPERATING AT LOW ALT 1200 FT AGL; IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT (CLEAN UP AFTER TKOF WITH POTENTIAL SEVERE ENG MALFUNCTION) IN A VERY HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA (EWR AT XA00). A L TURN WAS THE SHORTEST DIRECTION TO 040 DEGS FROM OUR PRESENT HDG OF 190 DEGS. I TOLD PF TURN TO 040 DEGS AND SLEWED HDG MARKER L TO 040 DEGS. THE PF STARTED A L TURN TO 040 DEGS. ONCE ESTABLISHED IN L TURN; EWR DEP CTL TOLD US HE HAD DIRECTED A R TURN TO 040 DEGS; BUT TO CONTINUE TO THE L AND TO KEEP THE TURN TIGHT. SOON THEREAFTER; THE #3 ENG LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. THE ENTIRE EVENT LASTED APPROX 1 MIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 425727: CAPT RETARDED THROTTLE AND ENG FAIL ILLUMINATED DUE TO AUTOPACK TRIP STILL BEING SELECTED AFTER TKOF CHKLIST HAD NOT BEEN CALLED. DURING TROUBLESHOOTING AND COCKPIT DISCUSSION; DEP CTL CALLED FOR A R TURN TO 040 DEGS FROM CURRENT ACFT HDG OF 190 DEGS. CAPT WAS INVOLVED WITH LOW ALT EMER PROCS WHEN LOW OIL LIGHT EXTINGUISHED; SO A TURN WAS COMMENCED TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW HDG IN THE SHORTEST DIRECTION (L TO 040 DEGS). DURING THE TURN; DEP RECOGNIZED THAT THE TURN HAD BEEN MADE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND INFORMED US THAT HE HAD DIRECTED A R TURN TO 040 DEGS.