A DA40 ON THE TEB DEP WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT; BUT FAILED TO TURN TO 280 DEGS AT 1500 FT; ASSUMING HE WAS ON A VECTOR WITH THE ALT ASSIGNMENT.

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I WAS ON THE TEB 5 DEP AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY TEB TO CLB TO (I BELIEVE IT WAS) 4000 FT (PRIOR TO MY REACHING THE PUBLISHED 1500 FT OF THE TEB 5 DEP); WITH WHICH I COMPLIED. I (APPARENTLY MISTAKENLY) THOUGHT THAT SINCE I HAD BEEN TOLD A SPECIFIC ALTITUDE I WAS BEING VECTORED AROUND TFC AND WAS NO LONGER ON THE TEB 5 PUBLISHED DEP PROC; AND WAITED TO HEAR FURTHER VECTORS AND ALTS FROM TEB DEP. A FEW MINS LATER TEB ATC ASKED ME WHAT MY HDG WAS AND I INFORMED HIM THAT IT WAS 250 DEGS (I HAD DRIFTED A BIT); AND WAS WAITING FURTHER HDG/ALT GUIDANCE. HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD MISSED MY TURN TO 280 DEGS AS PUBLISHED. HE WAS A BIT PERTURBED BUT QUITE NICE ABOUT IT AND INFORMED ME HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS THAT I FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED PROC. HE THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN TO 270 DEGS; WITH WHICH I COMPLIED. THIS IS MOST IRONIC SINCE I HAD READ RECENTLY ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO BE SURE THAT ONE FOLLOWS THE PUBLISHED TEB DEP PROC; I SPECIFICALLY READ THE DEP PROC (AFTER HAVING BEEN GIVEN IT BY CLRNC DELIVERY AT TEB); AND HAD MY PAGE (IN THE PLATES) BOOKMARKED/CLIPPED TO THE TEB 5 PROC PAGE OF THE US TERMINAL PROC BOOK; AND THEN INTENTIONALLY ABANDONED THEM WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS BEING MANUALLY VECTORED BY SUPERSEDING; OVERRIDING ATC COMMANDS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE MOST INSTRUCTIONAL TO OTHER PLTS WHO MAY HAVE A SIMILAR MISUNDERSTANDING; AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEED THIS BACK INTO THE SYSTEM. PERHAPS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO STRESS TO OTHERS THAT SPECIFIC ALT INSTRUCTIONS FROM DEP THAT DIFFER FROM A SID PROC DO NOT MEAN THAT ONE IS NOW BEING MANUALLY VECTORED OR THAT THE PROC NO LONGER APPLIES; AND THAT ONE SHOULD CONTINUE TO FLY THAT PUBLISHED PROC FROM THE NEW ALT (AND PERHAPS HDG IF SO VECTORED) UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED OTHERWISE.