Narrative:

Flight mdw-det. Filed and cleared via mdw 3 SID. This SID required you climb to 1300' before beginning turn eastbound and to keep turn within 4 NM of mdw. The active runway was 31 and our initial turn was to 090 degrees. Upon contacting departure control we were cleared to 4000'. The cockpit was very busy during this event. Configuring airplane from flaps 5 to 1, then accelerate to 190 KTS, then flaps to 0, then setting climb thrust. While checking in with departure, acknowledging clearance to 4000' reset altitude alert to 4000', watching out for VFR traffic, etc, I found myself concentrating on the first SID restriction and not anticipating the requirement for the second. Ie, I was aware of the climb to 1300' prior to commencing turn to 090 degrees, but underestimated my turning radius at 210 KIAS to 090 degrees (140 degree turn). The maximum DME I saw was 4.4, but my first officer said he saw as much as 4.8 departure control immediately responded by screaming, 'tighten your turn to 140 degrees now! You're not in compliance with the SID...you're not even close southwest....you're supposed to maintain a 4 mi arc. There is traffic at 10 O'clock and 5000' for O'hare.' the first officer responded that we were about 4 NM and departure said he showed 6 NM! This was very distracting and I found myself examining the SID footnotes when I heard the altitude alert go off. I looked up to see us climbing through 4300'. I immediately pulled off power and lowered the nose to descend to maintain 4000'. Maximum altitude was 4500' during overshoot. I accept full responsibility for not anticipating the turn radius to comply with the 4 NM arc and next time will surely stay at flaps 1 and 170 KIAS until turn completed. I do take exception however to being berated by the controller while in the heat of battle. A simple directive to tighten our turn to heading because we were overshooting the arc would have sufficed. His persecution over the radio was very unnerving, very professional and, as a consequence, very unsafe. Upon examining the mdw 3 SID in detail I would like to make the following suggestions: 1) if 4 DME is that critical, then move arc in to 3 DME to increase margin of safety in the event of an overshoot. 2) have the tower issue instructions to keep turn within 4 NM when they issue takeoff clearance as a further reinforcement of the requirement (if it's that critical). This is done routinely at hou as well as abq (abq instruction is for noise abatement). In closing I would like to extend my personal thanks to all the men and women at the NASA ASRS. We appreciate your concern and support.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG DEPARTING MDW ON SID FAILED TO MAINTAIN A 4 MILE ARC AND ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: FLT MDW-DET. FILED AND CLRED VIA MDW 3 SID. THIS SID REQUIRED YOU CLB TO 1300' BEFORE BEGINNING TURN EBND AND TO KEEP TURN WITHIN 4 NM OF MDW. THE ACTIVE RWY WAS 31 AND OUR INITIAL TURN WAS TO 090 DEGS. UPON CONTACTING DEP CTL WE WERE CLRED TO 4000'. THE COCKPIT WAS VERY BUSY DURING THIS EVENT. CONFIGURING AIRPLANE FROM FLAPS 5 TO 1, THEN ACCELERATE TO 190 KTS, THEN FLAPS TO 0, THEN SETTING CLB THRUST. WHILE CHKING IN WITH DEP, ACKNOWLEDGING CLRNC TO 4000' RESET ALT ALERT TO 4000', WATCHING OUT FOR VFR TFC, ETC, I FOUND MYSELF CONCENTRATING ON THE FIRST SID RESTRICTION AND NOT ANTICIPATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE SECOND. IE, I WAS AWARE OF THE CLB TO 1300' PRIOR TO COMMENCING TURN TO 090 DEGS, BUT UNDERESTIMATED MY TURNING RADIUS AT 210 KIAS TO 090 DEGS (140 DEG TURN). THE MAX DME I SAW WAS 4.4, BUT MY F/O SAID HE SAW AS MUCH AS 4.8 DEP CTL IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED BY SCREAMING, 'TIGHTEN YOUR TURN TO 140 DEGS NOW! YOU'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SID...YOU'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE SW....YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN A 4 MI ARC. THERE IS TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 5000' FOR O'HARE.' THE F/O RESPONDED THAT WE WERE ABOUT 4 NM AND DEP SAID HE SHOWED 6 NM! THIS WAS VERY DISTRACTING AND I FOUND MYSELF EXAMINING THE SID FOOTNOTES WHEN I HEARD THE ALT ALERT GO OFF. I LOOKED UP TO SEE US CLBING THROUGH 4300'. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF PWR AND LOWERED THE NOSE TO DSND TO MAINTAIN 4000'. MAX ALT WAS 4500' DURING OVERSHOOT. I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT ANTICIPATING THE TURN RADIUS TO COMPLY WITH THE 4 NM ARC AND NEXT TIME WILL SURELY STAY AT FLAPS 1 AND 170 KIAS UNTIL TURN COMPLETED. I DO TAKE EXCEPTION HOWEVER TO BEING BERATED BY THE CTLR WHILE IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE. A SIMPLE DIRECTIVE TO TIGHTEN OUR TURN TO HDG BECAUSE WE WERE OVERSHOOTING THE ARC WOULD HAVE SUFFICED. HIS PERSECUTION OVER THE RADIO WAS VERY UNNERVING, VERY PROFESSIONAL AND, AS A CONSEQUENCE, VERY UNSAFE. UPON EXAMINING THE MDW 3 SID IN DETAIL I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS: 1) IF 4 DME IS THAT CRITICAL, THEN MOVE ARC IN TO 3 DME TO INCREASE MARGIN OF SAFETY IN THE EVENT OF AN OVERSHOOT. 2) HAVE THE TWR ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS TO KEEP TURN WITHIN 4 NM WHEN THEY ISSUE TKOF CLRNC AS A FURTHER REINFORCEMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT (IF IT'S THAT CRITICAL). THIS IS DONE ROUTINELY AT HOU AS WELL AS ABQ (ABQ INSTRUCTION IS FOR NOISE ABATEMENT). IN CLOSING I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY PERSONAL THANKS TO ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN AT THE NASA ASRS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN AND SUPPORT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.