Narrative:

To my knowledge there is no violation or wrong doing by anyone in this report. This is a system problem. For a flight psp to sfo the company has pre-filed and pre-programmed in the medium large transport IRS computer direct psp-cathedral 5-PMD-ave-bsr-sfo. ATC procedures use cathedral 5 SID only when tower and/or radar is out of service. Normally, ATC procedures use the palm springs 2 departure SID radar vector to V-386 direct palm dale, flight plan route, maintain 4000'. Now ATC has brought into being two routes-ie, the one they knowingly agreed to with the company when they accepted the center stored flight plan; and the one they knowingly actually use. The palm dale 2 is a radar vector departure; but radar vectors don't occur until the pilots are seen not doing their own navigation properly, or the pilots ask for radar vectors. Thus, after airborne on a heading of 100 degrees climbing to 4000', the flight contacts departure and is told to go direct psp, V386 pmd, flight plan route, climb to and maintain 13000' contact los angeles center 126.35. Now, I consider this a third clearance; in that, no longer is the flight on a radar vector departure; but rather, by pilots own navigation to psp V-386-pmd flight planned route. V-386 is not in the medium large transport computer data base nor is yucca or soggi which are fixes on V-386. So the pilot draws a blank from his IRS computer. V-137 is depicted to pmd on the cathedral 5 SID. Why can't the palm dale 2 depict V386 to pmd? The ATC SID or STAR (either radar vector or pilot navigation) should carry the air carrier jet between the airport and the high altitude sector and not expect the pilot to refer to local area charts or low altitude charts in addition to the SID, STAR and the high altitude charts. What really worries me most is that two procedures are combined that can take the pilots into the hills. The controller artificially limits the pilot initially to 4000'. Then, the controller clears the pilot to 13000'. The MEA psp to pmd via the cathedral 5 that is in the pilot's IRS computer routing is 13500'. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Talked to facility manager about assigning SID different than one filed by company. He said that the palm springs SID is issued to all aircraft while the tower/TRACON is in operation. This is due to the general traffic in the area and having more control over the IFR departure to keep them away from the other aircraft. After they close at 2300L, jets are discouraged from using the airport because of noise by airport management. He said that he had discussed this with an air carrier pilot and suspects that it is the same one that sent in the report. He said the PALM2 is used 100 percent of the time by them. Altitude restrictions are needed because TRACON airspace only goes up to 10000'. Higher altitudes are issued later, with a radar handoff to ARTCC about 20 mi north of airport at 9000'. He has made several attempts to have company change filed routing, but they have not done so yet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER COMPLAINS THAT SID FILED BY COMPANY IS SELDOM ISSUED BY ATC.

Narrative: TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO VIOLATION OR WRONG DOING BY ANYONE IN THIS RPT. THIS IS A SYS PROB. FOR A FLT PSP TO SFO THE COMPANY HAS PRE-FILED AND PRE-PROGRAMMED IN THE MLG IRS COMPUTER DIRECT PSP-CATHEDRAL 5-PMD-AVE-BSR-SFO. ATC PROCS USE CATHEDRAL 5 SID ONLY WHEN TWR AND/OR RADAR IS OUT OF SVC. NORMALLY, ATC PROCS USE THE PALM SPRINGS 2 DEP SID RADAR VECTOR TO V-386 DIRECT PALM DALE, FLT PLAN RTE, MAINTAIN 4000'. NOW ATC HAS BROUGHT INTO BEING TWO ROUTES-IE, THE ONE THEY KNOWINGLY AGREED TO WITH THE COMPANY WHEN THEY ACCEPTED THE CENTER STORED FLT PLAN; AND THE ONE THEY KNOWINGLY ACTUALLY USE. THE PALM DALE 2 IS A RADAR VECTOR DEP; BUT RADAR VECTORS DON'T OCCUR UNTIL THE PLTS ARE SEEN NOT DOING THEIR OWN NAV PROPERLY, OR THE PLTS ASK FOR RADAR VECTORS. THUS, AFTER AIRBORNE ON A HDG OF 100 DEGS CLBING TO 4000', THE FLT CONTACTS DEP AND IS TOLD TO GO DIRECT PSP, V386 PMD, FLT PLAN RTE, CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 13000' CONTACT LOS ANGELES CENTER 126.35. NOW, I CONSIDER THIS A THIRD CLRNC; IN THAT, NO LONGER IS THE FLT ON A RADAR VECTOR DEP; BUT RATHER, BY PLTS OWN NAV TO PSP V-386-PMD FLT PLANNED RTE. V-386 IS NOT IN THE MLG COMPUTER DATA BASE NOR IS YUCCA OR SOGGI WHICH ARE FIXES ON V-386. SO THE PLT DRAWS A BLANK FROM HIS IRS COMPUTER. V-137 IS DEPICTED TO PMD ON THE CATHEDRAL 5 SID. WHY CAN'T THE PALM DALE 2 DEPICT V386 TO PMD? THE ATC SID OR STAR (EITHER RADAR VECTOR OR PLT NAV) SHOULD CARRY THE ACR JET BTWN THE ARPT AND THE HIGH ALT SECTOR AND NOT EXPECT THE PLT TO REFER TO LOCAL AREA CHARTS OR LOW ALT CHARTS IN ADDITION TO THE SID, STAR AND THE HIGH ALT CHARTS. WHAT REALLY WORRIES ME MOST IS THAT TWO PROCS ARE COMBINED THAT CAN TAKE THE PLTS INTO THE HILLS. THE CTLR ARTIFICIALLY LIMITS THE PLT INITIALLY TO 4000'. THEN, THE CTLR CLRS THE PLT TO 13000'. THE MEA PSP TO PMD VIA THE CATHEDRAL 5 THAT IS IN THE PLT'S IRS COMPUTER ROUTING IS 13500'. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. TALKED TO FAC MGR ABOUT ASSIGNING SID DIFFERENT THAN ONE FILED BY COMPANY. HE SAID THAT THE PALM SPRINGS SID IS ISSUED TO ALL ACFT WHILE THE TWR/TRACON IS IN OPERATION. THIS IS DUE TO THE GENERAL TFC IN THE AREA AND HAVING MORE CTL OVER THE IFR DEP TO KEEP THEM AWAY FROM THE OTHER ACFT. AFTER THEY CLOSE AT 2300L, JETS ARE DISCOURAGED FROM USING THE ARPT BECAUSE OF NOISE BY ARPT MGMNT. HE SAID THAT HE HAD DISCUSSED THIS WITH AN ACR PLT AND SUSPECTS THAT IT IS THE SAME ONE THAT SENT IN THE RPT. HE SAID THE PALM2 IS USED 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME BY THEM. ALT RESTRICTIONS ARE NEEDED BECAUSE TRACON AIRSPACE ONLY GOES UP TO 10000'. HIGHER ALTS ARE ISSUED LATER, WITH A RADAR HANDOFF TO ARTCC ABOUT 20 MI N OF ARPT AT 9000'. HE HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE COMPANY CHANGE FILED ROUTING, BUT THEY HAVE NOT DONE SO YET.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.