Narrative:

Takeoff runway 4R. Turned right to 090 degrees before reaching the 4 DME fix as depicted on departure. I caught the error about the same time as departure control. A vector to 040 degrees was issued and complied with. Controller mentioned the early turn which was acknowledged. Normal turn on course and went to center control. Factors: rain, wet runways, ene winds, runway 9 was departure runway. Due to wet runway and heavy aircraft I wanted a longer runway in the event of an aborted takeoff. Runway 15 was offered and accepted due to inbound lndgs on 4R. On taxiout the wind had shifted giving runway 15 an unacceptable tailwind component. Taxied to 4R and departed between inbound aircraft. I had the DME fix for runway 15 departure in mind and then changed runways. I was distracted by: 1) WX radar showing rain shower on course, 2) tower telling us to contact departure. The presentation of the frequency on the page is not user friendly; there was distraction to find the frequency. It had not been given or copied from clearance delivery. Prevent recurrence: the ord departure has departure control frequency depicted in a much more user friendly way than logan 7. Should be a standard presentation. Logan #1 departure shows 6 different departure procedures with only 1 proceeding on runway heading. Is all this maneuvering during initial climb, high workload period necessary? Company does not provide any radar summary or WX depiction charts at bos or 90% of the other airports where crews layover and flts dispatched. Crews never know if it's light showers or heavy thunderstorms in their departure area. This increases the interest in and reliance on the aircraft WX radar. Supplemental information from acn 148152: shortly after takeoff, tower told us to switch to departure. I looked at my copy of the computer flight plan, where I always copy the clearance from clearance delivery, for the departure control frequency. No frequency had been given by clearance. I then looked at my bos 7 departure procedure, which was clipped to the yoke in front of me, for the departure frequency, but didn't find it. Tower was talking to somebody else so I couldn't get a word in to ask for the departure frequency. I obtained the departure frequency from the 10-9 page. When I made contact, departure advised that we had turned early, and gave us a left turn to 040 degrees. Total tie lost in finding the frequency was about 45 seconds. During this time I was not backing up the captain the way I should have been. He turned early, before reaching the 4 DME fix, and I failed to catch it and advise him. Recommendations: some airports that have departure frequency on the departure page still issue the frequency verbally--others do not. Please standardize this. Also, important information such as departure frequency should not be in small print at a 90 degree angle to all the rest of the print on the page.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF A HVT TURNS EARLY ON A SID AND CREATES A HEADING TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: TKOF RWY 4R. TURNED RIGHT TO 090 DEGS BEFORE REACHING THE 4 DME FIX AS DEPICTED ON DEP. I CAUGHT THE ERROR ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS DEP CTL. A VECTOR TO 040 DEGS WAS ISSUED AND COMPLIED WITH. CTLR MENTIONED THE EARLY TURN WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. NORMAL TURN ON COURSE AND WENT TO CENTER CTL. FACTORS: RAIN, WET RWYS, ENE WINDS, RWY 9 WAS DEP RWY. DUE TO WET RWY AND HVY ACFT I WANTED A LONGER RWY IN THE EVENT OF AN ABORTED TKOF. RWY 15 WAS OFFERED AND ACCEPTED DUE TO INBND LNDGS ON 4R. ON TAXIOUT THE WIND HAD SHIFTED GIVING RWY 15 AN UNACCEPTABLE TAILWIND COMPONENT. TAXIED TO 4R AND DEPARTED BTWN INBND ACFT. I HAD THE DME FIX FOR RWY 15 DEP IN MIND AND THEN CHANGED RWYS. I WAS DISTRACTED BY: 1) WX RADAR SHOWING RAIN SHOWER ON COURSE, 2) TWR TELLING US TO CONTACT DEP. THE PRESENTATION OF THE FREQ ON THE PAGE IS NOT USER FRIENDLY; THERE WAS DISTR TO FIND THE FREQ. IT HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN OR COPIED FROM CLRNC DELIVERY. PREVENT RECURRENCE: THE ORD DEP HAS DEP CTL FREQ DEPICTED IN A MUCH MORE USER FRIENDLY WAY THAN LOGAN 7. SHOULD BE A STANDARD PRESENTATION. LOGAN #1 DEP SHOWS 6 DIFFERENT DEP PROCS WITH ONLY 1 PROCEEDING ON RWY HDG. IS ALL THIS MANEUVERING DURING INITIAL CLB, HIGH WORKLOAD PERIOD NECESSARY? COMPANY DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY RADAR SUMMARY OR WX DEPICTION CHARTS AT BOS OR 90% OF THE OTHER ARPTS WHERE CREWS LAYOVER AND FLTS DISPATCHED. CREWS NEVER KNOW IF IT'S LIGHT SHOWERS OR HEAVY TSTMS IN THEIR DEP AREA. THIS INCREASES THE INTEREST IN AND RELIANCE ON THE ACFT WX RADAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 148152: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, TWR TOLD US TO SWITCH TO DEP. I LOOKED AT MY COPY OF THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN, WHERE I ALWAYS COPY THE CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY, FOR THE DEP CTL FREQ. NO FREQ HAD BEEN GIVEN BY CLRNC. I THEN LOOKED AT MY BOS 7 DEP PROC, WHICH WAS CLIPPED TO THE YOKE IN FRONT OF ME, FOR THE DEP FREQ, BUT DIDN'T FIND IT. TWR WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY ELSE SO I COULDN'T GET A WORD IN TO ASK FOR THE DEP FREQ. I OBTAINED THE DEP FREQ FROM THE 10-9 PAGE. WHEN I MADE CONTACT, DEP ADVISED THAT WE HAD TURNED EARLY, AND GAVE US A LEFT TURN TO 040 DEGS. TOTAL TIE LOST IN FINDING THE FREQ WAS ABOUT 45 SECS. DURING THIS TIME I WAS NOT BACKING UP THE CAPT THE WAY I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. HE TURNED EARLY, BEFORE REACHING THE 4 DME FIX, AND I FAILED TO CATCH IT AND ADVISE HIM. RECOMMENDATIONS: SOME ARPTS THAT HAVE DEP FREQ ON THE DEP PAGE STILL ISSUE THE FREQ VERBALLY--OTHERS DO NOT. PLEASE STANDARDIZE THIS. ALSO, IMPORTANT INFO SUCH AS DEP FREQ SHOULD NOT BE IN SMALL PRINT AT A 90 DEG ANGLE TO ALL THE REST OF THE PRINT ON THE PAGE.

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.