Narrative:

I was captain on this flight and was cleared for takeoff runway 29R to maintain runway heading. The copilot was flying when at about 1600 ft MSL the tower tried to give me a clearance. At this critical phase of the flight I could not safely accept a clearance let alone read it back. To attempt to do so would have broken my concentration of monitoring aircraft performance, copilot performance, and visual traffic. The controller called again a few seconds later as we were starting to retract the flaps. Since I still could not accept a clearance I broke my concentration long enough to tell the controller to stand by. I would rather have not tried to talk to the controller at this time but I realized that he would have continued to call, further detracting from my safe operation of my aircraft. A few seconds later after the flaps were up and we were stabilized in a climb, I called the tower and told them to go ahead with the clearance. We were cleared to turn to 360 degree and contact departure control. I read back the clearance as required and complied. Later in the climb, it was requested that I contact a phone number when I got on the ground. I responded that I would do so when I returned from ywc. I made this telephone call at about XX40 local sep/mon/91. I was told that things were done differently at msp and that I messed up the works by not accepting the clearance when it was issued regardless of the phase of flight or the workload I was under. I suggested that this could be avoided in the future if they would but give us any heading requirements before takeoff. This would allow all my crew to understand the clearance and we could concentrate on flying the aircraft safely. He told me that was not possible because of noise restrictions. I then suggested that a SID be developed but was told that this was also impossible. I do not understand why this is impossible at msp or any other united states airport since it is done all over canada and even at very busy airports like toronto the tower controller does not find it necessary to talk to us after we have been issued takeoff clearance. I am sorry to have caused a problem but I would be remiss in my duties as captain if I were to allow a deterioration of safety margins just to make work easier for the controller. This policy that allows controllers to badger us with clrncs during critical phases of flight is unnecessary and terribly unsafe and should be stopped immediately.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ATC INSTRUCTION CLRNC BY PIC ON DEP PROC CREATES A TECHNICAL HDG TRACK DEV.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON THIS FLT AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 29R TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG. THE COPLT WAS FLYING WHEN AT ABOUT 1600 FT MSL THE TWR TRIED TO GIVE ME A CLRNC. AT THIS CRITICAL PHASE OF THE FLT I COULD NOT SAFELY ACCEPT A CLRNC LET ALONE READ IT BACK. TO ATTEMPT TO DO SO WOULD HAVE BROKEN MY CONCENTRATION OF MONITORING ACFT PERFORMANCE, COPLT PERFORMANCE, AND VISUAL TFC. THE CTLR CALLED AGAIN A FEW SECONDS LATER AS WE WERE STARTING TO RETRACT THE FLAPS. SINCE I STILL COULD NOT ACCEPT A CLRNC I BROKE MY CONCENTRATION LONG ENOUGH TO TELL THE CTLR TO STAND BY. I WOULD RATHER HAVE NOT TRIED TO TALK TO THE CTLR AT THIS TIME BUT I REALIZED THAT HE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO CALL, FURTHER DETRACTING FROM MY SAFE OP OF MY ACFT. A FEW SECONDS LATER AFTER THE FLAPS WERE UP AND WE WERE STABILIZED IN A CLB, I CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM TO GO AHEAD WITH THE CLRNC. WE WERE CLRED TO TURN TO 360 DEG AND CONTACT DEP CTL. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AS REQUIRED AND COMPLIED. LATER IN THE CLB, IT WAS REQUESTED THAT I CONTACT A PHONE NUMBER WHEN I GOT ON THE GND. I RESPONDED THAT I WOULD DO SO WHEN I RETURNED FROM YWC. I MADE THIS TELEPHONE CALL AT ABOUT XX40 LCL SEP/MON/91. I WAS TOLD THAT THINGS WERE DONE DIFFERENTLY AT MSP AND THAT I MESSED UP THE WORKS BY NOT ACCEPTING THE CLRNC WHEN IT WAS ISSUED REGARDLESS OF THE PHASE OF FLT OR THE WORKLOAD I WAS UNDER. I SUGGESTED THAT THIS COULD BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE IF THEY WOULD BUT GIVE US ANY HDG REQUIREMENTS BEFORE TKOF. THIS WOULD ALLOW ALL MY CREW TO UNDERSTAND THE CLRNC AND WE COULD CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE ACFT SAFELY. HE TOLD ME THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF NOISE RESTRICTIONS. I THEN SUGGESTED THAT A SID BE DEVELOPED BUT WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE AT MSP OR ANY OTHER UNITED STATES ARPT SINCE IT IS DONE ALL OVER CANADA AND EVEN AT VERY BUSY ARPTS LIKE TORONTO THE TWR CTLR DOES NOT FIND IT NECESSARY TO TALK TO US AFTER WE HAVE BEEN ISSUED TKOF CLRNC. I AM SORRY TO HAVE CAUSED A PROBLEM BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IN MY DUTIES AS CAPT IF I WERE TO ALLOW A DETERIORATION OF SAFETY MARGINS JUST TO MAKE WORK EASIER FOR THE CTLR. THIS POLICY THAT ALLOWS CTLRS TO BADGER US WITH CLRNCS DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT IS UNNECESSARY AND TERRIBLY UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY.

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.