Narrative:

I was cleared to takeoff at st louis lambert (stl). My clearance was climb to 3000 ft cards 1 departure, suzie transition. After takeoff tower had me turn to 070 and contact departure. When I contacted departure the controller seemed indifferent and questionable and radio traffic seemed sparse compared to other times. It didn't make sense, something seemed wrong, and I continued along for another min or so. I couldn't figure out why they were taking me so far east. I questioned them and asked for higher. They asked who and where I was and what I wanted. Now I was sure something was wrong. I told them I was off of lambert IFR to msp. They then turned me over to lambert departure 119.15. I'm not sure but I think I was talking to spirit of st louis departure as the departure frequency 126.7 on the cards 1 departure. After I reestablished communication with lambert departure, I tried to figure out what happened. I realized there was more than 1 cards 1 departure procedure for the st louis area. There is a cards 1 (10-31 commercial publication) for lambert and a cards 1 (20-31 commercial publication) for spirit of st louis. The graphics and text are exactly the same except for the departure frequency and the name of the airport. Clearance delivery at st louis does not give you a departure frequency when a clearance is given, which always makes me feel uneasy. It assumes you take the frequency off the departure procedure, which I did, but I had the wrong cards 1 procedure out. I had used the procedure 3 or 4 times on earlier trips and was reasonably familiar, so when I reviewed the graphic and text quickly it all looked correct to me. With 2 cards 1 departure procedures at st louis there might be a trap again for another pilot in the future. I especially suggest that clearance delivery give the departure frequency in their clrncs as most other facilities do. I don't know of any other places that do not give a departure frequency in these clrncs. I also suggest that there somehow be a more obvious differentiation when you have the same departure route but for different airports. Maybe commercial publication could put their frequency right next to the airport name. I ended up traveling 3 or 4 mins without radar control or 12 or 13 mi before the situation could be cleared up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT PLT USED A SID PLATE FOR SUS WHEN HE WAS DEPARTING STL. THE SIDS HAVE THE SAME NAME, CARDS 1

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO TKOF AT ST LOUIS LAMBERT (STL). MY CLRNC WAS CLB TO 3000 FT CARDS 1 DEP, SUZIE TRANSITION. AFTER TKOF TWR HAD ME TURN TO 070 AND CONTACT DEP. WHEN I CONTACTED DEP THE CTLR SEEMED INDIFFERENT AND QUESTIONABLE AND RADIO TFC SEEMED SPARSE COMPARED TO OTHER TIMES. IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE, SOMETHING SEEMED WRONG, AND I CONTINUED ALONG FOR ANOTHER MIN OR SO. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THEY WERE TAKING ME SO FAR E. I QUESTIONED THEM AND ASKED FOR HIGHER. THEY ASKED WHO AND WHERE I WAS AND WHAT I WANTED. NOW I WAS SURE SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I TOLD THEM I WAS OFF OF LAMBERT IFR TO MSP. THEY THEN TURNED ME OVER TO LAMBERT DEP 119.15. I'M NOT SURE BUT I THINK I WAS TALKING TO SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS DEP AS THE DEP FREQ 126.7 ON THE CARDS 1 DEP. AFTER I REESTABLISHED COM WITH LAMBERT DEP, I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. I REALIZED THERE WAS MORE THAN 1 CARDS 1 DEP PROC FOR THE ST LOUIS AREA. THERE IS A CARDS 1 (10-31 COMMERCIAL PUBLICATION) FOR LAMBERT AND A CARDS 1 (20-31 COMMERCIAL PUBLICATION) FOR SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS. THE GRAPHICS AND TEXT ARE EXACTLY THE SAME EXCEPT FOR THE DEP FREQ AND THE NAME OF THE ARPT. CLRNC DELIVERY AT ST LOUIS DOES NOT GIVE YOU A DEP FREQ WHEN A CLRNC IS GIVEN, WHICH ALWAYS MAKES ME FEEL UNEASY. IT ASSUMES YOU TAKE THE FREQ OFF THE DEP PROC, WHICH I DID, BUT I HAD THE WRONG CARDS 1 PROC OUT. I HAD USED THE PROC 3 OR 4 TIMES ON EARLIER TRIPS AND WAS REASONABLY FAMILIAR, SO WHEN I REVIEWED THE GRAPHIC AND TEXT QUICKLY IT ALL LOOKED CORRECT TO ME. WITH 2 CARDS 1 DEP PROCS AT ST LOUIS THERE MIGHT BE A TRAP AGAIN FOR ANOTHER PLT IN THE FUTURE. I ESPECIALLY SUGGEST THAT CLRNC DELIVERY GIVE THE DEP FREQ IN THEIR CLRNCS AS MOST OTHER FACILITIES DO. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER PLACES THAT DO NOT GIVE A DEP FREQ IN THESE CLRNCS. I ALSO SUGGEST THAT THERE SOMEHOW BE A MORE OBVIOUS DIFFERENTIATION WHEN YOU HAVE THE SAME DEP RTE BUT FOR DIFFERENT ARPTS. MAYBE COMMERCIAL PUBLICATION COULD PUT THEIR FREQ RIGHT NEXT TO THE ARPT NAME. I ENDED UP TRAVELING 3 OR 4 MINS WITHOUT RADAR CTL OR 12 OR 13 MI BEFORE THE SITUATION COULD BE CLRED UP.

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.