Narrative:

A new IFR departure procedure was published for runway 18 at tvl in early dec/92. The procedure requires a climb on runway heading to 9800, then climbing right turn heading 280 and swr 152 to swr VOR/DME. When WX is below 4000-3 the procedure also requires a minimum climb rate of 700 ft per NM to 9800. I am questioning the safety of this procedure. There is a mountain off the departure end of runway 18 on runway heading. The top of that mountain is approximately 1500 ft above the airport and 4 NM from the runway end. The minimum climb rate of 700 ft per NM provides adequate clearance for that obstacle. When the WX is above 4000-3 and the minimum climb rate does not apply, the mountain is easily visible and can be avoided. My concern is: it is possible the pilot of an aircraft capable of climbing at only 300 ft per NM but legally flying this procedure because the WX is above 4000-3 would probably deviate to the west around this mountain, then back to the east on the other side of the mountain in an effort to get back on runway heading. The pilot would then be in a box canyon struggling to out-climb the rapidly rising terrain. Downdrafts and turbulence, common with strong south winds (runway 18 in use), could degrade climb performance below the minimum 200 ft per NM required for obstacle clearance on an IFR departure. Another concern, not really safety related, is: in the above case, assuming the pilot is able to out-climb the terrain, he could be 12 plus mi south of the airport before he reaches 9800 and can begin a turn back toward swr which would now be over 30 mi away. It could conceivably take him a half hour of flying in turbulence and up and down drafts along the crest of the sierra before he reaches swr and can begin flying his filed route. At this airport, where the lowest MEA is 12000 and higher in most places and no radar coverage below 10000, no other IFR approachs or departures could commence until that aircraft was above the MVA or MEA, which could cause extensive delays to other aircraft. Solution: make the 700 ft per NM minimum climb rate applicable regardless of WX. IFR aircraft incapable of achieving that climb rate still have the option of making a VFR climb to the MEA at swr. On a VFR climb, the pilot would proceed to swr by making a downwind departure and climbing over lake tahoe where there are no obstacles. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the IFR departure procedure is located on the airport diagram along with the minimum climb rate. Reporter still feels that it should be a standard climb rate of 700 ft per NM regardless of the WX. He said that the facility manager has been trying for a while to get this published. No ucr filed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR IS CONCERNED ABOUT A NEW IFR DEP PROC AND CLB RATE REQUIRED FOR LIGHT ACFT TOWARDS TERRAIN.

Narrative: A NEW IFR DEP PROC WAS PUBLISHED FOR RWY 18 AT TVL IN EARLY DEC/92. THE PROC REQUIRES A CLB ON RWY HDG TO 9800, THEN CLBING R TURN HDG 280 AND SWR 152 TO SWR VOR/DME. WHEN WX IS BELOW 4000-3 THE PROC ALSO REQUIRES A MINIMUM CLB RATE OF 700 FT PER NM TO 9800. I AM QUESTIONING THE SAFETY OF THIS PROC. THERE IS A MOUNTAIN OFF THE DEP END OF RWY 18 ON RWY HDG. THE TOP OF THAT MOUNTAIN IS APPROX 1500 FT ABOVE THE ARPT AND 4 NM FROM THE RWY END. THE MINIMUM CLB RATE OF 700 FT PER NM PROVIDES ADEQUATE CLRNC FOR THAT OBSTACLE. WHEN THE WX IS ABOVE 4000-3 AND THE MINIMUM CLB RATE DOES NOT APPLY, THE MOUNTAIN IS EASILY VISIBLE AND CAN BE AVOIDED. MY CONCERN IS: IT IS POSSIBLE THE PLT OF AN ACFT CAPABLE OF CLBING AT ONLY 300 FT PER NM BUT LEGALLY FLYING THIS PROC BECAUSE THE WX IS ABOVE 4000-3 WOULD PROBABLY DEVIATE TO THE W AROUND THIS MOUNTAIN, THEN BACK TO THE E ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN IN AN EFFORT TO GET BACK ON RWY HDG. THE PLT WOULD THEN BE IN A BOX CANYON STRUGGLING TO OUT-CLB THE RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN. DOWNDRAFTS AND TURB, COMMON WITH STRONG S WINDS (RWY 18 IN USE), COULD DEGRADE CLB PERFORMANCE BELOW THE MINIMUM 200 FT PER NM REQUIRED FOR OBSTACLE CLRNC ON AN IFR DEP. ANOTHER CONCERN, NOT REALLY SAFETY RELATED, IS: IN THE ABOVE CASE, ASSUMING THE PLT IS ABLE TO OUT-CLB THE TERRAIN, HE COULD BE 12 PLUS MI S OF THE ARPT BEFORE HE REACHES 9800 AND CAN BEGIN A TURN BACK TOWARD SWR WHICH WOULD NOW BE OVER 30 MI AWAY. IT COULD CONCEIVABLY TAKE HIM A HALF HR OF FLYING IN TURB AND UP AND DOWN DRAFTS ALONG THE CREST OF THE SIERRA BEFORE HE REACHES SWR AND CAN BEGIN FLYING HIS FILED RTE. AT THIS ARPT, WHERE THE LOWEST MEA IS 12000 AND HIGHER IN MOST PLACES AND NO RADAR COVERAGE BELOW 10000, NO OTHER IFR APCHS OR DEPS COULD COMMENCE UNTIL THAT ACFT WAS ABOVE THE MVA OR MEA, WHICH COULD CAUSE EXTENSIVE DELAYS TO OTHER ACFT. SOLUTION: MAKE THE 700 FT PER NM MINIMUM CLB RATE APPLICABLE REGARDLESS OF WX. IFR ACFT INCAPABLE OF ACHIEVING THAT CLB RATE STILL HAVE THE OPTION OF MAKING A VFR CLB TO THE MEA AT SWR. ON A VFR CLB, THE PLT WOULD PROCEED TO SWR BY MAKING A DOWNWIND DEP AND CLBING OVER LAKE TAHOE WHERE THERE ARE NO OBSTACLES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE IFR DEP PROC IS LOCATED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM ALONG WITH THE MINIMUM CLB RATE. RPTR STILL FEELS THAT IT SHOULD BE A STANDARD CLB RATE OF 700 FT PER NM REGARDLESS OF THE WX. HE SAID THAT THE FACILITY MGR HAS BEEN TRYING FOR A WHILE TO GET THIS PUBLISHED. NO UCR FILED.

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.