Narrative:

Since I was in an unfamiliar aircraft and at an unfamiliar airport, I reviewed the local procedures very carefully before calling for a clearance. I paid particular attention to the IFR departure procedure, the relevant portion of which reads 'turn right via pvu VOR R-228 to cross D16.0 pvu VOR at or above 7600 ft then climbing right turn via ffo VOR R-215 to ffu VOR. Aircraft northbound V-21 (us) climb on course.' I studied this procedure on the area chart as well. We were cleared 'published procedure to ffu, maintain 10000, report leaving 9000.' after a careful runup and departure briefing (headings, altitudes, courses, speeds, and procedures, with special care due to X's student status) we were released and departed. #1 navigation had pvu tuned and idented with the obs set at 228. #2 had ffu tuned and idented with the obs set at 035 (the inbound heading for the radial). DME was reading from pvu. I was especially concerned about the crossing restriction and made a 'passing through 7600' callout to X. The #2 navigation needle was not moving toward the center so I continued tracking the pvu r- 228 outbound. We were in night IMC conditions. I began to be very uncomfortable about this, since I know that there is high terrain (above 12000) west of pvu, and X and I began to discuss the situation. As we were discussing this, the controller queried us as to whether we were following the published procedure. I read back the procedure from the plate (which was on the yoke clip in front of me), and the controller concurred that this was correct, but said that most departures from pvu did not travel so far west. We double checked navigation tunings and selected radials -- all were correct. We were on the ffu R-200 at this time. I asked the controller for clearance direct ffu, since I knew that would keep us over lower terrain. Controller was unable to give us this clearance since we were below the minimum vectoring altitude, which we were informed was 11000. This really got my attention and I asked for an immediate climb to 11000. Controller recommended 12000 and cleared us to 12000. I also began to turn direct ffu although we had not been so cleared. Eventually, we passed directly over ffu and turned north on V-21. I think some of the blame falls on the wording of the departure procedure. A quick calculation shows that even with a ground speed of 150 KTS, a climbing right turn at standard rate started on crossing the pvu 16.0 DME fix will not allow one to track inbound on the ffu 4-215 -- the radius of the turn is well short of the distance to the radial! This was clear from my check of the en route charts as well. Hence, I interpreted the procedure to be to track outbound on the pvu R-228 until I had some positive indication of the ffu R-215, and only then to begin the turn. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he did not realize that the climbing turn to the ffu 215 radial was not expected to be at a standard rate turn. He was advised to always start the turn at the designated fix and then adjust his turn to compensate for the wind drift and aircraft performance to intercept the clearance radial. It would have helped in this instance to use the 185 radial of ffu in lieu of the 215 in order to monitor his progress to the 215 radial. He further stated that he has since flown this same procedure and learned the technique described.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT FAILED TO TURN AT A SUFFICIENT RATE TO SATISFY A DEP PROC IN AVOIDING THE MINIMUM SAFE TERRAIN ALT RESULTING IN OPERATING BELOW RADAR VECTORING ALT.

Narrative: SINCE I WAS IN AN UNFAMILIAR ACFT AND AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, I REVIEWED THE LCL PROCS VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE CALLING FOR A CLRNC. I PAID PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE IFR DEP PROC, THE RELEVANT PORTION OF WHICH READS 'TURN R VIA PVU VOR R-228 TO CROSS D16.0 PVU VOR AT OR ABOVE 7600 FT THEN CLBING R TURN VIA FFO VOR R-215 TO FFU VOR. ACFT NBOUND V-21 (US) CLB ON COURSE.' I STUDIED THIS PROC ON THE AREA CHART AS WELL. WE WERE CLRED 'PUBLISHED PROC TO FFU, MAINTAIN 10000, RPT LEAVING 9000.' AFTER A CAREFUL RUNUP AND DEP BRIEFING (HDGS, ALTS, COURSES, SPDS, AND PROCS, WITH SPECIAL CARE DUE TO X'S STUDENT STATUS) WE WERE RELEASED AND DEPARTED. #1 NAV HAD PVU TUNED AND IDENTED WITH THE OBS SET AT 228. #2 HAD FFU TUNED AND IDENTED WITH THE OBS SET AT 035 (THE INBOUND HDG FOR THE RADIAL). DME WAS READING FROM PVU. I WAS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE XING RESTRICTION AND MADE A 'PASSING THROUGH 7600' CALLOUT TO X. THE #2 NAV NEEDLE WAS NOT MOVING TOWARD THE CTR SO I CONTINUED TRACKING THE PVU R- 228 OUTBOUND. WE WERE IN NIGHT IMC CONDITIONS. I BEGAN TO BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THIS, SINCE I KNOW THAT THERE IS HIGH TERRAIN (ABOVE 12000) W OF PVU, AND X AND I BEGAN TO DISCUSS THE SIT. AS WE WERE DISCUSSING THIS, THE CTLR QUERIED US AS TO WHETHER WE WERE FOLLOWING THE PUBLISHED PROC. I READ BACK THE PROC FROM THE PLATE (WHICH WAS ON THE YOKE CLIP IN FRONT OF ME), AND THE CTLR CONCURRED THAT THIS WAS CORRECT, BUT SAID THAT MOST DEPS FROM PVU DID NOT TRAVEL SO FAR W. WE DOUBLE CHKED NAV TUNINGS AND SELECTED RADIALS -- ALL WERE CORRECT. WE WERE ON THE FFU R-200 AT THIS TIME. I ASKED THE CTLR FOR CLRNC DIRECT FFU, SINCE I KNEW THAT WOULD KEEP US OVER LOWER TERRAIN. CTLR WAS UNABLE TO GIVE US THIS CLRNC SINCE WE WERE BELOW THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT, WHICH WE WERE INFORMED WAS 11000. THIS REALLY GOT MY ATTN AND I ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO 11000. CTLR RECOMMENDED 12000 AND CLRED US TO 12000. I ALSO BEGAN TO TURN DIRECT FFU ALTHOUGH WE HAD NOT BEEN SO CLRED. EVENTUALLY, WE PASSED DIRECTLY OVER FFU AND TURNED N ON V-21. I THINK SOME OF THE BLAME FALLS ON THE WORDING OF THE DEP PROC. A QUICK CALCULATION SHOWS THAT EVEN WITH A GND SPD OF 150 KTS, A CLBING R TURN AT STANDARD RATE STARTED ON XING THE PVU 16.0 DME FIX WILL NOT ALLOW ONE TO TRACK INBOUND ON THE FFU 4-215 -- THE RADIUS OF THE TURN IS WELL SHORT OF THE DISTANCE TO THE RADIAL! THIS WAS CLR FROM MY CHK OF THE ENRTE CHARTS AS WELL. HENCE, I INTERPRETED THE PROC TO BE TO TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE PVU R-228 UNTIL I HAD SOME POSITIVE INDICATION OF THE FFU R-215, AND ONLY THEN TO BEGIN THE TURN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE CLBING TURN TO THE FFU 215 RADIAL WAS NOT EXPECTED TO BE AT A STANDARD RATE TURN. HE WAS ADVISED TO ALWAYS START THE TURN AT THE DESIGNATED FIX AND THEN ADJUST HIS TURN TO COMPENSATE FOR THE WIND DRIFT AND ACFT PERFORMANCE TO INTERCEPT THE CLRNC RADIAL. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IN THIS INSTANCE TO USE THE 185 RADIAL OF FFU IN LIEU OF THE 215 IN ORDER TO MONITOR HIS PROGRESS TO THE 215 RADIAL. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAS SINCE FLOWN THIS SAME PROC AND LEARNED THE TECHNIQUE DESCRIBED.

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.