Narrative:

On may/sat/93 I flew with my wife from tri-county airport (48V, north of denver) to crookston municipal airport (ckn in crookston, mn). The WX at 48V was about 3/8 mi visibility in fog with tops at about 1000 ft AGL. We both hold commercial certificates with instrument ratings. I was PIC. I filed the following flight plan: 'IFR, small aircraft nx 150 KTS, 48V, XA30Z, 9000 ft, RNAV direct pir direct ckn, ckn, remarks: RNAV not approved for approachs, 3 hours 45 mins, 6 hours 30 mins, gfk, pilot based at 48V, 2 on board, white with blue and gold.' at PM50Z denver AFSS read me the following clearance by phone: 'ATC clears nx from 48V to ckn as filed. Climb and maintain 8000 ft, expect 9000 ft. Enter controled airspace on a heading of 020 degrees. Squawk XXXX contact departure on 126.1. Clearance void if not off before PM00Z. If not off before PM00Z contact FSS by PM10Z. Time now PM50Z.' I was planning to follow tri-county's published departure procedure, and when I heard the phrase 'enter controled airspace on a heading of 020 degrees' a muted alarm went off in my head, but in the arbitrary haste of a void time departure, it failed to rise to the level of conscious thought. We sprinted to the plane, taxied out to runway 33, went through our pre-takeoff procedures and departed at PM59. At about 200 ft AGL we were solidly in the fog, and that's when my mental buzzer finally got my attention: 3 NM from the center of tri-county, on about a 023 degree magnetic bearing is the 300 meter tower known officially as the boulder atmospheric observatory and to local pilots as the 'VFR stick.' it's why the departure procedure reads: 'runways 9, 15, 27, turn right. Runway 33, turn left. Climb to 7000 ft via den r- 318 to fosel intersection den R-318 21 DME and climb in fosel holding pattern, northwest, left turn, 138 degrees inbound to assigned altitude or as directed by ATC.' I didn't even consider turning to 020 degrees, but flew runway heading to the den 318 degree radial and checked in with ATC. Having us already in radar contact, the controller queried my heading, and I replied that I was proceeding to fosel per the departure procedure. He grumbled something about me being expected to follow my clearance, but didn't seem particularly concerned since there was apparently no conflicting traffic and we completed an otherwise uneventful trip to minnesota. With hindsight, several things are now clear to me: the phrase 'enter controled airspace on a heading of 020 degrees' is a bogus clearance. It doesn't tell anyone anything. ATC doesn't know what I'm going to do, and I don't know what they're expecting me to do. In order to avoid the 1000 ft obstacle, ATC should have taken into consideration the runway in use. Either they failed to do so, or something fell through the cracks in processing the clearance through FSS. I should have filed '48V to fosel intersection via the published departure procedure, RNAV direct pir direct ckn' to call ATC's attention to the fact that I expected to fly the published departure procedure. I should have refused the original clearance passed to me via flight service, or failing that, I should have told departure on my initial call-up that I was flying to fosel intersection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA WAS GIVEN A CLRNC THAT WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE ARPT AND THE TERRAIN.

Narrative: ON MAY/SAT/93 I FLEW WITH MY WIFE FROM TRI-COUNTY ARPT (48V, N OF DENVER) TO CROOKSTON MUNICIPAL ARPT (CKN IN CROOKSTON, MN). THE WX AT 48V WAS ABOUT 3/8 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG WITH TOPS AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. WE BOTH HOLD COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATES WITH INST RATINGS. I WAS PIC. I FILED THE FOLLOWING FLT PLAN: 'IFR, SMA NX 150 KTS, 48V, XA30Z, 9000 FT, RNAV DIRECT PIR DIRECT CKN, CKN, REMARKS: RNAV NOT APPROVED FOR APCHS, 3 HRS 45 MINS, 6 HRS 30 MINS, GFK, PLT BASED AT 48V, 2 ON BOARD, WHITE WITH BLUE AND GOLD.' AT PM50Z DENVER AFSS READ ME THE FOLLOWING CLRNC BY PHONE: 'ATC CLRS NX FROM 48V TO CKN AS FILED. CLB AND MAINTAIN 8000 FT, EXPECT 9000 FT. ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE ON A HDG OF 020 DEGS. SQUAWK XXXX CONTACT DEP ON 126.1. CLRNC VOID IF NOT OFF BEFORE PM00Z. IF NOT OFF BEFORE PM00Z CONTACT FSS BY PM10Z. TIME NOW PM50Z.' I WAS PLANNING TO FOLLOW TRI-COUNTY'S PUBLISHED DEP PROC, AND WHEN I HEARD THE PHRASE 'ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE ON A HDG OF 020 DEGS' A MUTED ALARM WENT OFF IN MY HEAD, BUT IN THE ARBITRARY HASTE OF A VOID TIME DEP, IT FAILED TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF CONSCIOUS THOUGHT. WE SPRINTED TO THE PLANE, TAXIED OUT TO RWY 33, WENT THROUGH OUR PRE-TKOF PROCS AND DEPARTED AT PM59. AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL WE WERE SOLIDLY IN THE FOG, AND THAT'S WHEN MY MENTAL BUZZER FINALLY GOT MY ATTN: 3 NM FROM THE CTR OF TRI-COUNTY, ON ABOUT A 023 DEG MAGNETIC BEARING IS THE 300 METER TWR KNOWN OFFICIALLY AS THE BOULDER ATMOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY AND TO LCL PLTS AS THE 'VFR STICK.' IT'S WHY THE DEP PROC READS: 'RWYS 9, 15, 27, TURN R. RWY 33, TURN L. CLB TO 7000 FT VIA DEN R- 318 TO FOSEL INTXN DEN R-318 21 DME AND CLB IN FOSEL HOLDING PATTERN, NW, L TURN, 138 DEGS INBOUND TO ASSIGNED ALT OR AS DIRECTED BY ATC.' I DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER TURNING TO 020 DEGS, BUT FLEW RWY HDG TO THE DEN 318 DEG RADIAL AND CHKED IN WITH ATC. HAVING US ALREADY IN RADAR CONTACT, THE CTLR QUERIED MY HDG, AND I REPLIED THAT I WAS PROCEEDING TO FOSEL PER THE DEP PROC. HE GRUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT ME BEING EXPECTED TO FOLLOW MY CLRNC, BUT DIDN'T SEEM PARTICULARLY CONCERNED SINCE THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO CONFLICTING TFC AND WE COMPLETED AN OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL TRIP TO MINNESOTA. WITH HINDSIGHT, SEVERAL THINGS ARE NOW CLR TO ME: THE PHRASE 'ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE ON A HDG OF 020 DEGS' IS A BOGUS CLRNC. IT DOESN'T TELL ANYONE ANYTHING. ATC DOESN'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTING ME TO DO. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE 1000 FT OBSTACLE, ATC SHOULD HAVE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THE RWY IN USE. EITHER THEY FAILED TO DO SO, OR SOMETHING FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS IN PROCESSING THE CLRNC THROUGH FSS. I SHOULD HAVE FILED '48V TO FOSEL INTXN VIA THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC, RNAV DIRECT PIR DIRECT CKN' TO CALL ATC'S ATTN TO THE FACT THAT I EXPECTED TO FLY THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC. I SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THE ORIGINAL CLRNC PASSED TO ME VIA FLT SVC, OR FAILING THAT, I SHOULD HAVE TOLD DEP ON MY INITIAL CALL-UP THAT I WAS FLYING TO FOSEL INTXN.

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.