Possible track deviation.

Attributes
ACN	306090
Time
Date	199506
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pae airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pae
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 11800 flight time type : 6700
ASRS Report	306090
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On the summa 5 departure on runway 34L sea, right turn made at 8 DME per SID. Subsequent turn, off of paine VOR 139 degree radial to heading 165 degrees, could have been late due to off flag on VOR (paine), and needle very erratic. Captain on sea VOR, copilot on paine VOR. Departure notified of erratic signal. Recommend sea radial used for turn, instead of paine VOR radial. There was also traffic in the area, then several step-climbs issued, plus a heading onto side later. Bottom line: signal interference off of paine VOR. Recommend radial off of sea, instead of 139 degree radial. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: although pae is only 29 NM from sea, it is a low per VOR and apparently not very reliable. The reporter states that 80 percent of the time when air crews are assigned the summa 5 SID, radar vectors are given so that the pae radial is not used. The reporter expanded his comments to include the elmaa 5 SID that also uses the pae VOR, but more extensively. The reporter would like to see these sids use only the sea VOR for the sake of reliability and simplicity. He does not like to see one of his navigation radios being virtually useless on the ground, attempting to receive a low power station 29 mi away. The reporter is now aware of the FAA safety hotline.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE TRACK DEV.

Narrative: ON THE SUMMA 5 DEP ON RWY 34L SEA, R TURN MADE AT 8 DME PER SID. SUBSEQUENT TURN, OFF OF PAINE VOR 139 DEG RADIAL TO HDG 165 DEGS, COULD HAVE BEEN LATE DUE TO OFF FLAG ON VOR (PAINE), AND NEEDLE VERY ERRATIC. CAPT ON SEA VOR, COPLT ON PAINE VOR. DEP NOTIFIED OF ERRATIC SIGNAL. RECOMMEND SEA RADIAL USED FOR TURN, INSTEAD OF PAINE VOR RADIAL. THERE WAS ALSO TFC IN THE AREA, THEN SEVERAL STEP-CLBS ISSUED, PLUS A HDG ONTO SIDE LATER. BOTTOM LINE: SIGNAL INTERFERENCE OFF OF PAINE VOR. RECOMMEND RADIAL OFF OF SEA, INSTEAD OF 139 DEG RADIAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ALTHOUGH PAE IS ONLY 29 NM FROM SEA, IT IS A LOW PER VOR AND APPARENTLY NOT VERY RELIABLE. THE RPTR STATES THAT 80 PERCENT OF THE TIME WHEN AIR CREWS ARE ASSIGNED THE SUMMA 5 SID, RADAR VECTORS ARE GIVEN SO THAT THE PAE RADIAL IS NOT USED. THE RPTR EXPANDED HIS COMMENTS TO INCLUDE THE ELMAA 5 SID THAT ALSO USES THE PAE VOR, BUT MORE EXTENSIVELY. THE RPTR WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE SIDS USE ONLY THE SEA VOR FOR THE SAKE OF RELIABILITY AND SIMPLICITY. HE DOES NOT LIKE TO SEE ONE OF HIS NAV RADIOS BEING VIRTUALLY USELESS ON THE GND, ATTEMPTING TO RECEIVE A LOW PWR STATION 29 MI AWAY. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.