Narrative:

Air carrier X assigned albuquerque 1 departure from abq, departing runway 8. Tower takeoff clearance was cleared for takeoff (with no heading assigned) so we flew runway heading. Tower switched us to departure, and departure cleared us to FL200. Departure subsequently said we were told to turn left to 310 degrees, and asked if we were VMC as we came close to the terrain. We don't think that the 310 degree heading was ever issued or read back. The airport had just switched from a short (approximately 30 mins) usage of runway 26. Perhaps the controllers were still thinking '26' with no terrain clearance problems, not runway 8 with significant terrain problems. Assuming no heading was ever given, we still should have asked for one to give us much higher clearance over the mountains. Since we were VMC, it was no problem. Had the WX been night and IMC, it could have been much more complicated. As it was, it was hot, high, and (we were) heavy, and we climbed at V2F and takeoff thrust to clear the mountains -- with a less than desirable margin. I most strongly recommend a change(south) to the abq 1 to include departing headings for various runways or transitions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated they are normally given a turn to 310 degrees after takeoff. Reporter thinks they may have been issued runway heading and the departure controller issued the turn to 310 degrees at the time higher altitude was issued. Supplemental information from acn 308477: departure clearance was copied by the first officer and monitored by the captain. In the copied clearance there was no indication of a heading assignment. On takeoff clearance, we were not given a heading (we believe) other than runway heading to our assigned altitude, and then to contact departure when handed off from abq tower. We departed runway 8 which has rapidly rising terrain several mi off the departure end. During the first several moments of takeoff and initial climb, we commented how quickly the terrain rises and an efficient climb must be maintained to allow for proper terrain clearance. Our GPWS activated with 'terrain warnings' and 'whoop whoop pull up.' during this time, tower had switched us to departure who asked us if we were on a 310 degree assigned heading. We responded that we never received a heading and were still on a 080 degree heading. The controller advised us to remain VFR and turn to a northerly heading, and once clear of the foothills passed us off to center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X RECEIVED GPWS ALERT AFTER DEP.

Narrative: ACR X ASSIGNED ALBUQUERQUE 1 DEP FROM ABQ, DEPARTING RWY 8. TWR TKOF CLRNC WAS CLRED FOR TKOF (WITH NO HDG ASSIGNED) SO WE FLEW RWY HDG. TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP, AND DEP CLRED US TO FL200. DEP SUBSEQUENTLY SAID WE WERE TOLD TO TURN L TO 310 DEGS, AND ASKED IF WE WERE VMC AS WE CAME CLOSE TO THE TERRAIN. WE DON'T THINK THAT THE 310 DEG HDG WAS EVER ISSUED OR READ BACK. THE ARPT HAD JUST SWITCHED FROM A SHORT (APPROX 30 MINS) USAGE OF RWY 26. PERHAPS THE CTLRS WERE STILL THINKING '26' WITH NO TERRAIN CLRNC PROBS, NOT RWY 8 WITH SIGNIFICANT TERRAIN PROBS. ASSUMING NO HDG WAS EVER GIVEN, WE STILL SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR ONE TO GIVE US MUCH HIGHER CLRNC OVER THE MOUNTAINS. SINCE WE WERE VMC, IT WAS NO PROB. HAD THE WX BEEN NIGHT AND IMC, IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE COMPLICATED. AS IT WAS, IT WAS HOT, HIGH, AND (WE WERE) HVY, AND WE CLBED AT V2F AND TKOF THRUST TO CLR THE MOUNTAINS -- WITH A LESS THAN DESIRABLE MARGIN. I MOST STRONGLY RECOMMEND A CHANGE(S) TO THE ABQ 1 TO INCLUDE DEPARTING HDGS FOR VARIOUS RWYS OR TRANSITIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THEY ARE NORMALLY GIVEN A TURN TO 310 DEGS AFTER TKOF. RPTR THINKS THEY MAY HAVE BEEN ISSUED RWY HDG AND THE DEP CTLR ISSUED THE TURN TO 310 DEGS AT THE TIME HIGHER ALT WAS ISSUED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 308477: DEP CLRNC WAS COPIED BY THE FO AND MONITORED BY THE CAPT. IN THE COPIED CLRNC THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A HDG ASSIGNMENT. ON TKOF CLRNC, WE WERE NOT GIVEN A HDG (WE BELIEVE) OTHER THAN RWY HDG TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT, AND THEN TO CONTACT DEP WHEN HANDED OFF FROM ABQ TWR. WE DEPARTED RWY 8 WHICH HAS RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN SEVERAL MI OFF THE DEP END. DURING THE FIRST SEVERAL MOMENTS OF TKOF AND INITIAL CLB, WE COMMENTED HOW QUICKLY THE TERRAIN RISES AND AN EFFICIENT CLB MUST BE MAINTAINED TO ALLOW FOR PROPER TERRAIN CLRNC. OUR GPWS ACTIVATED WITH 'TERRAIN WARNINGS' AND 'WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP.' DURING THIS TIME, TWR HAD SWITCHED US TO DEP WHO ASKED US IF WE WERE ON A 310 DEG ASSIGNED HDG. WE RESPONDED THAT WE NEVER RECEIVED A HDG AND WERE STILL ON A 080 DEG HDG. THE CTLR ADVISED US TO REMAIN VFR AND TURN TO A NORTHERLY HDG, AND ONCE CLR OF THE FOOTHILLS PASSED US OFF TO CTR.

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.