Narrative:

Received a departure clearance from palm springs regional tower 'cleared for takeoff runway 13L remain at or below 2000 ft, departure frequency (do not remember).' following takeoff the tower issued an instruction to turn left heading 060 degrees with which we complied. After several mins of flying the assigned altitude and heading it became apparent that we would conflict with the terrain if we continued. A standard rate of climb was initiated to avoid conflict with the ground. We were unable to immediately advise the tower of the climb due to radio traffic. Eventually we contacted the tower and asked when we would be switched to departure frequency, at which time the tower told us to contact departure. We contacted departure who instructed us to resume own navigation with altitude restr lifted. We, by necessity, had already departed 2000 ft and were at 3000 ft at that time. We continued our flight without mishap. We believe this altitude bust would have been avoided had the tower instructed us to contact departure in a reasonable period of time. Our questioning the tower is what caused the departure contact to be made. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot of a BE58 is certain that there was no handoff attempt made by ATCT controller. Reporter just kept waiting and waiting, and finally queried controller, who did not seem alarmed. A report was filed because reporter was not only concerned about an altitude violation, but the bizarre way in which his aircraft was handled. When reporter contacted departure, again, nothing was said in reference to the pilots's altitude. The pilot received vectors to his planned route of flight. Pilot was approximately 12 to 13 mi northeast of the airport when he initiated a climb, deviating from the assigned altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATC VECTOR AND ALT TOOK A VFR FLT TOWARD TERRAIN. PLT WAS UNABLE TO QUERY CTLR BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION, SO A CLB WAS INITIATED, AWAY FROM ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: RECEIVED A DEP CLRNC FROM PALM SPRINGS REGIONAL TWR 'CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 13L REMAIN AT OR BELOW 2000 FT, DEP FREQ (DO NOT REMEMBER).' FOLLOWING TKOF THE TWR ISSUED AN INSTRUCTION TO TURN L HDG 060 DEGS WITH WHICH WE COMPLIED. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF FLYING THE ASSIGNED ALT AND HDG IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WOULD CONFLICT WITH THE TERRAIN IF WE CONTINUED. A STANDARD RATE OF CLB WAS INITIATED TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH THE GND. WE WERE UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY ADVISE THE TWR OF THE CLB DUE TO RADIO TFC. EVENTUALLY WE CONTACTED THE TWR AND ASKED WHEN WE WOULD BE SWITCHED TO DEP FREQ, AT WHICH TIME THE TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT DEP. WE CONTACTED DEP WHO INSTRUCTED US TO RESUME OWN NAV WITH ALT RESTR LIFTED. WE, BY NECESSITY, HAD ALREADY DEPARTED 2000 FT AND WERE AT 3000 FT AT THAT TIME. WE CONTINUED OUR FLT WITHOUT MISHAP. WE BELIEVE THIS ALT BUST WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT DEP IN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME. OUR QUESTIONING THE TWR IS WHAT CAUSED THE DEP CONTACT TO BE MADE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT OF A BE58 IS CERTAIN THAT THERE WAS NO HDOF ATTEMPT MADE BY ATCT CTLR. RPTR JUST KEPT WAITING AND WAITING, AND FINALLY QUERIED CTLR, WHO DID NOT SEEM ALARMED. A RPT WAS FILED BECAUSE RPTR WAS NOT ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT AN ALT VIOLATION, BUT THE BIZARRE WAY IN WHICH HIS ACFT WAS HANDLED. WHEN RPTR CONTACTED DEP, AGAIN, NOTHING WAS SAID IN REFERENCE TO THE PLTS'S ALT. THE PLT RECEIVED VECTORS TO HIS PLANNED RTE OF FLT. PLT WAS APPROX 12 TO 13 MI NE OF THE ARPT WHEN HE INITIATED A CLB, DEVIATING FROM THE ASSIGNED ALT.

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.