Narrative:

Pilot was new to the local area and was on a trip to gillespie field to become better acquainted with the local area. After arriving at gillespie, pilot entered the terminal to review the local operating procedures and departure instructions. These were found in an informal approximately 20 page pamphlet apparently disseminated by the tower. The pamphlet describes the local area and pattern. The section on departures to the west was brief and vague. Based on the terminal area chart and the informal publication, the most appropriate departure to the west appeared to be a straight-out with an eventual slight turn to the south to remain clear of class B airspace and rising terrain. At the hold short line the pilot requested and was cleared for straight-out departure to the west from runway 27R. Shortly after departing the runway, the pilot realized that a true straight-out departure was unfeasible based on rapidly rising terrain and unfamiliarity with the exact location of the class B. As the pilot was deciding on his next course of action and reviewing his chart, he edged left toward safer terrain and clear airspace. This drift took him close to the departure path of traffic in runway 27L. Tower recognized a conflict and advised, 'aircraft X, you are drifting left, turn right, start a right turn now.' pilot was unaware of other traffic and never saw it. After correcting to the right, pilot informed the tower that he was unfamiliar with the field and that he was unable to execute the intended straight-out departure. He requested instructions to continue more south to clear terrain and class B. Tower cleared pilot for a left crosswind turn and advised pilot that this was the appropriate departure in the future and that pilot had drifted close to a departing cessna in the pattern of runway 27L. Flight continued uneventfully back to palomar airport (with pilot considerably more aware of gillespie's airspace). Contributing factors: high density traffic area. Close proximity to class B airspace and local rising terrain, parallel runway operations, pilot unfamiliar with local procedures. Possible corrective actions: pilot should have had more information on gillespie prior to operating there. Since this can't always be guaranteed, tower should question pilots requesting a straight-out as it requires a very high rate of climb to be executed safely. This fact should be indicated in any published departure information from gillespie. Tower controllers were vigilant and helpful in this instance and should remain so especially at gillespie.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG DEV AFTER TKOF AT ARPT WITH PARALLEL RWYS. RPTR DRIFTED INTO DEP PATH OF PARALLEL TFC. RPTR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT LOCATION OF CLASS B AIRSPACE AND TERRAIN.

Narrative: PLT WAS NEW TO THE LCL AREA AND WAS ON A TRIP TO GILLESPIE FIELD TO BECOME BETTER ACQUAINTED WITH THE LCL AREA. AFTER ARRIVING AT GILLESPIE, PLT ENTERED THE TERMINAL TO REVIEW THE LCL OPERATING PROCS AND DEP INSTRUCTIONS. THESE WERE FOUND IN AN INFORMAL APPROX 20 PAGE PAMPHLET APPARENTLY DISSEMINATED BY THE TWR. THE PAMPHLET DESCRIBES THE LCL AREA AND PATTERN. THE SECTION ON DEPS TO THE W WAS BRIEF AND VAGUE. BASED ON THE TERMINAL AREA CHART AND THE INFORMAL PUB, THE MOST APPROPRIATE DEP TO THE W APPEARED TO BE A STRAIGHT-OUT WITH AN EVENTUAL SLIGHT TURN TO THE S TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE AND RISING TERRAIN. AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE THE PLT REQUESTED AND WAS CLRED FOR STRAIGHT-OUT DEP TO THE W FROM RWY 27R. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING THE RWY, THE PLT REALIZED THAT A TRUE STRAIGHT-OUT DEP WAS UNFEASIBLE BASED ON RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN AND UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE CLASS B. AS THE PLT WAS DECIDING ON HIS NEXT COURSE OF ACTION AND REVIEWING HIS CHART, HE EDGED L TOWARD SAFER TERRAIN AND CLR AIRSPACE. THIS DRIFT TOOK HIM CLOSE TO THE DEP PATH OF TFC IN RWY 27L. TWR RECOGNIZED A CONFLICT AND ADVISED, 'ACFT X, YOU ARE DRIFTING L, TURN R, START A R TURN NOW.' PLT WAS UNAWARE OF OTHER TFC AND NEVER SAW IT. AFTER CORRECTING TO THE R, PLT INFORMED THE TWR THAT HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO EXECUTE THE INTENDED STRAIGHT-OUT DEP. HE REQUESTED INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE MORE S TO CLR TERRAIN AND CLASS B. TWR CLRED PLT FOR A L XWIND TURN AND ADVISED PLT THAT THIS WAS THE APPROPRIATE DEP IN THE FUTURE AND THAT PLT HAD DRIFTED CLOSE TO A DEPARTING CESSNA IN THE PATTERN OF RWY 27L. FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY BACK TO PALOMAR ARPT (WITH PLT CONSIDERABLY MORE AWARE OF GILLESPIE'S AIRSPACE). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA. CLOSE PROX TO CLASS B AIRSPACE AND LCL RISING TERRAIN, PARALLEL RWY OPS, PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH LCL PROCS. POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: PLT SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE INFO ON GILLESPIE PRIOR TO OPERATING THERE. SINCE THIS CAN'T ALWAYS BE GUARANTEED, TWR SHOULD QUESTION PLTS REQUESTING A STRAIGHT-OUT AS IT REQUIRES A VERY HIGH RATE OF CLB TO BE EXECUTED SAFELY. THIS FACT SHOULD BE INDICATED IN ANY PUBLISHED DEP INFO FROM GILLESPIE. TWR CTLRS WERE VIGILANT AND HELPFUL IN THIS INSTANCE AND SHOULD REMAIN SO ESPECIALLY AT GILLESPIE.

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.