Narrative:

Flight was to depart IFR in VMC conditions. Initial clearance: right turn, direct to xyz NDB hold, climb to 3000 ft, expected further clearance time 12 mins. After departure, right turn was begun to NDB. NDB appeared OTS as both RMI needles did not point to where the NDB should be. Also, departure could not be reached for some reason. While turning NDB on GPS and in VMC conditions, I estimated we had passed the NDB and was uncomfortable at 3000 ft in unfamiliar terrain. Without clearance, I elected to begin climb to 6000 ft, local minimum en route IFR altitude. Out of 4000 ft we were able to establish communication with departure and proceeded normally. I would advise confirmation that departure can actually be reached at 3000 ft in that area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter idented aircraft as israel aircraft industries jet commander, 1123 westwind. He assumed the problem with the NDB was that it was off the air. When they had arrived at the same airport inbound, the NDB was operating normally, but when departing was not working. The flight crew had received their clearance through a local FSS, but were unable to contact charlotte departure control as part of their clearance. Because they were unable to contact departure control after takeoff and climb to 3000 ft they remembered that communication with the facility was difficult at lower altitudes. Thus, they decided to climb to a higher altitude, since they were VMC, in order to establish communication. Also, they were not in class B airspace and reporter thought climbing to a higher altitude would not be a problem with ATC. Not related to the specific anomaly of the incident, reporter was the PIC acting as the first officer, and apparently there was conflict between the reporter and the trainee captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. NDB AND COM PROBS DURING DEP CLB. RPTR CLAIMS THE NDB OPERATED NORMALLY WHEN ARRIVING AT THE ARPT, BUT WASN'T ON THE AIR DURING DEP AND THE CLRNC INCLUDED DIRECT TO THE NDB. ALSO, FLC WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT DEP CTL DURING DEP AT 3000 FT. SO, BEING VMC, THEY CLBED TO 6000 FT TO ESTABLISH COM.

Narrative: FLT WAS TO DEPART IFR IN VMC CONDITIONS. INITIAL CLRNC: R TURN, DIRECT TO XYZ NDB HOLD, CLB TO 3000 FT, EXPECTED FURTHER CLRNC TIME 12 MINS. AFTER DEP, R TURN WAS BEGUN TO NDB. NDB APPEARED OTS AS BOTH RMI NEEDLES DID NOT POINT TO WHERE THE NDB SHOULD BE. ALSO, DEP COULD NOT BE REACHED FOR SOME REASON. WHILE TURNING NDB ON GPS AND IN VMC CONDITIONS, I ESTIMATED WE HAD PASSED THE NDB AND WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AT 3000 FT IN UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN. WITHOUT CLRNC, I ELECTED TO BEGIN CLB TO 6000 FT, LCL MINIMUM ENRTE IFR ALT. OUT OF 4000 FT WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH DEP AND PROCEEDED NORMALLY. I WOULD ADVISE CONFIRMATION THAT DEP CAN ACTUALLY BE REACHED AT 3000 FT IN THAT AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IDENTED ACFT AS ISRAEL ACFT INDUSTRIES JET COMMANDER, 1123 WESTWIND. HE ASSUMED THE PROB WITH THE NDB WAS THAT IT WAS OFF THE AIR. WHEN THEY HAD ARRIVED AT THE SAME ARPT INBOUND, THE NDB WAS OPERATING NORMALLY, BUT WHEN DEPARTING WAS NOT WORKING. THE FLC HAD RECEIVED THEIR CLRNC THROUGH A LCL FSS, BUT WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT CHARLOTTE DEP CTL AS PART OF THEIR CLRNC. BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT DEP CTL AFTER TKOF AND CLB TO 3000 FT THEY REMEMBERED THAT COM WITH THE FACILITY WAS DIFFICULT AT LOWER ALTS. THUS, THEY DECIDED TO CLB TO A HIGHER ALT, SINCE THEY WERE VMC, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH COM. ALSO, THEY WERE NOT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE AND RPTR THOUGHT CLBING TO A HIGHER ALT WOULD NOT BE A PROB WITH ATC. NOT RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC ANOMALY OF THE INCIDENT, RPTR WAS THE PIC ACTING AS THE FO, AND APPARENTLY THERE WAS CONFLICT BTWN THE RPTR AND THE TRAINEE CAPT.

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.