Narrative:

Given clearance at takeoff, 'when clear of mountains, left turn, cleared for takeoff.' we executed the air carrier departure and, when 2500 ft, made a left turn back overhead pjm. When almost overhead airport, departure said to intercept the 360 degree radial and asked us our position. She said we should not be in the south sector, 'climb to FL140 and report passing FL060.' shortly thereafter, we were cleared on course. We turned to intercept B520, which was our clearance. Shortly thereafter, we were asked our position. We reported passing the 340 degree radial. We were told to join the 340 degree radial. We made a tight turn to join the 340 degree radial (we were concerned about the 318 degree radial outbound VOR radial used for the approach into sxm). We switched to sju center who picked us up on radar and said to keep it tight to the 340 degree radial. Shortly thereafter, we were cleared on course and to cruise altitude. I have flown into sxm 2 other times and the captain 3 times in the past month. We have received 3 different departure requests. To clarify the situation, the captain walked to the tower and spoke to the controller. They specified that, after the right turn after takeoff and when clear of the mountains, to request a right turn to pjm and proceed outbound on our clearance. They had no knowledge of our FMC procedure. Given that instrument arrs were being used, it is obvious that departure control was not aware of our procedure to turn to 180 degree heading after takeoff as departure expected us to be north of the VOR. This operation has some safety concerns when WX is marginal. Air carrier, tower, and departure do not understand each other's procedures. I believe further clarification and more interface with sxm tower and departure would be helpful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B757-200 with, in this case, an augmented crew. His air carrier has a departure procedure in the FMC that the crews expect to use, but every departure given by sxm is different. The reporter has had 3 different departure procedures in 1 month. His captain talked to the ATCT trying to get an understanding, but then the next departure was new. The captain sent a report to his air carrier, but the reporter has seen no change yet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 CREW RPTS THAT EACH DEP OUT OF SXM IS DIFFERENT AND NONE MATCHES THE ACR'S FMS DEP.

Narrative: GIVEN CLRNC AT TKOF, 'WHEN CLR OF MOUNTAINS, L TURN, CLRED FOR TKOF.' WE EXECUTED THE ACR DEP AND, WHEN 2500 FT, MADE A L TURN BACK OVERHEAD PJM. WHEN ALMOST OVERHEAD ARPT, DEP SAID TO INTERCEPT THE 360 DEG RADIAL AND ASKED US OUR POS. SHE SAID WE SHOULD NOT BE IN THE S SECTOR, 'CLB TO FL140 AND RPT PASSING FL060.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WERE CLRED ON COURSE. WE TURNED TO INTERCEPT B520, WHICH WAS OUR CLRNC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WERE ASKED OUR POS. WE RPTED PASSING THE 340 DEG RADIAL. WE WERE TOLD TO JOIN THE 340 DEG RADIAL. WE MADE A TIGHT TURN TO JOIN THE 340 DEG RADIAL (WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE 318 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND VOR RADIAL USED FOR THE APCH INTO SXM). WE SWITCHED TO SJU CTR WHO PICKED US UP ON RADAR AND SAID TO KEEP IT TIGHT TO THE 340 DEG RADIAL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WERE CLRED ON COURSE AND TO CRUISE ALT. I HAVE FLOWN INTO SXM 2 OTHER TIMES AND THE CAPT 3 TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH. WE HAVE RECEIVED 3 DIFFERENT DEP REQUESTS. TO CLARIFY THE SIT, THE CAPT WALKED TO THE TWR AND SPOKE TO THE CTLR. THEY SPECIFIED THAT, AFTER THE R TURN AFTER TKOF AND WHEN CLR OF THE MOUNTAINS, TO REQUEST A R TURN TO PJM AND PROCEED OUTBOUND ON OUR CLRNC. THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF OUR FMC PROC. GIVEN THAT INST ARRS WERE BEING USED, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT DEP CTL WAS NOT AWARE OF OUR PROC TO TURN TO 180 DEG HDG AFTER TKOF AS DEP EXPECTED US TO BE N OF THE VOR. THIS OP HAS SOME SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN WX IS MARGINAL. ACR, TWR, AND DEP DO NOT UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER'S PROCS. I BELIEVE FURTHER CLARIFICATION AND MORE INTERFACE WITH SXM TWR AND DEP WOULD BE HELPFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B757-200 WITH, IN THIS CASE, AN AUGMENTED CREW. HIS ACR HAS A DEP PROC IN THE FMC THAT THE CREWS EXPECT TO USE, BUT EVERY DEP GIVEN BY SXM IS DIFFERENT. THE RPTR HAS HAD 3 DIFFERENT DEP PROCS IN 1 MONTH. HIS CAPT TALKED TO THE ATCT TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING, BUT THEN THE NEXT DEP WAS NEW. THE CAPT SENT A RPT TO HIS ACR, BUT THE RPTR HAS SEEN NO CHANGE YET.

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.