An air carrier DC10 flight crew overshot a turn during a SID climb out from a foreign airport. The d...

Attributes
ACN	384610
Time
Date	199710
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fra
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : fra
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 40
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : noise abatement departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	384610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	384540
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Planning departure from frankfurt, germany, we were cleared via the damor 3 golf SID. After takeoff, at a high gross weight, we were distracted by a fluctuating DME, and began the initial turn from runway heading to 275 degrees slightly late. Due to the high gross weight and noise abatement procedure, the turn is slow. Departure control asked if we were in the turn to 285 degrees, whereupon we replied we were in the turn to 275 degrees per SID. He said we were left of course and should be turning to go direct tau. The language barrier also caused confusion on this departure. The departure shows the turn should be started at 3500 ft toward tau. Due to the heavy weight, we were still not at 3500 ft when ATC said we were left of course and instructed us to turn toward tau. This departure procedure is confusing and with ATC interjecting a 285 degree heading, which is not in the procedure, really made it a very difficult procedure to fly. I am enclosing a copy of the departure for you to file with this report. Departure runway was runway 25R. Also this was an IOE flight for the first officer. Supplemental information from acn 384540: after takeoff we were distracted by a fluctuating DME indicator, and started our initial turn to 275 degrees slightly late. Due to the very heavy aircraft and noise abatement procedure, the turn had to be flown slowly. The controller asked if we had turned to a 285 degree heading. We replied we were in a turn to 275 degrees. He then stated we were left of course and instructed us to make our turn to the tau VOR. The procedure calls for this turn at 3500 ft. We were still at only 2500 ft. We were confused, thinking we were flying the wrong procedure, which caused a slower response than the controller wanted. We queried him on the 285 degree heading and he then replied to fly the published procedure. The language barrier was also a factor in the communications.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC10 FLC OVERSHOT A TURN DURING A SID CLBOUT FROM A FOREIGN ARPT. THE DEP CTLR QUESTIONED THEIR HEADING AND IN THE PROCESS CREATED FURTHER CONFUSION FOR THE FLC.

Narrative: PLANNING DEP FROM FRANKFURT, GERMANY, WE WERE CLRED VIA THE DAMOR 3 GOLF SID. AFTER TKOF, AT A HIGH GROSS WT, WE WERE DISTRACTED BY A FLUCTUATING DME, AND BEGAN THE INITIAL TURN FROM RWY HDG TO 275 DEGS SLIGHTLY LATE. DUE TO THE HIGH GROSS WT AND NOISE ABATEMENT PROC, THE TURN IS SLOW. DEP CTL ASKED IF WE WERE IN THE TURN TO 285 DEGS, WHEREUPON WE REPLIED WE WERE IN THE TURN TO 275 DEGS PER SID. HE SAID WE WERE L OF COURSE AND SHOULD BE TURNING TO GO DIRECT TAU. THE LANGUAGE BARRIER ALSO CAUSED CONFUSION ON THIS DEP. THE DEP SHOWS THE TURN SHOULD BE STARTED AT 3500 FT TOWARD TAU. DUE TO THE HVY WT, WE WERE STILL NOT AT 3500 FT WHEN ATC SAID WE WERE L OF COURSE AND INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TOWARD TAU. THIS DEP PROC IS CONFUSING AND WITH ATC INTERJECTING A 285 DEG HDG, WHICH IS NOT IN THE PROC, REALLY MADE IT A VERY DIFFICULT PROC TO FLY. I AM ENCLOSING A COPY OF THE DEP FOR YOU TO FILE WITH THIS RPT. DEP RWY WAS RWY 25R. ALSO THIS WAS AN IOE FLT FOR THE FO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 384540: AFTER TKOF WE WERE DISTRACTED BY A FLUCTUATING DME INDICATOR, AND STARTED OUR INITIAL TURN TO 275 DEGS SLIGHTLY LATE. DUE TO THE VERY HVY ACFT AND NOISE ABATEMENT PROC, THE TURN HAD TO BE FLOWN SLOWLY. THE CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD TURNED TO A 285 DEG HDG. WE REPLIED WE WERE IN A TURN TO 275 DEGS. HE THEN STATED WE WERE L OF COURSE AND INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE OUR TURN TO THE TAU VOR. THE PROC CALLS FOR THIS TURN AT 3500 FT. WE WERE STILL AT ONLY 2500 FT. WE WERE CONFUSED, THINKING WE WERE FLYING THE WRONG PROC, WHICH CAUSED A SLOWER RESPONSE THAN THE CTLR WANTED. WE QUERIED HIM ON THE 285 DEG HDG AND HE THEN REPLIED TO FLY THE PUBLISHED PROC. THE LANGUAGE BARRIER WAS ALSO A FACTOR IN THE COMS.

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.

An air carrier DC10 flight crew overshot a turn during a SID climb out from a foreign airport. The departure controller questioned their heading and in the process created further confusion for the flight crew.