Narrative:

After departing las on the mead 1 departure, the controller seemed confused about our flight path. Her first response as we called was did you depart runway 19. We replied yes. We were flying the mead 1 SID when she asked us if we had the mead 1 on board. We said yes. She instructed us not to turn toward bld until passing 9000 ft which we did. She asked us twice about not flying a 070 degree heading and not turning toward bld earlier. The 070 degree heading is for runway 25 not runway 19 and we turned toward bld at the time she told us to (at 9000 ft MSL). We were flying the SID as depicted for runway 19 and she kept asking us questions that applied to runway 25. The controller caused a lot of confusion on our part because we didn't understand why she kept asking about procedures that applied to runway 25 and not runway 19. We departed runway 19 and flew SID as it was depicted. She was very confused and with the large hills around las. This was not safe. Supplemental information from acn 390860: I believe that she was expecting us off of runway 25 or at least expected us to be flying that transition. Her handling of the situation increased the stress and workload in the cockpit at a critical phase.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-300 WERE QUESTIONED BY DEP CTLR REGARDING THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH SID TRACK. CTLR BELIEVED THAT THEY HAD NOT TURNED TO THE CORRECT HEADING WHICH WAS A HEADING FOR A DIFFERENT RWY. THE FLC COMPLIED WITH THE SID AND THE ADDITIONAL AMENDMENT GIVEN BY CTLR.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING LAS ON THE MEAD 1 DEP, THE CTLR SEEMED CONFUSED ABOUT OUR FLT PATH. HER FIRST RESPONSE AS WE CALLED WAS DID YOU DEPART RWY 19. WE REPLIED YES. WE WERE FLYING THE MEAD 1 SID WHEN SHE ASKED US IF WE HAD THE MEAD 1 ON BOARD. WE SAID YES. SHE INSTRUCTED US NOT TO TURN TOWARD BLD UNTIL PASSING 9000 FT WHICH WE DID. SHE ASKED US TWICE ABOUT NOT FLYING A 070 DEG HDG AND NOT TURNING TOWARD BLD EARLIER. THE 070 DEG HDG IS FOR RWY 25 NOT RWY 19 AND WE TURNED TOWARD BLD AT THE TIME SHE TOLD US TO (AT 9000 FT MSL). WE WERE FLYING THE SID AS DEPICTED FOR RWY 19 AND SHE KEPT ASKING US QUESTIONS THAT APPLIED TO RWY 25. THE CTLR CAUSED A LOT OF CONFUSION ON OUR PART BECAUSE WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE KEPT ASKING ABOUT PROCS THAT APPLIED TO RWY 25 AND NOT RWY 19. WE DEPARTED RWY 19 AND FLEW SID AS IT WAS DEPICTED. SHE WAS VERY CONFUSED AND WITH THE LARGE HILLS AROUND LAS. THIS WAS NOT SAFE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 390860: I BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS EXPECTING US OFF OF RWY 25 OR AT LEAST EXPECTED US TO BE FLYING THAT TRANSITION. HER HANDLING OF THE SITUATION INCREASED THE STRESS AND WORKLOAD IN THE COCKPIT AT A CRITICAL PHASE.

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.