Narrative:

On departure a momentary loss of ffm VOR DME and an oscillating ADF (VOR?) needle caused the first officer (an IOE pilot) to start an early turn to intercept the MTR 203 degree radial as per the SID. No aircraft conflict but possible noise sensor activation. I (captain) was distracted by an altitude change on contact with eddf departure. Noticed too late to rectify. Supplemental information from acn 392891: departing frankfurt, germany, on this date as flight to detroit metropolitan airport, departing runway 7L on the damor 3D departure. After takeoff and climbing through approximately 1500 ft AGL we were approaching the frankfurt VOR while climbing to 5000 ft flight level. The dispatcher has you pass the frankfurt VOR to 2 DME then turn 90 degrees to intercept the metropolitan VOR 203 degree radial inbound. Metropolitan VOR has no DME. When over the frankfurt VOR the DME signal went blank on both VOR receivers. I held my current heading and changed over to the metropolitan VOR. The 203 degree radial immediately came off the case and moved in about 1/3 deflection. We had a tailwind of about 35 KTS and I quickly looked at the SID and saw that the distance from frankfurt VOR to metropolitan was only about 14 mi. I commenced a 20 degree bank turn to intercept the metropolitan 203 degree radial. After about 30 degrees of turn the DME came on again showed about 1 DME from fmm (frankfurt) on the captain's side. As we were now not heading for the VOR I was feeling like we were about 1 DME northeast. The needle was unreliable as it was in the cone of confusion. At this time departure called and said we had turned 3 mi early. I rolled back to the right while continuing the climb and leveled the intercept of the metropolitan 203 degree radial. We probably did pass about 1 DME north of fmm VOR and may have set off a noise sensor that is right in that location. Had this point (2 DME east of fmm) been in the INS database and we had been navigating via the INS this whole situation would have been avoided. The departure controller was of no help in the situation and only seemed to be waiting for a chance to criticize us, which he did. This was very distracting during a critical phase of flight. All he needed to do was to assign us a heading to fly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEPARTING DC10-40 FO TURNS TOO SOON TO INTERCEPT THE MTR VOR 203 DEG RADIAL OUT OF FRA. VIOLATES THE NOISE DEP PROC. CITES AN OSCILLATION OF THE FFM VOR NEEDLES, LOSS OF DME.

Narrative: ON DEP A MOMENTARY LOSS OF FFM VOR DME AND AN OSCILLATING ADF (VOR?) NEEDLE CAUSED THE FO (AN IOE PLT) TO START AN EARLY TURN TO INTERCEPT THE MTR 203 DEG RADIAL AS PER THE SID. NO ACFT CONFLICT BUT POSSIBLE NOISE SENSOR ACTIVATION. I (CAPT) WAS DISTRACTED BY AN ALT CHANGE ON CONTACT WITH EDDF DEP. NOTICED TOO LATE TO RECTIFY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 392891: DEPARTING FRANKFURT, GERMANY, ON THIS DATE AS FLT TO DETROIT METRO ARPT, DEPARTING RWY 7L ON THE DAMOR 3D DEP. AFTER TKOF AND CLBING THROUGH APPROX 1500 FT AGL WE WERE APCHING THE FRANKFURT VOR WHILE CLBING TO 5000 FT FLT LEVEL. THE DISPATCHER HAS YOU PASS THE FRANKFURT VOR TO 2 DME THEN TURN 90 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE METRO VOR 203 DEG RADIAL INBOUND. METRO VOR HAS NO DME. WHEN OVER THE FRANKFURT VOR THE DME SIGNAL WENT BLANK ON BOTH VOR RECEIVERS. I HELD MY CURRENT HEADING AND CHANGED OVER TO THE METRO VOR. THE 203 DEG RADIAL IMMEDIATELY CAME OFF THE CASE AND MOVED IN ABOUT 1/3 DEFLECTION. WE HAD A TAILWIND OF ABOUT 35 KTS AND I QUICKLY LOOKED AT THE SID AND SAW THAT THE DISTANCE FROM FRANKFURT VOR TO METRO WAS ONLY ABOUT 14 MI. I COMMENCED A 20 DEG BANK TURN TO INTERCEPT THE METRO 203 DEG RADIAL. AFTER ABOUT 30 DEGS OF TURN THE DME CAME ON AGAIN SHOWED ABOUT 1 DME FROM FMM (FRANKFURT) ON THE CAPT'S SIDE. AS WE WERE NOW NOT HEADING FOR THE VOR I WAS FEELING LIKE WE WERE ABOUT 1 DME NE. THE NEEDLE WAS UNRELIABLE AS IT WAS IN THE CONE OF CONFUSION. AT THIS TIME DEP CALLED AND SAID WE HAD TURNED 3 MI EARLY. I ROLLED BACK TO THE R WHILE CONTINUING THE CLB AND LEVELED THE INTERCEPT OF THE METRO 203 DEG RADIAL. WE PROBABLY DID PASS ABOUT 1 DME N OF FMM VOR AND MAY HAVE SET OFF A NOISE SENSOR THAT IS RIGHT IN THAT LOCATION. HAD THIS POINT (2 DME E OF FMM) BEEN IN THE INS DATABASE AND WE HAD BEEN NAVING VIA THE INS THIS WHOLE SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THE DEP CTLR WAS OF NO HELP IN THE SIT AND ONLY SEEMED TO BE WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO CRITICIZE US, WHICH HE DID. THIS WAS VERY DISTRACTING DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. ALL HE NEEDED TO DO WAS TO ASSIGN US A HEADING TO FLY.

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.