Narrative:

Restr area incursion R5311, live fire range drop zone. Due to flight parameters of heavy widebody transport aircraft large changes and modifications to standard takeoff and departure profile are necessary to avoid R5311 from a takeoff on runway 23 at pope AFB (pob). These changes to standard operating profiles may exceed or at very least may affect safety margins built into operations of MD11 aircraft, ie, large turn at low altitude to avoid restr area. In my opinion R5311 is situated too close to airport traffic area and departure course for runway 23, at least for transport category aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had flown into pope field on a troop carrying mission and was flying out empty, to reposition the aircraft. Before the departure he and the first officer reviewed the area chart. The first officer had been a military pilot and was familiar with the area. The tower controller was military also and as the flight was on the takeoff roll, he said, 'stay clear of the range.' the flight had been issued a right turn after takeoff to a 'northerly' heading. There was no other clearance that gave any sense of urgency. After the aircraft was 'cleaned up' the departure controller (fay) said, 'I realize you're heavy but you are entering the range.' he then gave them a turn to 310 degrees. Reporter admits to being late on the turn but was too focused on the cleaning up of the aircraft prior to making the turn. The reporter's concern is that if the range was hot, they should have issued a turn instruction with an altitude, such as '...start turn at 500 ft.' the captain feels that there should be some form of control or more of a sense of urgency and prior planning on the part of the military controller so as to assist the departure flight in its flight path around or away from the restr area. The range is to the south and west, perhaps a left turn away from the range would have been more practical. In this incident the surface winds favored the runway 23 departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 PIC RPT ON A POSSIBLE INCURSION INTO R-5311 DURING DEP PROC. RPTR CITES RESTR AREA'S LOCATION MAKES ANY TKOF AND DEP PROC DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE WITH A HVY ACFT.

Narrative: RESTR AREA INCURSION R5311, LIVE FIRE RANGE DROP ZONE. DUE TO FLT PARAMETERS OF HVY WDB ACFT LARGE CHANGES AND MODIFICATIONS TO STANDARD TKOF AND DEP PROFILE ARE NECESSARY TO AVOID R5311 FROM A TKOF ON RWY 23 AT POPE AFB (POB). THESE CHANGES TO STANDARD OPERATING PROFILES MAY EXCEED OR AT VERY LEAST MAY AFFECT SAFETY MARGINS BUILT INTO OPS OF MD11 ACFT, IE, LARGE TURN AT LOW ALT TO AVOID RESTR AREA. IN MY OPINION R5311 IS SITUATED TOO CLOSE TO ARPT TFC AREA AND DEP COURSE FOR RWY 23, AT LEAST FOR TRANSPORT CATEGORY ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD FLOWN INTO POPE FIELD ON A TROOP CARRYING MISSION AND WAS FLYING OUT EMPTY, TO REPOSITION THE ACFT. BEFORE THE DEP HE AND THE FO REVIEWED THE AREA CHART. THE FO HAD BEEN A MIL PLT AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. THE TWR CTLR WAS MIL ALSO AND AS THE FLT WAS ON THE TKOF ROLL, HE SAID, 'STAY CLR OF THE RANGE.' THE FLT HAD BEEN ISSUED A R TURN AFTER TKOF TO A 'NORTHERLY' HEADING. THERE WAS NO OTHER CLRNC THAT GAVE ANY SENSE OF URGENCY. AFTER THE ACFT WAS 'CLEANED UP' THE DEP CTLR (FAY) SAID, 'I REALIZE YOU'RE HVY BUT YOU ARE ENTERING THE RANGE.' HE THEN GAVE THEM A TURN TO 310 DEGS. RPTR ADMITS TO BEING LATE ON THE TURN BUT WAS TOO FOCUSED ON THE CLEANING UP OF THE ACFT PRIOR TO MAKING THE TURN. THE RPTR'S CONCERN IS THAT IF THE RANGE WAS HOT, THEY SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A TURN INSTRUCTION WITH AN ALT, SUCH AS '...START TURN AT 500 FT.' THE CAPT FEELS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME FORM OF CTL OR MORE OF A SENSE OF URGENCY AND PRIOR PLANNING ON THE PART OF THE MIL CTLR SO AS TO ASSIST THE DEP FLT IN ITS FLT PATH AROUND OR AWAY FROM THE RESTR AREA. THE RANGE IS TO THE S AND W, PERHAPS A L TURN AWAY FROM THE RANGE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PRACTICAL. IN THIS INCIDENT THE SURFACE WINDS FAVORED THE RWY 23 DEP.

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.