Narrative:

At around XA00 I contacted merrill field tower and was given permission to taxi to runway 6 for a ship creek departure (which is a left downwind departure). Runway 6 was the active touch- and-go runway, with a number of aircraft in the touch-and-go pattern. I was subsequently cleared for takeoff. While on left crosswind, just starting my downwind turn, merrill tower advised me (aircraft X) that there is traffic (Y) on a runway 33 city high departure and did I have him in sight. I at first could not figure out why the tower was concerned if I had the departing aircraft, as I assumed he would be making a left crosswind departure. Then it dawned on me that the departing aircraft had been cleared by the tower for a right downwind departure, and was at this point in time preparing to turn right crosswind, which meant we were or would be on collision courses. Tower's use of the term 'on a city high departure' to advise location and course of flight, would be meaningless to most licensed pilots and especially those who do not regularly fly off of merrill field. When giving location, on a right downwind departure or right crosswind departure would be more appropriate terms. I had planned to be on a ship creek low departure through the merrill field, far part 93 segment. When I finally saw the oncoming aircraft we were about 1/2 mi apart and closing. I frankly did not know for sure what to do. Whether to try a climb which might have caused me to lose sight of the other aircraft or descend. Even though a city high departure off runway 33 is an 'approved' departure procedure, common sense dictates it not be given when the active runway is 6/24 and especially when there is traffic in those patterns the downwind legs. A city high departure off of runway 33 should not be given when runway 6 or runway 24 is the active runway. The reason is the aircraft making the runway 33 city high has to fly through the downwind traffic for runway 6/24. All the city high departures off merrill field require the outbound aircraft be at 1500 ft or higher on the outbound leg. Presumably this ht restr was to provide adequate separation between the traffic in the merrill field pattern and the departing city high traffic. The anc terminal area pilot bulletin 9TH edition defines city high departure off merrill field but I cannot find any restrs as to when they cannot be given. Merrill tower actions were careless and reckless and placed myself, my passenger, the departing aircraft off runway 33, the other aircraft in the touch-and-go pattern, lives and property in danger, not to mention the lives and property of persons on the ground should a midair collision have occurred. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter advised that he coordination with his company in writing as well as the FAA administrator. Since this incident, the reporter has observed 'better performance from the tower.' the reporter admits to the area's complexity, and that one not familiar with the area 'could get into trouble with the local procedures.' when asked about the immediate availability of these local VFR procedures, the reporter advised that 'they were all over the place,' 'that you could not go anywhere on the airport without running into' the published data. A FSDO specialist stated that the local procedures were complex, and the best technique 'is to have someone walk you through them.' he advised that all the local airports had the far part 93 data, as well as the local published VFR departure routings. The FAA has scheduled reviews of all published data, and FSDO receives coordination local input as to how things are going.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR C207 PLT CONCERNED WHEN TWR AUTH ANOTHER ACFT TO TURN INTO HIS PREAPPROVED DEP COURSE.

Narrative: AT AROUND XA00 I CONTACTED MERRILL FIELD TWR AND WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO TAXI TO RWY 6 FOR A SHIP CREEK DEP (WHICH IS A L DOWNWIND DEP). RWY 6 WAS THE ACTIVE TOUCH- AND-GO RWY, WITH A NUMBER OF ACFT IN THE TOUCH-AND-GO PATTERN. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TKOF. WHILE ON L XWIND, JUST STARTING MY DOWNWIND TURN, MERRILL TWR ADVISED ME (ACFT X) THAT THERE IS TFC (Y) ON A RWY 33 CITY HIGH DEP AND DID I HAVE HIM IN SIGHT. I AT FIRST COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY THE TWR WAS CONCERNED IF I HAD THE DEPARTING ACFT, AS I ASSUMED HE WOULD BE MAKING A L XWIND DEP. THEN IT DAWNED ON ME THAT THE DEPARTING ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED BY THE TWR FOR A R DOWNWIND DEP, AND WAS AT THIS POINT IN TIME PREPARING TO TURN R XWIND, WHICH MEANT WE WERE OR WOULD BE ON COLLISION COURSES. TWR'S USE OF THE TERM 'ON A CITY HIGH DEP' TO ADVISE LOCATION AND COURSE OF FLT, WOULD BE MEANINGLESS TO MOST LICENSED PLTS AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO DO NOT REGULARLY FLY OFF OF MERRILL FIELD. WHEN GIVING LOCATION, ON A R DOWNWIND DEP OR R XWIND DEP WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE TERMS. I HAD PLANNED TO BE ON A SHIP CREEK LOW DEP THROUGH THE MERRILL FIELD, FAR PART 93 SEGMENT. WHEN I FINALLY SAW THE ONCOMING ACFT WE WERE ABOUT 1/2 MI APART AND CLOSING. I FRANKLY DID NOT KNOW FOR SURE WHAT TO DO. WHETHER TO TRY A CLB WHICH MIGHT HAVE CAUSED ME TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE OTHER ACFT OR DSND. EVEN THOUGH A CITY HIGH DEP OFF RWY 33 IS AN 'APPROVED' DEP PROC, COMMON SENSE DICTATES IT NOT BE GIVEN WHEN THE ACTIVE RWY IS 6/24 AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS TFC IN THOSE PATTERNS THE DOWNWIND LEGS. A CITY HIGH DEP OFF OF RWY 33 SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN WHEN RWY 6 OR RWY 24 IS THE ACTIVE RWY. THE REASON IS THE ACFT MAKING THE RWY 33 CITY HIGH HAS TO FLY THROUGH THE DOWNWIND TFC FOR RWY 6/24. ALL THE CITY HIGH DEPS OFF MERRILL FIELD REQUIRE THE OUTBOUND ACFT BE AT 1500 FT OR HIGHER ON THE OUTBOUND LEG. PRESUMABLY THIS HT RESTR WAS TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SEPARATION BTWN THE TFC IN THE MERRILL FIELD PATTERN AND THE DEPARTING CITY HIGH TFC. THE ANC TERMINAL AREA PLT BULLETIN 9TH EDITION DEFINES CITY HIGH DEP OFF MERRILL FIELD BUT I CANNOT FIND ANY RESTRS AS TO WHEN THEY CANNOT BE GIVEN. MERRILL TWR ACTIONS WERE CARELESS AND RECKLESS AND PLACED MYSELF, MY PAX, THE DEPARTING ACFT OFF RWY 33, THE OTHER ACFT IN THE TOUCH-AND-GO PATTERN, LIVES AND PROPERTY IN DANGER, NOT TO MENTION THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF PERSONS ON THE GND SHOULD A MIDAIR COLLISION HAVE OCCURRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ADVISED THAT HE COORD WITH HIS COMPANY IN WRITING AS WELL AS THE FAA ADMINISTRATOR. SINCE THIS INCIDENT, THE RPTR HAS OBSERVED 'BETTER PERFORMANCE FROM THE TWR.' THE RPTR ADMITS TO THE AREA'S COMPLEXITY, AND THAT ONE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA 'COULD GET INTO TROUBLE WITH THE LCL PROCS.' WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY OF THESE LCL VFR PROCS, THE RPTR ADVISED THAT 'THEY WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE,' 'THAT YOU COULD NOT GO ANYWHERE ON THE ARPT WITHOUT RUNNING INTO' THE PUBLISHED DATA. A FSDO SPECIALIST STATED THAT THE LCL PROCS WERE COMPLEX, AND THE BEST TECHNIQUE 'IS TO HAVE SOMEONE WALK YOU THROUGH THEM.' HE ADVISED THAT ALL THE LCL ARPTS HAD THE FAR PART 93 DATA, AS WELL AS THE LCL PUBLISHED VFR DEP ROUTINGS. THE FAA HAS SCHEDULED REVIEWS OF ALL PUBLISHED DATA, AND FSDO RECEIVES COORD LCL INPUT AS TO HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

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.