Narrative:

This event occurred during a VFR departure. It involves a possible altitude incursion in the mid-channel section of the international segment of the anchorage terminal area as defined in far part 93. I was not familiar with anchorage international airport. Consequently, I used 4 publications to plan the departure: 1) united states terminal procedures for alaska. 2) the anchorage terminal area pilot bulletin (1OTH edition). 3) the far section 93.59 general rules. 4) the VFR terminal area chart for anchorage. Taxiing from the transient parking area to runway 14 for takeoff was complicated by construction on taxiway east. Instructions from the tower were to depart VFR via the published mackenzie substation departure and to follow the part 93 rules. Just after takeoff, tower directed me to turn left, not right, and to remain between the tower and the runway, and then to proceed northbound to the mackenzie substation. Since the left turn was not part of the published departure, it took some quick scanning of the anchorage terminal area pilot bulletin and the VFR terminal area chart right after takeoff to identify the departure route, while in a tight left turn to remain between the tower and the runway. Traffic was then idented and kept in sight, at 11 O'clock position, while following features on the VFR terminal area chart to navigation to the mackenzie substation. The mid-channel section prohibits flight between 1200-2000 ft MSL within this section. During departure, I may have inadvertently entered this prohibited area while climbing after takeoff, searching for the route to the mackenzie substation, and keeping traffic in sight. After takeoff, departure controller called out additional targets at 10 O'clock and 11 O'clock position. I did not realize the possible incursion until I specifically located myself on the route to the mackenzie substation. The anchorage terminal area complexity exists because of the number of airfields. The map of the part 93 procedures is probably the most important for departure because it idents altitude restrs in the terminal area. These restrs are unrelated to the boundaries of the class C airspace. Since contact with tower, then departure, the most significant chart information is the altitude restrs in the part 93 rules. I should have followed the departure segments more closely than the physical features and the boundaries of the class C airspace. Possibly the information shown on the map of the anchorage terminal area could be superimposed in black on the anchorage VFR terminal area chart. This would give only 1 chart to look at instead of 2 during VFR departures. It might eliminate confusion between the various segments (international, merrill, seward highway, lake hood, and elmendorf) and associated altitude restrs that occur in the anchorage terminal area and the various parts and altitude limitations of the class C airspace. In my case, my performance in navigation and altitude control was possible degraded by instructions from the tower to make an immediate left turn after takeoff instead degraded by instructions from the tower to make an immediate left turn after takeoff instead of the right turn I was expecting. My mind was set for the published mackenzie substation departure, and it required increased workload to recognize the new route and locate it on the VFR terminal area chart. During this time, the altitude incursion may have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT, DEPARTING PANC, IS GIVEN DIFFERENT DEP RTE INSTRUCTIONS ON TKOF. PLT BELIEVES THAT HE MAY HAVE INCURRED INTO OTHER PANC RESTR AIRSPACE WITHOUT AUTH.

Narrative: THIS EVENT OCCURRED DURING A VFR DEP. IT INVOLVES A POSSIBLE ALT INCURSION IN THE MID-CHANNEL SECTION OF THE INTL SEGMENT OF THE ANCHORAGE TERMINAL AREA AS DEFINED IN FAR PART 93. I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH ANCHORAGE INTL ARPT. CONSEQUENTLY, I USED 4 PUBLICATIONS TO PLAN THE DEP: 1) UNITED STATES TERMINAL PROCS FOR ALASKA. 2) THE ANCHORAGE TERMINAL AREA PLT BULLETIN (1OTH EDITION). 3) THE FAR SECTION 93.59 GENERAL RULES. 4) THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART FOR ANCHORAGE. TAXIING FROM THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA TO RWY 14 FOR TKOF WAS COMPLICATED BY CONSTRUCTION ON TXWY E. INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR WERE TO DEPART VFR VIA THE PUBLISHED MACKENZIE SUBSTATION DEP AND TO FOLLOW THE PART 93 RULES. JUST AFTER TKOF, TWR DIRECTED ME TO TURN L, NOT R, AND TO REMAIN BTWN THE TWR AND THE RWY, AND THEN TO PROCEED NBOUND TO THE MACKENZIE SUBSTATION. SINCE THE L TURN WAS NOT PART OF THE PUBLISHED DEP, IT TOOK SOME QUICK SCANNING OF THE ANCHORAGE TERMINAL AREA PLT BULLETIN AND THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART RIGHT AFTER TKOF TO IDENT THE DEP RTE, WHILE IN A TIGHT L TURN TO REMAIN BTWN THE TWR AND THE RWY. TFC WAS THEN IDENTED AND KEPT IN SIGHT, AT 11 O'CLOCK POS, WHILE FOLLOWING FEATURES ON THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART TO NAV TO THE MACKENZIE SUBSTATION. THE MID-CHANNEL SECTION PROHIBITS FLT BTWN 1200-2000 FT MSL WITHIN THIS SECTION. DURING DEP, I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THIS PROHIBITED AREA WHILE CLBING AFTER TKOF, SEARCHING FOR THE RTE TO THE MACKENZIE SUBSTATION, AND KEEPING TFC IN SIGHT. AFTER TKOF, DEP CTLR CALLED OUT ADDITIONAL TARGETS AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 11 O'CLOCK POS. I DID NOT REALIZE THE POSSIBLE INCURSION UNTIL I SPECIFICALLY LOCATED MYSELF ON THE RTE TO THE MACKENZIE SUBSTATION. THE ANCHORAGE TERMINAL AREA COMPLEXITY EXISTS BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF AIRFIELDS. THE MAP OF THE PART 93 PROCS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR DEP BECAUSE IT IDENTS ALT RESTRS IN THE TERMINAL AREA. THESE RESTRS ARE UNRELATED TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. SINCE CONTACT WITH TWR, THEN DEP, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHART INFO IS THE ALT RESTRS IN THE PART 93 RULES. I SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE DEP SEGMENTS MORE CLOSELY THAN THE PHYSICAL FEATURES AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. POSSIBLY THE INFO SHOWN ON THE MAP OF THE ANCHORAGE TERMINAL AREA COULD BE SUPERIMPOSED IN BLACK ON THE ANCHORAGE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART. THIS WOULD GIVE ONLY 1 CHART TO LOOK AT INSTEAD OF 2 DURING VFR DEPS. IT MIGHT ELIMINATE CONFUSION BTWN THE VARIOUS SEGMENTS (INTL, MERRILL, SEWARD HWY, LAKE HOOD, AND ELMENDORF) AND ASSOCIATED ALT RESTRS THAT OCCUR IN THE ANCHORAGE TERMINAL AREA AND THE VARIOUS PARTS AND ALT LIMITATIONS OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. IN MY CASE, MY PERFORMANCE IN NAV AND ALT CTL WAS POSSIBLE DEGRADED BY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN AFTER TKOF INSTEAD DEGRADED BY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN AFTER TKOF INSTEAD OF THE R TURN I WAS EXPECTING. MY MIND WAS SET FOR THE PUBLISHED MACKENZIE SUBSTATION DEP, AND IT REQUIRED INCREASED WORKLOAD TO RECOGNIZE THE NEW RTE AND LOCATE IT ON THE VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART. DURING THIS TIME, THE ALT INCURSION MAY HAVE OCCURRED.

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.