Narrative:

The purpose of this report is solely to inform you of perceived deficiencies in the published IFR departure procedures at the wausau downtown airport (auw), wausau, wisc. No incident, operational problems, or violations of far's occurred. However, upon preparing for departure, I discovered what appears to be a safety hazard in regard to the published IFR departure procedure. It reads: 'all runways: west departures (220 degree clockwise to 300 degree) climb to 3500 ft on runway heading before proceeding on course. Runway 4: north departures (360 degree clockwise to 030 degree) climb on runway heading to 2900 ft before proceeding on course.' because of the obstruction 2547 ft MSL located 2 1/2 miles west of the airport, I believe the departure procedure should be more restrictive for runway 30 and runway 22 takeoffs. For example, my departure was a south departure (170 degree) with a takeoff on runway 30. In this case, the usual direction of turn for a south departure would be to the left, beginning the turn at 400 ft QFE without instructions to the contrary. This is a turn in the direction of the 2547 ft obstruction, placing the aircraft in great jeopardy. Similarly, consider an aircraft taking off on runway 22 with a north departure (010 degree for example). Without instructions or a departure procedure to the contrary, making a right turn on course at 400 ft QFE would be toward the 2547 ft obstruction. As is stated in many IFR departure procedures at airports which require avoidance of nearby obstructions/terrain, I suggest that the IFR departure at auw be amended to include additional restrictions, such as: runway 30, climb to 3500 ft on runway heading before turning left. Runway 22, climb to 3500 ft on runway heading before turning right. In closing, I should add that my departure on runway 30 avoided the obstruction because the pre-takeoff departure instructions issued by minneapolis center was to turn right. I'm not sure whether this was to avoid the obstruction or to avoid the class D airspace at mosinee, approximately 4 miles south, or both. In any case, I believe the published departure procedure should provide a safe departure absent any departure instructions from ATC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter is concerned that an incomplete review of the immediate terrain may lead a pilot to be less than conscientious in understanding local obstruction climb criteria. The reporter suggests that the DOD FLIP be written more restrictive than as published. The reporter suggests that the written format of port columbus international and mettlefield airport's be utilized: '...climb runway heading to (altitude)...', in lieu of auw's ...climb to (altitude) on runway heading before...'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE20 PLT CONCERNED WITH AUW IFR PUBLISHED DEP PROC, THAT IT SHOULD BE WRITTEN MORE RESTRICTIVE.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS SOLELY TO INFORM YOU OF PERCEIVED DEFICIENCIES IN THE PUBLISHED IFR DEP PROCS AT THE WAUSAU DOWNTOWN ARPT (AUW), WAUSAU, WISC. NO INCIDENT, OPERATIONAL PROBS, OR VIOLATIONS OF FAR'S OCCURRED. HOWEVER, UPON PREPARING FOR DEP, I DISCOVERED WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD IN REGARD TO THE PUBLISHED IFR DEP PROC. IT READS: 'ALL RWYS: W DEPS (220 DEG CLOCKWISE TO 300 DEG) CLB TO 3500 FT ON RWY HEADING BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE. RWY 4: N DEPS (360 DEG CLOCKWISE TO 030 DEG) CLB ON RWY HEADING TO 2900 FT BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE.' BECAUSE OF THE OBSTRUCTION 2547 FT MSL LOCATED 2 1/2 MILES W OF THE ARPT, I BELIEVE THE DEP PROC SHOULD BE MORE RESTRICTIVE FOR RWY 30 AND RWY 22 TKOFS. FOR EXAMPLE, MY DEP WAS A S DEP (170 DEG) WITH A TKOF ON RWY 30. IN THIS CASE, THE USUAL DIRECTION OF TURN FOR A S DEP WOULD BE TO THE L, BEGINNING THE TURN AT 400 FT QFE WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CONTRARY. THIS IS A TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE 2547 FT OBSTRUCTION, PLACING THE ACFT IN GREAT JEOPARDY. SIMILARLY, CONSIDER AN ACFT TAKING OFF ON RWY 22 WITH A N DEP (010 DEG FOR EXAMPLE). WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS OR A DEP PROC TO THE CONTRARY, MAKING A R TURN ON COURSE AT 400 FT QFE WOULD BE TOWARD THE 2547 FT OBSTRUCTION. AS IS STATED IN MANY IFR DEP PROCS AT ARPTS WHICH REQUIRE AVOIDANCE OF NEARBY OBSTRUCTIONS/TERRAIN, I SUGGEST THAT THE IFR DEP AT AUW BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS, SUCH AS: RWY 30, CLB TO 3500 FT ON RWY HEADING BEFORE TURNING L. RWY 22, CLB TO 3500 FT ON RWY HEADING BEFORE TURNING R. IN CLOSING, I SHOULD ADD THAT MY DEP ON RWY 30 AVOIDED THE OBSTRUCTION BECAUSE THE PRE-TKOF DEP INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY MINNEAPOLIS CENTER WAS TO TURN R. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THIS WAS TO AVOID THE OBSTRUCTION OR TO AVOID THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AT MOSINEE, APPROX 4 MILES S, OR BOTH. IN ANY CASE, I BELIEVE THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC SHOULD PROVIDE A SAFE DEP ABSENT ANY DEP INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT AN INCOMPLETE REVIEW OF THE IMMEDIATE TERRAIN MAY LEAD A PLT TO BE LESS THAN CONSCIENTIOUS IN UNDERSTANDING LCL OBSTRUCTION CLB CRITERIA. THE RPTR SUGGESTS THAT THE DOD FLIP BE WRITTEN MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN AS PUBLISHED. THE RPTR SUGGESTS THAT THE WRITTEN FORMAT OF PORT COLUMBUS INTL AND METTLEFIELD ARPT'S BE UTILIZED: '...CLB RWY HEADING TO (ALT)...', IN LIEU OF AUW'S ...CLB TO (ALT) ON RWY HEADING BEFORE...'

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.