Narrative:

We departed crw. The tower told us to fly heading 210 degree after departure. We were departing runway 23. This is a standard clearance at charleston. RVR was 800 ft. This heading, if flown immediately, could run you into the side of a mountain just past the end of the runway 23. There is a departure procedure to climb to 1600 ft prior to turning on course. Tower should not give the clearance to fly heading 210 degree immediately. They always do this. I think, to a pilot not familiar with the danger of terrain clearance, if you immediately turned to a 210 degree heading right after takeoff, this practice at crw is a very unsafe practice in VFR, and down right deadly with RVR, 800 ft! I flew the published departure procedure after takeoff before turning to 210 degree. I did not question this clearance during takeoff, I just flew the departure procedure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: on subsequent flts from crw, and especially when WX was a factor, the reporter has advised ATC that he would instead be complying with the published IFR departure procedure due to terrain. ATC has then responded with 'roger' or some similar phrase. The reporter questions whether ATC is using correct clearance phraseology since they never question the flight crew when the pilot advises that they are instead following the FAA published departure procedure. The reporter is concerned with company 'engine out procedures' if they turn immediately after departure to heading 210 and have an equipment problem. Heading 210 degree is vector to snowbird (sot) VORTAC, approximately 150 miles from crw.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 PIC CHALLENGES CRW LC DEP CLRNC TO TURN TO HDG 210 DEG AFTER DEP, WHICH CONFLICTS WITH PUBLISHED DEP PROC.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED CRW. THE TWR TOLD US TO FLY HDG 210 DEG AFTER DEPARTURE. WE WERE DEPARTING RWY 23. THIS IS A STANDARD CLRNC AT CHARLESTON. RVR WAS 800 FT. THIS HEADING, IF FLOWN IMMEDIATELY, COULD RUN YOU INTO THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN JUST PAST THE END OF THE RWY 23. THERE IS A DEP PROC TO CLB TO 1600 FT PRIOR TO TURNING ON COURSE. TWR SHOULD NOT GIVE THE CLRNC TO FLY HDG 210 DEG IMMEDIATELY. THEY ALWAYS DO THIS. I THINK, TO A PLT NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DANGER OF TERRAIN CLRNC, IF YOU IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO A 210 DEG HDG RIGHT AFTER TKOF, THIS PRACTICE AT CRW IS A VERY UNSAFE PRACTICE IN VFR, AND DOWN RIGHT DEADLY WITH RVR, 800 FT! I FLEW THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC AFTER TKOF BEFORE TURNING TO 210 DEG. I DID NOT QUESTION THIS CLRNC DURING TKOF, I JUST FLEW THE DEP PROC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ON SUBSEQUENT FLTS FROM CRW, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WX WAS A FACTOR, THE RPTR HAS ADVISED ATC THAT HE WOULD INSTEAD BE COMPLYING WITH THE PUBLISHED IFR DEP PROC DUE TO TERRAIN. ATC HAS THEN RESPONDED WITH 'ROGER' OR SOME SIMILAR PHRASE. THE RPTR QUESTIONS WHETHER ATC IS USING CORRECT CLRNC PHRASEOLOGY SINCE THEY NEVER QUESTION THE FLT CREW WHEN THE PLT ADVISES THAT THEY ARE INSTEAD FOLLOWING THE FAA PUBLISHED DEP PROC. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED WITH COMPANY 'ENG OUT PROCS' IF THEY TURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP TO HDG 210 AND HAVE AN EQUIP PROB. HDG 210 DEG IS VECTOR TO SNOWBIRD (SOT) VORTAC, APPROX 150 MILES FROM CRW.

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.