Flight crew on published departure is not given proper heading instructions.

Attributes
ACN	545485
Time
Date	200204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	200204
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : dry ht
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl single value : 29000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	545485
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Location: 10 mi west of dryht intersection departure. Departing phx on the dryht departure with the cnx transition. The SID indicates that after adyan intersection you are to fly a 55 degree heading and 'expect radar vectors to dryht intersection.' when we were about 15 mi west of dryht on the 55 degree heading, I began to wonder about the vector. I asked ZAB for somewhere direct downline. Center seemed to believe that since we were RNAV equipped that west were automatically going to dryht. When I verified that they wanted us over dryht we had to make an abrupt 20-30 degree heading change to get over the intersection. If I had not inquired about the direct routing we probably would have continued on the 55 degree heading until well past dryht. Nowhere on the departure does it say anything other than expect radar vectors to dryht. The way this departure is set up and controled by ATC could lead to navigation errors and possible traffic conflicts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ON PUBLISHED DEP IS NOT GIVEN PROPER HDG INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: LOCATION: 10 MI W OF DRYHT INTXN DEP. DEPARTING PHX ON THE DRYHT DEP WITH THE CNX TRANSITION. THE SID INDICATES THAT AFTER ADYAN INTXN YOU ARE TO FLY A 55 DEG HDG AND 'EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO DRYHT INTXN.' WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 15 MI W OF DRYHT ON THE 55 DEG HDG, I BEGAN TO WONDER ABOUT THE VECTOR. I ASKED ZAB FOR SOMEWHERE DIRECT DOWNLINE. CTR SEEMED TO BELIEVE THAT SINCE WE WERE RNAV EQUIPPED THAT W WERE AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO DRYHT. WHEN I VERIFIED THAT THEY WANTED US OVER DRYHT WE HAD TO MAKE AN ABRUPT 20-30 DEG HDG CHANGE TO GET OVER THE INTXN. IF I HAD NOT INQUIRED ABOUT THE DIRECT ROUTING WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CONTINUED ON THE 55 DEG HDG UNTIL WELL PAST DRYHT. NOWHERE ON THE DEP DOES IT SAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO DRYHT. THE WAY THIS DEP IS SET UP AND CTLED BY ATC COULD LEAD TO NAV ERRORS AND POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICTS.

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.