Narrative:

Kcho is a class D facility which sits in a valley among the blue ridge mountains in northwestern virginia. Radar approach and departure services are provided by richmond, va. (Kric) this was the first time in a very long time (if ever) that I had operated from kcho. The conditions were day/VMC with 6 br and 12000 ft broken. Before taxi, I had briefed the first officer about my intent to follow the obstacle dp on the comm chart airport page which says 'runways 3 and 21, climb on runway heading to 4000 ft before proceeding on course.' tower subsequently cleared us for takeoff on runway 3 and added 'after takeoff, turn left on course to mol'. (Mol VOR is 34NM southwest of kcho.) I asked the tower controller if I needed to fly runway heading to 4000 ft or could I just begin my left turn at 400 ft afe. The controller responded that I did not need to fly straight-out to 4000 ft before turning. Ok. We took off from runway 3 and at 400 ft afe the first officer, the pilot flying, asks me to clear left. As I look to the left, numerous large hills and ridges appear to be fairly close abeam our position and many are higher than our current altitude. Frankly, it made me uncomfortable to turn toward terrain that was higher than my altitude. While we could most probably outclb the obstacles on two engines, I wasn't so sure about our climb profile if we were to lose one engine after turning left toward the terrain. So, I told the first officer to fly straight ahead until the obstacles to our left appeared to be below our altitude and then asked the first officer to turn left toward mol. I'm not sure that that was what ATC expected us to do, but in the heat of the moment it seemed like the safest course of action. The MSA in the area between kcho and mol is 5100 ft and the MEA/ MOCA's along victor airways in the area surrounding kcho to mol are 5500 ft-6000 ft. The tallest obstacle on the ILS runway 3 approach plate is at 3275 ft approximately 14NM west of kcho. Question: what did kcho tower expect me to do after takeoff? What did kric departure expect me to do after takeoff? And who was responsible for obstacle clearance? The next day, I placed a call to kric departure to ask this question. Kric said that this question arises frequently and that the typical scenario is for kcho tower to call kric TRACON to request the IFR release and the two agree on an initial heading to be assigned to the departing aircraft. Kric then gave me two different answers to the question about when the pilot is expected to begin turning to the assigned heading prior to 4000 ft and when the pilot feels it is safe to do so. Kric did say that if a pilot plans to fly the full obstacle dp (runway heading to 4000 ft) then the pilot should coordinate that with kcho clearance delivery so kcho can in turn coordinate that with kric. I genuinely got the feeling that nobody was exactly sure what to expect or who was responsible for obstacle clearance under what circumstances. But I do know for sure that the truly safe method is simply to tell kcho clearance delivery that you wish to fly the obstacle dp before proceeding on course. No muss, no fuss, everybody knows exactly what the plan is, and you're guaranteed not to hit anything. The next day, when we again departed runway 3 this was the technique I used and it worked well. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he is still amazed that departure control will permit the deviation from assigned knowing that it does create confusion with the pilots for not only legal reasons. But mainly for safety reasons. He does believe that he now can be both legal and safe by coordinating with clearance delivery that he intends to fly the published departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 FLT CREW CONFUSION WITH CHO PUBLISHED DEP VERSUS ATC CLRNC ON ACTUAL DEP.

Narrative: KCHO IS A CLASS D FAC WHICH SITS IN A VALLEY AMONG THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS IN NORTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. RADAR APCH AND DEP SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY RICHMOND, VA. (KRIC) THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN A VERY LONG TIME (IF EVER) THAT I HAD OPERATED FROM KCHO. THE CONDITIONS WERE DAY/VMC WITH 6 BR AND 12000 FT BKN. BEFORE TAXI, I HAD BRIEFED THE FO ABOUT MY INTENT TO FOLLOW THE OBSTACLE DP ON THE COMM CHART ARPT PAGE WHICH SAYS 'RWYS 3 AND 21, CLB ON RWY HEADING TO 4000 FT BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE.' TWR SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 3 AND ADDED 'AFTER TKOF, TURN L ON COURSE TO MOL'. (MOL VOR IS 34NM SW OF KCHO.) I ASKED THE TWR CTLR IF I NEEDED TO FLY RWY HEADING TO 4000 FT OR COULD I JUST BEGIN MY LEFT TURN AT 400 FT AFE. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT I DID NOT NEED TO FLY STRAIGHT-OUT TO 4000 FT BEFORE TURNING. OK. WE TOOK OFF FROM RWY 3 AND AT 400 FT AFE THE FO, THE PLT FLYING, ASKS ME TO CLR LEFT. AS I LOOK TO THE LEFT, NUMEROUS LARGE HILLS AND RIDGES APPEAR TO BE FAIRLY CLOSE ABEAM OUR POS AND MANY ARE HIGHER THAN OUR CURRENT ALTITUDE. FRANKLY, IT MADE ME UNCOMFORTABLE TO TURN TOWARD TERRAIN THAT WAS HIGHER THAN MY ALT. WHILE WE COULD MOST PROBABLY OUTCLB THE OBSTACLES ON TWO ENGS, I WASN'T SO SURE ABOUT OUR CLB PROFILE IF WE WERE TO LOSE ONE ENG AFTER TURNING LEFT TOWARD THE TERRAIN. SO, I TOLD THE FO TO FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD UNTIL THE OBSTACLES TO OUR LEFT APPEARED TO BE BELOW OUR ALT AND THEN ASKED THE FO TO TURN LEFT TOWARD MOL. I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WAS WHAT ATC EXPECTED US TO DO, BUT IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT IT SEEMED LIKE THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. THE MSA IN THE AREA BTWN KCHO AND MOL IS 5100 FT AND THE MEA/ MOCA'S ALONG VICTOR AIRWAYS IN THE AREA SURROUNDING KCHO TO MOL ARE 5500 FT-6000 FT. THE TALLEST OBSTACLE ON THE ILS RWY 3 APCH PLATE IS AT 3275 FT APPROX 14NM W OF KCHO. QUESTION: WHAT DID KCHO TWR EXPECT ME TO DO AFTER TKOF? WHAT DID KRIC DEP EXPECT ME TO DO AFTER TKOF? AND WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR OBSTACLE CLRNC? THE NEXT DAY, I PLACED A CALL TO KRIC DEP TO ASK THIS QUESTION. KRIC SAID THAT THIS QUESTION ARISES FREQUENTLY AND THAT THE TYPICAL SCENARIO IS FOR KCHO TWR TO CALL KRIC TRACON TO REQUEST THE IFR RELEASE AND THE TWO AGREE ON AN INITIAL HEADING TO BE ASSIGNED TO THE DEPARTING ACFT. KRIC THEN GAVE ME TWO DIFFERENT ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION ABOUT WHEN THE PLT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TURNING TO THE ASSIGNED HEADING PRIOR TO 4000 FT AND WHEN THE PLT FEELS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. KRIC DID SAY THAT IF A PLT PLANS TO FLY THE FULL OBSTACLE DP (RWY HEADING TO 4000 FT) THEN THE PLT SHOULD COORDINATE THAT WITH KCHO CLRNC DELIVERY SO KCHO CAN IN TURN COORDINATE THAT WITH KRIC. I GENUINELY GOT THE FEELING THAT NOBODY WAS EXACTLY SURE WHAT TO EXPECT OR WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR OBSTACLE CLRNC UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT I DO KNOW FOR SURE THAT THE TRULY SAFE METHOD IS SIMPLY TO TELL KCHO CLRNC DELIVERY THAT YOU WISH TO FLY THE OBSTACLE DP BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE. NO MUSS, NO FUSS, EVERYBODY KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THE PLAN IS, AND YOU'RE GUARANTEED NOT TO HIT ANYTHING. THE NEXT DAY, WHEN WE AGAIN DEPARTED RWY 3 THIS WAS THE TECHNIQUE I USED AND IT WORKED WELL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE IS STILL AMAZED THAT DEP CTL WILL PERMIT THE DEVIATION FROM ASSIGNED KNOWING THAT IT DOES CREATE CONFUSION WITH THE PLTS FOR NOT ONLY LEGAL REASONS. BUT MAINLY FOR SAFETY REASONS. HE DOES BELIEVE THAT HE NOW CAN BE BOTH LEGAL AND SAFE BY COORDINATING WITH CLRNC DELIVERY THAT HE INTENDS TO FLY THE PUBLISHED DEP.

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.