Narrative:

Departing sea on runway 34R on the mountain five departure, we began our turn to 070 degrees at 8 DME off of sea VOR 341 degree radial above 4000 ft. I called the turn as a courtesy to the controller since it's such a large heading change and has 2 constraints associated with it. The controller said he showed us 2 mi short. We crosschecked our DME and it now showed in excess of 8 DME and we relayed this information to the controller. He said he still showed us to be about 2 mi short and to maintain heading for the turn. We complied with his instructions and departed without further incident. After landing at ord I called the controller, XXXX at XXX to discuss the incident. He said the very next departure did the very same thing and that this is a recurring problem on north flow operations on the mountain five departure. He said no deviations would be filed but when he tried to call seattle operations, he was referred to system operations, who shuffled him over to navigation data where he said he met with little interest in the matter. Since this problem occurs in bunches according to the controller during north flow operation it might be a scope calibration or NAVAID problem. In any event, it would be a good idea to work with a controller who is trying to work with us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 DEP FROM SEA IS QUESTIONED BY CTLR FOR EARLY TURN ON MOUNTAIN FIVE DEP OFF RWY 34R.

Narrative: DEPARTING SEA ON RWY 34R ON THE MOUNTAIN FIVE DEP, WE BEGAN OUR TURN TO 070 DEGS AT 8 DME OFF OF SEA VOR 341 DEG RADIAL ABOVE 4000 FT. I CALLED THE TURN AS A COURTESY TO THE CTLR SINCE IT'S SUCH A LARGE HDG CHANGE AND HAS 2 CONSTRAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THE CTLR SAID HE SHOWED US 2 MI SHORT. WE XCHKED OUR DME AND IT NOW SHOWED IN EXCESS OF 8 DME AND WE RELAYED THIS INFO TO THE CTLR. HE SAID HE STILL SHOWED US TO BE ABOUT 2 MI SHORT AND TO MAINTAIN HDG FOR THE TURN. WE COMPLIED WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG AT ORD I CALLED THE CTLR, XXXX AT XXX TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT. HE SAID THE VERY NEXT DEP DID THE VERY SAME THING AND THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROB ON N FLOW OPS ON THE MOUNTAIN FIVE DEP. HE SAID NO DEVS WOULD BE FILED BUT WHEN HE TRIED TO CALL SEATTLE OPS, HE WAS REFERRED TO SYS OPS, WHO SHUFFLED HIM OVER TO NAV DATA WHERE HE SAID HE MET WITH LITTLE INTEREST IN THE MATTER. SINCE THIS PROB OCCURS IN BUNCHES ACCORDING TO THE CTLR DURING N FLOW OP IT MIGHT BE A SCOPE CALIBRATION OR NAVAID PROB. IN ANY EVENT, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO WORK WITH A CTLR WHO IS TRYING TO WORK WITH US.

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.