Narrative:

Flight departure las en route to dfw. The departure runway was 25R. We were cleared via the hoover two departure, a vector departure, which included a climb to 7000 ft. As we climbed to the assigned altitude of 7000 ft, we entered instrument meteorological conditions, and were without any outside visual reference. The IMC conditions continued throughout the departure. We continued on the departure track, turning to a 190 heading. We had not yet contacted departure control on frequency 125.9, so we asked the tower if we should switch. Tower instructed us to contact departure control, and we tuned in 125.9 and attempted contact. Departure was talking to other aircraft on the frequency, but would not respond to our call. We returned to tower frequency to confirm departure frequency 125.9. Tower confirmed frequency and instructed us to attempt contact with departure again. We again made several attempts on frequency 125.9, and received no response. We returned to tower again and reported inability to contact departure. I also advised I was uncomfortable at our current altitude, considering the high terrain in the area. At this time, a 'terrain', 'terrain' warning was received from the aircraft ground proximity warning system, and I instructed the co-pilot to immediately initiate a climb. He performed the terrain avoidance maneuver, which requires an immediate, aggressive application of firewall power, and a rotation to a climb pitch altitude, and in approximately 15 seconds, the warning ceased, and the radio altimeter tape moved out of view. We were cleared to flight level 190 after our terrain avoidance maneuver. We returned the aircraft to a normal climb configuration, contacted company maintenance/dispatch to determine if the flight should continue, or to return to las. It was decided to continue to dfw. Supplemental information from acn 608861: the departure controller was talking to another aircraft with a pressurization problem. The captain attempted to contact several more times with no response, although we could hear departure continue to talk to other aircraft. We switched back to tower. Tower returned us to the same departure frequency. We switched back and forth at least twice. Still in IMC conditions, we received a 'terrain/terrain' warning on the GPWS. I reacted with firewall power and a climb pitch attitude. The warning ceased and I lowered the nose and reduced power at about 10000 ft. At about the same time, las tower cleared us to FL190, and switched us to departure. I informed departure control of our climb in response to the GPWS warning. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter called las TRACON to discuss the event. L30 specialist asked why he did not execute the published lost communication procedures. The reporter advised that he had not lost communication, that he was still talking with the tower, that he could hear departure control talking to other aircraft, concerned that ATC hadn't recognized their no communication initial call up verification with them. The reporter feels justified with his actions, although he recognized that he missed the first tower transmission to call departure control after takeoff. The reporter advised that he quickly became concerned with the knowledge of higher terrain south of the airport, but the back and forth communication with tower kept him believing that he could establish contact with departure control and receive a climb and turn on course. The reporter stated that the problem resolved itself with the GPWS alert. The reporter expressed real concern with the great number of recent sids and STAR implemented at las. The reporter stated that the large number of new procedures are an operational concern with the company pilots and wonder what the impact is on the controllers. The pilot is waiting on a company review of the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLT CREW INITIATE GPWS CLB SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER DEPING LAS RWY 25R AFTER TRANSITIONING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TWR AND L30 DEP WHEN UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH L30 AFTER BEING AIRBORNE.

Narrative: FLT DEP LAS ENRTE TO DFW. THE DEP RWY WAS 25R. WE WERE CLEARED VIA THE HOOVER TWO DEP, A VECTOR DEP, WHICH INCLUDED A CLIMB TO 7000 FT. AS WE CLBED TO THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 FT, WE ENTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AND WERE WITHOUT ANY OUTSIDE VISUAL REFERENCE. THE IMC CONDITIONS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE DEP. WE CONTINUED ON THE DEP TRACK, TURNING TO A 190 HDG. WE HAD NOT YET CONTACTED DEP CTL ON FREQ 125.9, SO WE ASKED THE TWR IF WE SHOULD SWITCH. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT DEP CTL, AND WE TUNED IN 125.9 AND ATTEMPTED CONTACT. DEP WAS TALKING TO OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ, BUT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO OUR CALL. WE RETURNED TO TWR FREQ TO CONFIRM DEP FREQ 125.9. TWR CONFIRMED FREQ AND INSTRUCTED US TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH DEP AGAIN. WE AGAIN MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS ON FREQ 125.9, AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. WE RETURNED TO TWR AGAIN AND RPTED INABILITY TO CONTACT DEP. I ALSO ADVISED I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AT OUR CURRENT ALT, CONSIDERING THE HIGH TERRAIN IN THE AREA. AT THIS TIME, A 'TERRAIN', 'TERRAIN' WARNING WAS RECEIVED FROM THE ACFT GND PROX WARNING SYSTEM, AND I INSTRUCTED THE CO-PLT TO IMMEDIATELY INITIATE A CLB. HE PERFORMED THE TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER, WHICH REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE, AGGRESSIVE APPLICATION OF FIREWALL POWER, AND A ROTATION TO A CLB PITCH ALT, AND IN APPROXIMATELY 15 SECONDS, THE WARNING CEASED, AND THE RADIO ALTIMETER TAPE MOVED OUT OF VIEW. WE WERE CLEARED TO FLT LEVEL 190 AFTER OUR TERRAIN AVOIDANCE MANEUVER. WE RETURNED THE ACFT TO A NORMAL CLB CONFIGURATION, CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT/DISPATCH TO DETERMINE IF THE FLT SHOULD CONTINUE, OR TO RETURN TO LAS. IT WAS DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO DFW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 608861: THE DEP CTLR WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT WITH A PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM. THE CAPT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT SEVERAL MORE TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE, ALTHOUGH WE COULD HEAR DEP CONTINUE TO TALK TO OTHER ACFT. WE SWITCHED BACK TO TWR. TWR RETURNED US TO THE SAME DEP FREQ. WE SWITCHED BACK AND FORTH AT LEAST TWICE. STILL IN IMC CONDITIONS, WE RECEIVED A 'TERRAIN/TERRAIN' WARNING ON THE GPWS. I REACTED WITH FIREWALL POWER AND A CLB PITCH ATTITUDE. THE WARNING CEASED AND I LOWERED THE NOSE AND REDUCED POWER AT ABOUT 10000 FT. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, LAS TWR CLEARED US TO FL190, AND SWITCHED US TO DEP. I INFORMED DEP CTL OF OUR CLB IN RESPONSE TO THE GPWS WARNING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CALLED LAS TRACON TO DISCUSS THE EVENT. L30 SPECIALIST ASKED WHY HE DID NOT EXECUTE THE PUBLISHED LOST COM PROCS. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT HE HAD NOT LOST COM, THAT HE WAS STILL TALKING WITH THE TWR, THAT HE COULD HEAR DEP CTL TALKING TO OTHER ACFT, CONCERNED THAT ATC HADN'T RECOGNIZED THEIR NO COM INITIAL CALL UP VERIFICATION WITH THEM. THE RPTR FEELS JUSTIFIED WITH HIS ACTIONS, ALTHOUGH HE RECOGNIZED THAT HE MISSED THE FIRST TWR XMISSION TO CALL DEP CTL AFTER TKOF. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT HE QUICKLY BECAME CONCERNED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIGHER TERRAIN SOUTH OF THE ARPT, BUT THE BACK AND FORTH COM WITH TWR KEPT HIM BELIEVING THAT HE COULD ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH DEP CTL AND RECEIVE A CLB AND TURN ON COURSE. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE PROBLEM RESOLVED ITSELF WITH THE GPWS ALERT. THE RPTR EXPRESSED REAL CONCERN WITH THE GREAT NUMBER OF RECENT SIDS AND STAR IMPLEMENTED AT LAS. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE LARGE NUMBER OF NEW PROCS ARE AN OPERATIONAL CONCERN WITH THE COMPANY PLTS AND WONDER WHAT THE IMPACT IS ON THE CTLRS. THE PLT IS WAITING ON A COMPANY REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT.

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.