Narrative:

Phoenix; deer valley airport (dvt) sits behind 2 peaks that block the phoenix ASR from getting a good fix on aircraft departing off runways 7 until reaching at least 5000 ft. On this date; the aircraft I was flight instructing in; was cleared as follows: 'nxxxx; cleared to the destination airport; upon departure; turn left; intercept the phoenix 336 degree radial; climb nwbound; expect radar vectors to buckeye; as filed; climb and maintain 5000 ft; expect 1-2-000; 3 mins after departure; departure frequency is 120.7; squawk to be assigned by the tower.' the pilot and cfii were alarmed at the clearance; as all previous clrncs from this airport had contained a turn-back towards the phoenix VORTAC upon reaching 4000 ft. This was the new procedure put in place after an aircraft had departed the airport IFR and almost had a CFIT incident on a clear VFR day. The conditions being clear and unrestr; the pilot and cfii elected to depart on the IFR flight plan. The pilot and cfii noted that the MEA on the phoenix 336 degree radial nwbound is 7000 ft. The published obstacle departure procedure is as follows: 'dvt fi/T phoenix deer valley; phoenix; az. Takeoff minimums and (obstacle) departure procedures; departure procedure: runways 7L/7R; turn left. Runways 25L/25R turn right heading 060 degrees. All aircraft climb nwbound via phoenix (pxr) 336 degree radial; continue climb to 4000 ft; then climbing left turn direct phoenix (pxr) VORTAC; continue climb on course.' note: the PIC was not cleared on the odp -- only to join the radial. Once airborne; the pilot checked in with phoenix departure and advised current altitude; altitude climbing to; and that the aircraft was established on the phoenix (pxr) 336 degree radial. The controller never acknowledged the first check-in. The pilot then conducted a second check-in. The pilot then inquired to the controller if he was in radar contact. The controller advised negative. The aircraft was then at the banyo intersection and found itself approaching rapidly rising terrain. Note: there is a change in MEA from 7000 ft to 10000 ft passing banyo with a published MOCA of 8000 ft. The cfii advised the controller that the aircraft was approaching terrain. The controller asked the aircraft what the altitude was. The cfii replied back '4800 ft.' the controller told the pilot; 'you should have turned back towards the phoenix VORTAC leaving 4000 ft.' the cfii advised the controller that the clearance given to the pilot from the dvt clearance delivery controller advised of nothing of the sort. The cfii asked for the tape to be time-stamped. At this point; the PIC elected to declare an emergency for safety and either start a climb to 10000 ft or execute the published obstacle departure procedure. In this case; right as the PIC went to declare; the controller advised radar contact. Special attention: it was brought to the pilot's attention later; that dvt will no longer be issuing pilots instructions to fly the published obstacle departure. If they get into trouble; too bad. Only the keenest cfii/ATP/commercial instrument pilot would be aware that; when not in radar contact; the PIC is responsible for his/her own terrain and obstacle clearance. Phoenix TRACON has left the pilot no option but to declare an emergency and turn back or climb. The old procedure of clearing aircraft on the odp worked fine. It is this pilot's belief; that as what has happened previously; one pilot will take off in IMC or at night and impact rising terrain to the north of the airport due to not being in radar contact; and a controller at the TRACON distraction by something else. In this case; the pilot was given one clearance; while the TRACON controller thought the pilot was given another. It is now my understanding that the clearance given to the PIC will be the normal clearance and TRACON controllers will not know this. The main issue exists in that ASR is unable to radar identify aircraft in the area of rising terrain. Unless the pilot is specifically told 'if not in radar contact; upon reaching 4000 ft; you are to execute the odp;' the pilot will not do so.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SR22 PLT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE IFR DEP PROC FROM DVT AND THE TERRAIN SEPARATION PROVIDED BY THAT PROC AS ISSUED TO HIS ACFT; COUPLED WITH CONCERN REGARDING THE LIMITED RADAR COVERAGE IN THE SUBJECT AREA.

Narrative: PHOENIX; DEER VALLEY ARPT (DVT) SITS BEHIND 2 PEAKS THAT BLOCK THE PHOENIX ASR FROM GETTING A GOOD FIX ON ACFT DEPARTING OFF RWYS 7 UNTIL REACHING AT LEAST 5000 FT. ON THIS DATE; THE ACFT I WAS FLT INSTRUCTING IN; WAS CLRED AS FOLLOWS: 'NXXXX; CLRED TO THE DEST ARPT; UPON DEP; TURN L; INTERCEPT THE PHOENIX 336 DEG RADIAL; CLB NWBOUND; EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO BUCKEYE; AS FILED; CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT; EXPECT 1-2-000; 3 MINS AFTER DEP; DEP FREQ IS 120.7; SQUAWK TO BE ASSIGNED BY THE TWR.' THE PLT AND CFII WERE ALARMED AT THE CLRNC; AS ALL PREVIOUS CLRNCS FROM THIS ARPT HAD CONTAINED A TURN-BACK TOWARDS THE PHOENIX VORTAC UPON REACHING 4000 FT. THIS WAS THE NEW PROC PUT IN PLACE AFTER AN ACFT HAD DEPARTED THE ARPT IFR AND ALMOST HAD A CFIT INCIDENT ON A CLR VFR DAY. THE CONDITIONS BEING CLR AND UNRESTR; THE PLT AND CFII ELECTED TO DEPART ON THE IFR FLT PLAN. THE PLT AND CFII NOTED THAT THE MEA ON THE PHOENIX 336 DEG RADIAL NWBOUND IS 7000 FT. THE PUBLISHED OBSTACLE DEP PROC IS AS FOLLOWS: 'DVT FI/T PHOENIX DEER VALLEY; PHOENIX; AZ. TKOF MINIMUMS AND (OBSTACLE) DEP PROCS; DEP PROC: RWYS 7L/7R; TURN L. RWYS 25L/25R TURN R HDG 060 DEGS. ALL ACFT CLB NWBOUND VIA PHOENIX (PXR) 336 DEG RADIAL; CONTINUE CLB TO 4000 FT; THEN CLBING L TURN DIRECT PHOENIX (PXR) VORTAC; CONTINUE CLB ON COURSE.' NOTE: THE PIC WAS NOT CLRED ON THE ODP -- ONLY TO JOIN THE RADIAL. ONCE AIRBORNE; THE PLT CHKED IN WITH PHOENIX DEP AND ADVISED CURRENT ALT; ALT CLBING TO; AND THAT THE ACFT WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE PHOENIX (PXR) 336 DEG RADIAL. THE CTLR NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED THE FIRST CHK-IN. THE PLT THEN CONDUCTED A SECOND CHK-IN. THE PLT THEN INQUIRED TO THE CTLR IF HE WAS IN RADAR CONTACT. THE CTLR ADVISED NEGATIVE. THE ACFT WAS THEN AT THE BANYO INTXN AND FOUND ITSELF APCHING RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN. NOTE: THERE IS A CHANGE IN MEA FROM 7000 FT TO 10000 FT PASSING BANYO WITH A PUBLISHED MOCA OF 8000 FT. THE CFII ADVISED THE CTLR THAT THE ACFT WAS APCHING TERRAIN. THE CTLR ASKED THE ACFT WHAT THE ALT WAS. THE CFII REPLIED BACK '4800 FT.' THE CTLR TOLD THE PLT; 'YOU SHOULD HAVE TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE PHOENIX VORTAC LEAVING 4000 FT.' THE CFII ADVISED THE CTLR THAT THE CLRNC GIVEN TO THE PLT FROM THE DVT CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR ADVISED OF NOTHING OF THE SORT. THE CFII ASKED FOR THE TAPE TO BE TIME-STAMPED. AT THIS POINT; THE PIC ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER FOR SAFETY AND EITHER START A CLB TO 10000 FT OR EXECUTE THE PUBLISHED OBSTACLE DEP PROC. IN THIS CASE; RIGHT AS THE PIC WENT TO DECLARE; THE CTLR ADVISED RADAR CONTACT. SPECIAL ATTN: IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE PLT'S ATTN LATER; THAT DVT WILL NO LONGER BE ISSUING PLTS INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY THE PUBLISHED OBSTACLE DEP. IF THEY GET INTO TROUBLE; TOO BAD. ONLY THE KEENEST CFII/ATP/COMMERCIAL INST PLT WOULD BE AWARE THAT; WHEN NOT IN RADAR CONTACT; THE PIC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS/HER OWN TERRAIN AND OBSTACLE CLRNC. PHOENIX TRACON HAS LEFT THE PLT NO OPTION BUT TO DECLARE AN EMER AND TURN BACK OR CLB. THE OLD PROC OF CLRING ACFT ON THE ODP WORKED FINE. IT IS THIS PLT'S BELIEF; THAT AS WHAT HAS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY; ONE PLT WILL TAKE OFF IN IMC OR AT NIGHT AND IMPACT RISING TERRAIN TO THE N OF THE ARPT DUE TO NOT BEING IN RADAR CONTACT; AND A CTLR AT THE TRACON DISTR BY SOMETHING ELSE. IN THIS CASE; THE PLT WAS GIVEN ONE CLRNC; WHILE THE TRACON CTLR THOUGHT THE PLT WAS GIVEN ANOTHER. IT IS NOW MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CLRNC GIVEN TO THE PIC WILL BE THE NORMAL CLRNC AND TRACON CTLRS WILL NOT KNOW THIS. THE MAIN ISSUE EXISTS IN THAT ASR IS UNABLE TO RADAR IDENT ACFT IN THE AREA OF RISING TERRAIN. UNLESS THE PLT IS SPECIFICALLY TOLD 'IF NOT IN RADAR CONTACT; UPON REACHING 4000 FT; YOU ARE TO EXECUTE THE ODP;' THE PLT WILL NOT DO SO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.