Citation CE680 flight crew has a track heading deviation during departure from sna on the musel 6 de...

Attributes
ACN	693490
Time
Date	200604
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : musel
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Cessna Citation Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : musel6
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9700 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	693490
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Crew was cleared via the musel 6 departure; thermal transition. Crew departed sna and used FMS commands to fly departure procedure. As crew approached musel intersection; FMS gave command to intercept next leg of departure procedure (also known as 'smart turn' feature). It should be noted at this point that this procedure requires ATC to issue a vector to musel after achieving a 175 degree heading. The crew never received such instruction and complied with the SID per ATC pre departure clearance. The controller queried the crew as to why we were not complying with the SID. We replied that we were complying with SID as cleared; absent an ATC vector. This confusion could have been avoided by ATC issuing timely vector instructions and acknowledging that FMS navigation features allow for 'smart turns' that will start the aircraft turning before reaching the fix.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CITATION CE680 FLT CREW HAS A TRACK HDG DEV DURING DEP FROM SNA ON THE MUSEL 6 DEP.

Narrative: CREW WAS CLRED VIA THE MUSEL 6 DEP; THERMAL TRANSITION. CREW DEPARTED SNA AND USED FMS COMMANDS TO FLY DEP PROC. AS CREW APCHED MUSEL INTXN; FMS GAVE COMMAND TO INTERCEPT NEXT LEG OF DEP PROC (ALSO KNOWN AS 'SMART TURN' FEATURE). IT SHOULD BE NOTED AT THIS POINT THAT THIS PROC REQUIRES ATC TO ISSUE A VECTOR TO MUSEL AFTER ACHIEVING A 175 DEG HDG. THE CREW NEVER RECEIVED SUCH INSTRUCTION AND COMPLIED WITH THE SID PER ATC PDC. THE CTLR QUERIED THE CREW AS TO WHY WE WERE NOT COMPLYING WITH THE SID. WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE COMPLYING WITH SID AS CLRED; ABSENT AN ATC VECTOR. THIS CONFUSION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY ATC ISSUING TIMELY VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGING THAT FMS NAV FEATURES ALLOW FOR 'SMART TURNS' THAT WILL START THE ACFT TURNING BEFORE REACHING THE FIX.

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.

Citation CE680 flight crew has a track heading deviation during departure from sna on the musel 6 departure.