Narrative:

While going through my aeronautical charts; the lga 9 departure caught my attention. I was looking at the procedure and noticed that the climb gradient on the departure was very high; 900 FPM for the runway 13 whitestone climb specifically. I looked in the performance book to see what the aircraft could do. I discovered that there is absolutely no climb performance data whatsoever in any of the company manuals that I have available. This means that I and everyone else who has ever flown a SID with a published climb gradient is in violation of FARS. I talked to a company person about this. He felt that a simple chart would suffice. While I think that would be great to at least get us legal; it would still not account for flex [reduced] takeoff thrust. Additionally; a simple chart would cause the need for the flight crew to offload weight at the last moment if a climb limit was exceeded. There needs to be a climb limit chart in the manual; and additionally this needs to be incorporated into a dispatch function so last min offloads are not an issue. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter believed that although some airlines' operations manuals provide across the board statements regarding the performance capabilities of their aircraft to meet SID requirements; he is unaware of any such publication at his air carrier. As mentioned; he has had some limited discussion with individuals associated with engineering and his feeling is that this is an area the air carrier has not addressed to date.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPT IS CONCERNED THAT THE AIRLINE DOES NOT PROVIDE CLB PERFORMANCE DATA TO ALLOW FLT CREWS TO INSURE THAT SID OBSTACLE CLRNC CLB GRADIENTS CAN BE MET.

Narrative: WHILE GOING THROUGH MY AERO CHARTS; THE LGA 9 DEP CAUGHT MY ATTN. I WAS LOOKING AT THE PROC AND NOTICED THAT THE CLB GRADIENT ON THE DEP WAS VERY HIGH; 900 FPM FOR THE RWY 13 WHITESTONE CLB SPECIFICALLY. I LOOKED IN THE PERFORMANCE BOOK TO SEE WHAT THE ACFT COULD DO. I DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO CLB PERFORMANCE DATA WHATSOEVER IN ANY OF THE COMPANY MANUALS THAT I HAVE AVAILABLE. THIS MEANS THAT I AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS EVER FLOWN A SID WITH A PUBLISHED CLB GRADIENT IS IN VIOLATION OF FARS. I TALKED TO A COMPANY PERSON ABOUT THIS. HE FELT THAT A SIMPLE CHART WOULD SUFFICE. WHILE I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO AT LEAST GET US LEGAL; IT WOULD STILL NOT ACCOUNT FOR FLEX [REDUCED] TKOF THRUST. ADDITIONALLY; A SIMPLE CHART WOULD CAUSE THE NEED FOR THE FLT CREW TO OFFLOAD WT AT THE LAST MOMENT IF A CLB LIMIT WAS EXCEEDED. THERE NEEDS TO BE A CLB LIMIT CHART IN THE MANUAL; AND ADDITIONALLY THIS NEEDS TO BE INCORPORATED INTO A DISPATCH FUNCTION SO LAST MIN OFFLOADS ARE NOT AN ISSUE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR BELIEVED THAT ALTHOUGH SOME AIRLINES' OPS MANUALS PROVIDE ACROSS THE BOARD STATEMENTS REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES OF THEIR ACFT TO MEET SID REQUIREMENTS; HE IS UNAWARE OF ANY SUCH PUB AT HIS ACR. AS MENTIONED; HE HAS HAD SOME LIMITED DISCUSSION WITH INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH ENGINEERING AND HIS FEELING IS THAT THIS IS AN AREA THE ACR HAS NOT ADDRESSED TO DATE.

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.