Narrative:

At approximately XA00 local I received my instrument clearance from van nuys airport to palo alto airport. The clearance was the canoga eight departure; gorman transition then as filed. I was not rushed and thoroughly read the published SID. I read the procedure description and the note: do not intercept the lax 323 degree radial until advised by ATC. I then looked at the pictorial portion of the procedure and looked at the bold lines depicting the route of flight. It looked to me that the primary navaids were the gorman VOR 142 degree radial and the van nuys VOR 255 degree radial. These lines were bold and the textual description of the procedure referenced these 2 vors. It must have been at this point that I thought the note regarding not intercepting the lax 323 degree radial until advised did not pertain to my departure off runway 16L since the departure description did not mention this VOR and that line was not bold. I was then cleared for takeoff on runway 16L and climbed as published to 1700 ft on runway heading until 2.2 DME. I then made the right turn to 210 degrees and only a short time passed before I initiated another turn to the right to intercept the gorman 142 degree radial and while passing about 250 degrees in the turn; saw an air carrier X B737 at my 11 O'clock position; moving to 12 O'clock position; at the same altitude (apparently on the ILS to burbank) at which point I immediately began a turn back to the left. Also at this time ATC came on the radio and urgently asked if I was on a 210 degree heading. I responded; 'correcting to 210 degrees' and quickly completed my turn back to 210 degrees. The air carrier jet passed well to our right and he reported us in sight. ATC then reminded me of the importance of flying the published initial heading and then gave me radar vectors to intercept ipiho intersection and resume the departure. I was embarrassed for not correctly executing the procedure and spent quite some time re-reading the procedure and came to the conclusion that it was not completely clear; hence the reason I am submitting this form. When I returned home; I asked a friend (with similar time and experience) to execute the same procedure on the simulator without telling him of my experience. I acted as the simulated ATC and after clearing him for takeoff; he also turned to 210 degrees then proceeded to intercept the gorman radial without me telling him to do so. I am sure many people correctly execute this procedure but it would help if it were clarified. My friend was using government charts for his simulated departure which varies from the commercial charts in that the note is located in a different place on the chart. In the departure description it does say 'turn right heading 210 degrees for vectors...' but to me this alone does not indicate that these 'vectors' will be provided by ATC. This is most likely why the note is added that reads; 'do not intercept the lax 323 degree radial until advised by ATC.' this note; however; makes reference to the lax VOR which is not mentioned in the departure description; nor does it have a bold line in the pictorial departure depiction. Perhaps if the departure description read; 'then turn right heading 210 degrees for radar vectors to...' it would help clarify. Additionally; the note would be much more clear if it read; 'for runways 16L/right; do not deviate from heading 210 degrees until advised by ATC.' again; the current procedure does make perfect sense if read properly. My suggestions would merely help clarify in the event it were not completely clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT DEVIATED FROM THE CANOGA 8 DEP OUT OF VNY WHEN HE MISTERPED THE COMMERCIAL CHART.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 LCL I RECEIVED MY INST CLRNC FROM VAN NUYS ARPT TO PALO ALTO ARPT. THE CLRNC WAS THE CANOGA EIGHT DEP; GORMAN TRANSITION THEN AS FILED. I WAS NOT RUSHED AND THOROUGHLY READ THE PUBLISHED SID. I READ THE PROC DESCRIPTION AND THE NOTE: DO NOT INTERCEPT THE LAX 323 DEG RADIAL UNTIL ADVISED BY ATC. I THEN LOOKED AT THE PICTORIAL PORTION OF THE PROC AND LOOKED AT THE BOLD LINES DEPICTING THE RTE OF FLT. IT LOOKED TO ME THAT THE PRIMARY NAVAIDS WERE THE GORMAN VOR 142 DEG RADIAL AND THE VAN NUYS VOR 255 DEG RADIAL. THESE LINES WERE BOLD AND THE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROC REFED THESE 2 VORS. IT MUST HAVE BEEN AT THIS POINT THAT I THOUGHT THE NOTE REGARDING NOT INTERCEPTING THE LAX 323 DEG RADIAL UNTIL ADVISED DID NOT PERTAIN TO MY DEP OFF RWY 16L SINCE THE DEP DESCRIPTION DID NOT MENTION THIS VOR AND THAT LINE WAS NOT BOLD. I WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 16L AND CLBED AS PUBLISHED TO 1700 FT ON RWY HDG UNTIL 2.2 DME. I THEN MADE THE R TURN TO 210 DEGS AND ONLY A SHORT TIME PASSED BEFORE I INITIATED ANOTHER TURN TO THE R TO INTERCEPT THE GORMAN 142 DEG RADIAL AND WHILE PASSING ABOUT 250 DEGS IN THE TURN; SAW AN ACR X B737 AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS; MOVING TO 12 O'CLOCK POS; AT THE SAME ALT (APPARENTLY ON THE ILS TO BURBANK) AT WHICH POINT I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A TURN BACK TO THE L. ALSO AT THIS TIME ATC CAME ON THE RADIO AND URGENTLY ASKED IF I WAS ON A 210 DEG HDG. I RESPONDED; 'CORRECTING TO 210 DEGS' AND QUICKLY COMPLETED MY TURN BACK TO 210 DEGS. THE ACR JET PASSED WELL TO OUR R AND HE RPTED US IN SIGHT. ATC THEN REMINDED ME OF THE IMPORTANCE OF FLYING THE PUBLISHED INITIAL HDG AND THEN GAVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO INTERCEPT IPIHO INTXN AND RESUME THE DEP. I WAS EMBARRASSED FOR NOT CORRECTLY EXECUTING THE PROC AND SPENT QUITE SOME TIME RE-READING THE PROC AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS NOT COMPLETELY CLR; HENCE THE REASON I AM SUBMITTING THIS FORM. WHEN I RETURNED HOME; I ASKED A FRIEND (WITH SIMILAR TIME AND EXPERIENCE) TO EXECUTE THE SAME PROC ON THE SIMULATOR WITHOUT TELLING HIM OF MY EXPERIENCE. I ACTED AS THE SIMULATED ATC AND AFTER CLRING HIM FOR TKOF; HE ALSO TURNED TO 210 DEGS THEN PROCEEDED TO INTERCEPT THE GORMAN RADIAL WITHOUT ME TELLING HIM TO DO SO. I AM SURE MANY PEOPLE CORRECTLY EXECUTE THIS PROC BUT IT WOULD HELP IF IT WERE CLARIFIED. MY FRIEND WAS USING GOV CHARTS FOR HIS SIMULATED DEP WHICH VARIES FROM THE COMMERCIAL CHARTS IN THAT THE NOTE IS LOCATED IN A DIFFERENT PLACE ON THE CHART. IN THE DEP DESCRIPTION IT DOES SAY 'TURN R HDG 210 DEGS FOR VECTORS...' BUT TO ME THIS ALONE DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THESE 'VECTORS' WILL BE PROVIDED BY ATC. THIS IS MOST LIKELY WHY THE NOTE IS ADDED THAT READS; 'DO NOT INTERCEPT THE LAX 323 DEG RADIAL UNTIL ADVISED BY ATC.' THIS NOTE; HOWEVER; MAKES REF TO THE LAX VOR WHICH IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE DEP DESCRIPTION; NOR DOES IT HAVE A BOLD LINE IN THE PICTORIAL DEP DEPICTION. PERHAPS IF THE DEP DESCRIPTION READ; 'THEN TURN R HDG 210 DEGS FOR RADAR VECTORS TO...' IT WOULD HELP CLARIFY. ADDITIONALLY; THE NOTE WOULD BE MUCH MORE CLR IF IT READ; 'FOR RWYS 16L/R; DO NOT DEVIATE FROM HDG 210 DEGS UNTIL ADVISED BY ATC.' AGAIN; THE CURRENT PROC DOES MAKE PERFECT SENSE IF READ PROPERLY. MY SUGGESTIONS WOULD MERELY HELP CLARIFY IN THE EVENT IT WERE NOT COMPLETELY CLR.

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.