Narrative:

Filed flight plan: rdu tyi J79 drw 3 bos. Cleared flight plan: RDU7 rdu af except inndy inndy 2 bos. Cleared to taxi to runway 23L for runway 23L departure. Raleigh 7 departure from runway 23L calls for 232 degree heading 1900 or as assigned for vectors to join filed route. Commercial chart under obstacle dp for runway 23 says: climb heading 232 to 1900 before turning left which is exactly what we did. Tower assigned us a 210 degree heading just prior to departing. So per the SID and obstacle dp I climbed on 232 degree heading to 1900 before turning to 210 degree heading. On checking in with the departure controller he asked if we waited until 1900 to make our turn and we responded affirmatively. He seemed exasperated by this and tried to explain why we should turn immediately after takeoff for separation purposes. He went on to say everybody was doing the same thing. We explained that that is what the procedure and commercial chart calls for. He was adamant that since we were in a radar environment that we should turn immediately. He gave us phone number and said to call and they would explain why we should turn immediately. I made the call on arrival in bos after having conferred with program manager. I feel like our procedure was flown correctly but thought I'd try to see if we were missing something. He agreed and thought we were correct. When I made the call he was adamant that since we were in a radar environment we should make the turn to 210 degrees immediately after takeoff to ensure separation in IMC conditions. I reread our chart legends and introduction page. I can find no reference to obstacle dp requirements being superseded while in a radar environment. Even our FMS depicts the 1900 before turning. He said it was poor wording on the SID and it happens all the time so they always ask the crews to call so they can get the word out. Seems to me they would only touch a very few crews via this method if in fact they are correct; but if it's happening a lot then there must be something that makes a flight crew believe they should climb to 1900 before turning. I have flown this procedure many times over the yrs and have never had a problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPTAIN FLIES 232 DEGREES TO 1900 FEET BEFORE TURNING TO HEADING ASSIGNED BY TOWER ON RDU7 SID.

Narrative: FILED FLT PLAN: RDU TYI J79 DRW 3 BOS. CLRED FLT PLAN: RDU7 RDU AF EXCEPT INNDY INNDY 2 BOS. CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 23L FOR RWY 23L DEP. RALEIGH 7 DEP FROM RWY 23L CALLS FOR 232 DEG HDG 1900 OR AS ASSIGNED FOR VECTORS TO JOIN FILED RTE. COMMERCIAL CHART UNDER OBSTACLE DP FOR RWY 23 SAYS: CLB HDG 232 TO 1900 BEFORE TURNING L WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. TWR ASSIGNED US A 210 DEG HDG JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTING. SO PER THE SID AND OBSTACLE DP I CLBED ON 232 DEG HDG TO 1900 BEFORE TURNING TO 210 DEG HDG. ON CHKING IN WITH THE DEP CTLR HE ASKED IF WE WAITED UNTIL 1900 TO MAKE OUR TURN AND WE RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY. HE SEEMED EXASPERATED BY THIS AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHY WE SHOULD TURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF FOR SEPARATION PURPOSES. HE WENT ON TO SAY EVERYBODY WAS DOING THE SAME THING. WE EXPLAINED THAT THAT IS WHAT THE PROC AND COMMERCIAL CHART CALLS FOR. HE WAS ADAMANT THAT SINCE WE WERE IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT THAT WE SHOULD TURN IMMEDIATELY. HE GAVE US PHONE NUMBER AND SAID TO CALL AND THEY WOULD EXPLAIN WHY WE SHOULD TURN IMMEDIATELY. I MADE THE CALL ON ARR IN BOS AFTER HAVING CONFERRED WITH PROGRAM MGR. I FEEL LIKE OUR PROC WAS FLOWN CORRECTLY BUT THOUGHT I'D TRY TO SEE IF WE WERE MISSING SOMETHING. HE AGREED AND THOUGHT WE WERE CORRECT. WHEN I MADE THE CALL HE WAS ADAMANT THAT SINCE WE WERE IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT WE SHOULD MAKE THE TURN TO 210 DEGS IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF TO ENSURE SEPARATION IN IMC CONDITIONS. I REREAD OUR CHART LEGENDS AND INTRODUCTION PAGE. I CAN FIND NO REF TO OBSTACLE DP REQUIREMENTS BEING SUPERSEDED WHILE IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT. EVEN OUR FMS DEPICTS THE 1900 BEFORE TURNING. HE SAID IT WAS POOR WORDING ON THE SID AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME SO THEY ALWAYS ASK THE CREWS TO CALL SO THEY CAN GET THE WORD OUT. SEEMS TO ME THEY WOULD ONLY TOUCH A VERY FEW CREWS VIA THIS METHOD IF IN FACT THEY ARE CORRECT; BUT IF IT'S HAPPENING A LOT THEN THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT MAKES A FLT CREW BELIEVE THEY SHOULD CLB TO 1900 BEFORE TURNING. I HAVE FLOWN THIS PROC MANY TIMES OVER THE YRS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROB.

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.