2008-08 · NASA ASRS report 802647
ATC AND FLT CREW DISAGREE WHETHER THE I-RNO LOC OR A HEADING IS TO BE FLOWN DEPARTING RWY 16R ON THE RNO 4 SID.
ASSIGNED DEPARTURE PROCEDURE WAS THE RENO FOUR FOR OUR TRIP TO ZZZ. THE COPILOT OBTAINED THE ATC CLEARANCE AND SET UP THE FMS FOR THE FLIGHT. DURING THE DEPARTURE CLIMB; ATC INQUIRED IF WE WERE TRACKING THE LOCALIZER. I REPLIED WE WERE RECEIVING A NAV FLAG ON 109.9 AS THAT WAS THE FIRST FREQUENCY I NOTICED ON THE DEP CHART. THE CONTROLLER'S RESPONSE WAS THAT THE FREQUENCY WAS 110.9. IN EITHER CASE; THIS CONFLICTED WITH THE RWY 16R DEPARTURE WHICH CALLS FOR AN ATC HEADING TO BE ASSIGNED. NO HEADING WAS ASSIGNED; SO WE WERE FLYING RUNWAY HEADING THINKING ONE WOULD BE ASSIGNED SHORTLY. WE WERE ORIGINALLY TO USE RWY 16L WHICH DOES CALL FOR TRACKING I-RNO OUTBOUND; BUT OUR RUNWAY WAS CHANGED TO RWY 16R WHEN WE CALLED FOR TAXI OUT. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION AROSE DUE TO OUR DEPARTURE RUNWAY CHANGE AND THE DEPARTURE CONTROLLER POSSIBLY NOT BEING INFORMED OF THIS CHANGE. AS I STATED; THE RWY 16R RENO FOUR DP CALLS FOR A HEADING; NOT LOCALIZER TRACKING LIKE 16L DOES. CLEARANCE ORIGINALLY GAVE US RWY 16L AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE DISCREPANCY OF WHAT WE WERE ACTUALLY DOING AND WHAT THE CONTROLLER EXPECTED. ANOTHER NOTE ABOUT THE DEP; BOTH I-RNO AND I-AGY (LOC FREQ FOR RWY 16R ARRIVALS) ARE SHOWN. THIS IS WHERE I PICKED UP THE 109.9 FREQUENCY DURING CLIMB WHICH I THOUGHT THE CONTROLLER WAS REFERRING TO. HOWEVER; I-AGY IS NOT USED FOR ANY OF THE DEPARTING RUNWAYS ON THAT DP PER THE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION! IN MY OPINION; IT SHOULD NOT EVEN BE LISTED AS IT HAS NO FUNCTIONAL VALUE ON THIS DEP. AS HAPPENED TO US; IT MISLED ME TO SELECT THE WRONG FREQUENCY AFTER THE CONTROLLER QUERIED IF WE WERE TRACKING 'THE' LOCALIZER FOR THE (CONTROLLER'S PERCEIVED?) RWY 16L DEPARTURE (AGAIN; RWY 16R WAS OUR ACTUAL DEPARTURE RUNWAY AND IS A HEADING DEPARTURE). I SUGGEST DELETING I-AGY; 109.9; FROM THE RENO FOUR GRAPHIC TO PREVENT MISTUNING NAV EQUIPMENT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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