Narrative:

While parked at the gate we received our IFR clearance as follows: 'cleared to dfw, la guardia 3 departure, turn right heading 175 at 2.5 DME turn left heading 040 radar vectors to parke, flight plan route...'. We departed the gate and entered the line for takeoff, which was about 30-35 aircraft in length. After holding in line for about 1 hour 15 min we were issued a reclrnc over robinsville VOR which included the same departure turns and climb out instructions. We were then quickly cleared to taxi out to runway 13, bypassing about 25 other aircraft. We briefed the takeoff and departure procedure for the second time, emphasizing that this was a nonstandard climb out procedure for la guardia. The first officer was flying, the captain was handling checklists and radios. We were cleared to take position and hold on runway 13. An aircraft landed, turned off the wrong way and was told to turn around and recross the landing runway (runway 4) immediately, as there was traffic on final at 2 1/2 mi. We were then immediately issued takeoff clearance on runway 13 and were instructed to do a 'coney climb'. We (captain, first officer) agreed this was the same initial turn as previously briefed (175 degree) and commenced takeoff. At rotation (180/tuc) the captain's flight manual containing all the departure pages including the one describing the 'coney climb' fell to the floor and slid back out of reach, without the first officer's knowledge. The first officer made the right turn to 175, then asked for the next turn instruction. The captain said 040, then realized that might disagree with the last second change in climb out instructions so he called departure control to verify it as the first officer started a left turn to 040. As the aircraft passed through about 130, the controller asked if we weren't given a 'coney climb' by tower, then said to just continue turning left to a heading of 240 (later amended to 270) and to continue climb to 12000. There were no traffic callouts and TCASII system showed no conflicts. As the first officer involved, I realize that in our haste to avoid conflict with landing traffic, we accepted a change to our departure instructions, when we should have refused this last second change and continued to hold in position until the procedure could be fully briefed. Instead we elected to press on and call the second turn in the air which would still have worked, had the captain not dropped his book.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF WDB DEPARTING LGA HAD LAST MIN AMENDMENT TO CLRNC THEN FAILED TO BRIEF ON THE DEP GIVEN, UNABLE TO REMEMBER THE DEP TURNS WHEN IN THE AIR.

Narrative: WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE WE RECEIVED OUR IFR CLRNC AS FOLLOWS: 'CLRED TO DFW, LA GUARDIA 3 DEP, TURN R HDG 175 AT 2.5 DME TURN L HDG 040 RADAR VECTORS TO PARKE, FLT PLAN RTE...'. WE DEPARTED THE GATE AND ENTERED THE LINE FOR TKOF, WHICH WAS ABOUT 30-35 ACFT IN LENGTH. AFTER HOLDING IN LINE FOR ABOUT 1 HR 15 MIN WE WERE ISSUED A RECLRNC OVER ROBINSVILLE VOR WHICH INCLUDED THE SAME DEP TURNS AND CLBOUT INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE THEN QUICKLY CLRED TO TAXI OUT TO RWY 13, BYPASSING ABOUT 25 OTHER ACFT. WE BRIEFED THE TKOF AND DEP PROC FOR THE SECOND TIME, EMPHASIZING THAT THIS WAS A NONSTANDARD CLBOUT PROC FOR LA GUARDIA. THE FO WAS FLYING, THE CAPT WAS HANDLING CHKLISTS AND RADIOS. WE WERE CLRED TO TAKE POS AND HOLD ON RWY 13. AN ACFT LANDED, TURNED OFF THE WRONG WAY AND WAS TOLD TO TURN AROUND AND RECROSS THE LNDG RWY (RWY 4) IMMEDIATELY, AS THERE WAS TFC ON FINAL AT 2 1/2 MI. WE WERE THEN IMMEDIATELY ISSUED TKOF CLRNC ON RWY 13 AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO DO A 'CONEY CLB'. WE (CAPT, FO) AGREED THIS WAS THE SAME INITIAL TURN AS PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED (175 DEG) AND COMMENCED TKOF. AT ROTATION (180/TUC) THE CAPT'S FLT MANUAL CONTAINING ALL THE DEP PAGES INCLUDING THE ONE DESCRIBING THE 'CONEY CLB' FELL TO THE FLOOR AND SLID BACK OUT OF REACH, WITHOUT THE FO'S KNOWLEDGE. THE FO MADE THE R TURN TO 175, THEN ASKED FOR THE NEXT TURN INSTRUCTION. THE CAPT SAID 040, THEN REALIZED THAT MIGHT DISAGREE WITH THE LAST SECOND CHANGE IN CLBOUT INSTRUCTIONS SO HE CALLED DEP CTL TO VERIFY IT AS THE FO STARTED A L TURN TO 040. AS THE ACFT PASSED THROUGH ABOUT 130, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WEREN'T GIVEN A 'CONEY CLB' BY TWR, THEN SAID TO JUST CONTINUE TURNING L TO A HDG OF 240 (LATER AMENDED TO 270) AND TO CONTINUE CLB TO 12000. THERE WERE NO TFC CALLOUTS AND TCASII SYS SHOWED NO CONFLICTS. AS THE FO INVOLVED, I REALIZE THAT IN OUR HASTE TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH LNDG TFC, WE ACCEPTED A CHANGE TO OUR DEP INSTRUCTIONS, WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THIS LAST SECOND CHANGE AND CONTINUED TO HOLD IN POS UNTIL THE PROC COULD BE FULLY BRIEFED. INSTEAD WE ELECTED TO PRESS ON AND CALL THE SECOND TURN IN THE AIR WHICH WOULD STILL HAVE WORKED, HAD THE CAPT NOT DROPPED HIS BOOK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.