Narrative:

Just prior to takeoff on runway 23 for my flight from dsm to stp, I received a takeoff clearance from tower which was, cleared for takeoff runway 23, right turn heading 360 degrees, direct mason city when able.' shortly after liftoff, tower requested me to begin my turn 'as soon as possible.' I, therefore, immediately rolled into a standard bank to the right, continued to climb at vy, and rolled out on a heading of 360 degrees. The tower then thanked me for my help and advised me to contact the departure controller. This was a very standard, very routine occurrence in the type of flying profession I am involved in. The following evening upon arrival to dsm on the same route, the tower operator asked me to call him. When I did, he apologetically told me that a local FSDO person observed my departure earlier that morning and said that I 'turned too quickly.' apparently he was aware that the controller advised me to turn quickly, but for some reason thought it required the notification of my company's chief pilot. My understanding is that no FAA action is intended, but if quick and timely adherence to an ATC controller's request is grounds for a verbal reprimand from the FAA, I thought I had better make a report to you so that safety may be improved. I apologize for taking up your time with a report that offers, in my opinion, little that can benefit others. My only thoughts are that perhaps when lightly loaded and climbing a vy in a turn, when viewed from the ground on the inside of a turn a cessna 310 may appear to be banked more steeply than it actually is. My other thought is that a quick turn when less than 500 ft AGL may seem unsafe. The latter I agree could be a problem, but I was flying over the runway complex, an environment free of obstacles, and I determined that it would be in the best interest of safety to assist ATC as best I could. I realize that the enforcement division of the FAA is a very necessary check and balance for aviators, but for serious safety-conscious pilots it is occurrences like these that give us unneeded stress and extra gray hair for the benefit of no one. Thank you for your time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STEEP BANK AFTER TKOF CONSIDERED EXCESSIVE BY LCL FSDO OFFICER.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO TKOF ON RWY 23 FOR MY FLT FROM DSM TO STP, I RECEIVED A TKOF CLRNC FROM TWR WHICH WAS, CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 23, R TURN HDG 360 DEGS, DIRECT MASON CITY WHEN ABLE.' SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, TWR REQUESTED ME TO BEGIN MY TURN 'ASAP.' I, THEREFORE, IMMEDIATELY ROLLED INTO A STANDARD BANK TO THE R, CONTINUED TO CLB AT VY, AND ROLLED OUT ON A HDG OF 360 DEGS. THE TWR THEN THANKED ME FOR MY HELP AND ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THE DEP CTLR. THIS WAS A VERY STANDARD, VERY ROUTINE OCCURRENCE IN THE TYPE OF FLYING PROFESSION I AM INVOLVED IN. THE FOLLOWING EVENING UPON ARR TO DSM ON THE SAME RTE, THE TWR OPERATOR ASKED ME TO CALL HIM. WHEN I DID, HE APOLOGETICALLY TOLD ME THAT A LCL FSDO PERSON OBSERVED MY DEP EARLIER THAT MORNING AND SAID THAT I 'TURNED TOO QUICKLY.' APPARENTLY HE WAS AWARE THAT THE CTLR ADVISED ME TO TURN QUICKLY, BUT FOR SOME REASON THOUGHT IT REQUIRED THE NOTIFICATION OF MY COMPANY'S CHIEF PLT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT NO FAA ACTION IS INTENDED, BUT IF QUICK AND TIMELY ADHERENCE TO AN ATC CTLR'S REQUEST IS GNDS FOR A VERBAL REPRIMAND FROM THE FAA, I THOUGHT I HAD BETTER MAKE A RPT TO YOU SO THAT SAFETY MAY BE IMPROVED. I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING UP YOUR TIME WITH A RPT THAT OFFERS, IN MY OPINION, LITTLE THAT CAN BENEFIT OTHERS. MY ONLY THOUGHTS ARE THAT PERHAPS WHEN LIGHTLY LOADED AND CLBING A VY IN A TURN, WHEN VIEWED FROM THE GND ON THE INSIDE OF A TURN A CESSNA 310 MAY APPEAR TO BE BANKED MORE STEEPLY THAN IT ACTUALLY IS. MY OTHER THOUGHT IS THAT A QUICK TURN WHEN LESS THAN 500 FT AGL MAY SEEM UNSAFE. THE LATTER I AGREE COULD BE A PROB, BUT I WAS FLYING OVER THE RWY COMPLEX, AN ENVIRONMENT FREE OF OBSTACLES, AND I DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SAFETY TO ASSIST ATC AS BEST I COULD. I REALIZE THAT THE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION OF THE FAA IS A VERY NECESSARY CHK AND BAL FOR AVIATORS, BUT FOR SERIOUS SAFETY-CONSCIOUS PLTS IT IS OCCURRENCES LIKE THESE THAT GIVE US UNNEEDED STRESS AND EXTRA GRAY HAIR FOR THE BENEFIT OF NO ONE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

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.