Narrative:

The first clue that cabo san lucas 'a' control has a problem should have been on arrival. We were tracking inbound on 318 degree radial of VOR and heard air carrier a say they would do xyz if that would help them out. We were told to track in on the 348 degree radial. No heading given. (A slight impossibility unless you turn left to make an intercept which we did.) we had another air carrier on TCASII and he passed about 3 mi off our right wing, but we would have been much closer if we had not made our own turn to intercept the 348 degree radial. English spoken by controller was very, very poor. This backgnd information brings us to the problem with departure out of cabo. There is no published departure. We were given our clearance taxiing out. Climb to 11000 ft (not sure about altitude) and intercept the 318 degree radial, report the VOR. Since the VOR is off the end of runway 16 (our departure runway), I reported it on initial climb out. I believed ATC said right turn to intercept 318 degrees which I read back. First officer turned right, since large mountains are off to the right, we turned back to approximately 180 degree heading. I asked controller was that a left or right turn for intercept. He said (poor english) fly instrument procedure or departure and report VOR. In the interest of safety I had the first officer make left turn direct to VOR and continue climb. We crossed the VOR and tracked out the 318 degree radial per release and flight plan. The only other communication we could understand was contact mazatlan center. We did and rest of trip uneventful. I have since contacted company ATC specialist and he says there is an IFR procedure that was sent to mexico city for approval. No word back on it and nothing published. I talked to 2 pilots who say they just fly out over the beach, past hotels, over the water then turn right to intercept 318 degree radial. One pilot said this was a word of mouth departure known as the 'lighthouse departure' but he can't find the lighthouse. Someone at NASA should check into this situation at cabo san lucas. It is my intent for this report to cover both arrival and departure this date in cabo. If not possible please cover the departure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was convinced there was no set departure procedure until his company ATC specialist found where it was located in the approach plates of his handbook. Reporter had asked many others who had flown into sjd, none knew of an official departure. Reporter is concerned that part 121 air carrier pilots don't know of a departure procedure unless the procedure is printed in graphic form. The flight crew had a very difficult time trying to understand the controller because the language barrier was quite strong. Flight crew never realized the departure is in text form, they were positive that a departure would be in graphic form. As he flew into sjd, another aircraft was departing and trying to suggest to departure what heading he might fly. Reporter states that should have been a clue to him, that all departures are not the same at sjd, although they should be.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B737-300 HAS NO PRINTED GRAPHIC OF DEP FROM SJD. THEY LATER LEARN THE DEP IS IN TEXT FORM NEXT TO DEP INFO.

Narrative: THE FIRST CLUE THAT CABO SAN LUCAS 'A' CTL HAS A PROB SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON ARR. WE WERE TRACKING INBOUND ON 318 DEG RADIAL OF VOR AND HEARD ACR A SAY THEY WOULD DO XYZ IF THAT WOULD HELP THEM OUT. WE WERE TOLD TO TRACK IN ON THE 348 DEG RADIAL. NO HDG GIVEN. (A SLIGHT IMPOSSIBILITY UNLESS YOU TURN L TO MAKE AN INTERCEPT WHICH WE DID.) WE HAD ANOTHER ACR ON TCASII AND HE PASSED ABOUT 3 MI OFF OUR R WING, BUT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH CLOSER IF WE HAD NOT MADE OUR OWN TURN TO INTERCEPT THE 348 DEG RADIAL. ENGLISH SPOKEN BY CTLR WAS VERY, VERY POOR. THIS BACKGND INFO BRINGS US TO THE PROB WITH DEP OUT OF CABO. THERE IS NO PUBLISHED DEP. WE WERE GIVEN OUR CLRNC TAXIING OUT. CLB TO 11000 FT (NOT SURE ABOUT ALT) AND INTERCEPT THE 318 DEG RADIAL, RPT THE VOR. SINCE THE VOR IS OFF THE END OF RWY 16 (OUR DEP RWY), I RPTED IT ON INITIAL CLBOUT. I BELIEVED ATC SAID R TURN TO INTERCEPT 318 DEGS WHICH I READ BACK. FO TURNED R, SINCE LARGE MOUNTAINS ARE OFF TO THE R, WE TURNED BACK TO APPROX 180 DEG HDG. I ASKED CTLR WAS THAT A L OR R TURN FOR INTERCEPT. HE SAID (POOR ENGLISH) FLY INST PROC OR DEP AND RPT VOR. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY I HAD THE FO MAKE L TURN DIRECT TO VOR AND CONTINUE CLB. WE CROSSED THE VOR AND TRACKED OUT THE 318 DEG RADIAL PER RELEASE AND FLT PLAN. THE ONLY OTHER COM WE COULD UNDERSTAND WAS CONTACT MAZATLAN CTR. WE DID AND REST OF TRIP UNEVENTFUL. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED COMPANY ATC SPECIALIST AND HE SAYS THERE IS AN IFR PROC THAT WAS SENT TO MEXICO CITY FOR APPROVAL. NO WORD BACK ON IT AND NOTHING PUBLISHED. I TALKED TO 2 PLTS WHO SAY THEY JUST FLY OUT OVER THE BEACH, PAST HOTELS, OVER THE WATER THEN TURN R TO INTERCEPT 318 DEG RADIAL. ONE PLT SAID THIS WAS A WORD OF MOUTH DEP KNOWN AS THE 'LIGHTHOUSE DEP' BUT HE CAN'T FIND THE LIGHTHOUSE. SOMEONE AT NASA SHOULD CHK INTO THIS SIT AT CABO SAN LUCAS. IT IS MY INTENT FOR THIS RPT TO COVER BOTH ARR AND DEP THIS DATE IN CABO. IF NOT POSSIBLE PLEASE COVER THE DEP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS CONVINCED THERE WAS NO SET DEP PROC UNTIL HIS COMPANY ATC SPECIALIST FOUND WHERE IT WAS LOCATED IN THE APCH PLATES OF HIS HANDBOOK. RPTR HAD ASKED MANY OTHERS WHO HAD FLOWN INTO SJD, NONE KNEW OF AN OFFICIAL DEP. RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT PART 121 ACR PLTS DON'T KNOW OF A DEP PROC UNLESS THE PROC IS PRINTED IN GRAPHIC FORM. THE FLC HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE CTLR BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER WAS QUITE STRONG. FLC NEVER REALIZED THE DEP IS IN TEXT FORM, THEY WERE POSITIVE THAT A DEP WOULD BE IN GRAPHIC FORM. AS HE FLEW INTO SJD, ANOTHER ACFT WAS DEPARTING AND TRYING TO SUGGEST TO DEP WHAT HDG HE MIGHT FLY. RPTR STATES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLUE TO HIM, THAT ALL DEPS ARE NOT THE SAME AT SJD, ALTHOUGH THEY SHOULD BE.

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.