Narrative:

Cleared via oak 4 SID to cross the 4 DME of oak VORTAC at 2000 ft MSL then climb to FL230. Company procedure/technique to enter restrictive altitude in FMS until crossing restr complied with, then change FMS altitude to cleared altitude. Due radio congestion was unable to contact bay departure control and check in at 2000 ft. Due to rapid confign changes and preoccupation of making radio contact, waited until contact was made at approximately 10 DME before initiating climb. Suggest that this was a potentially hazardous situation if in IMC conditions. Mt tamalpias was on course approximately 10-15 mi. Upon establishing radio contact with bay departure, was cleared to FL230. Controller stated he was not receiving our transponder, we changed xponders and resumed normal departure. We re-selected back to original transponder with subsequent controller and made normal check-in call. Transponder appeared to be working normally. Feel that both cockpit and controller workloads contributed to this situation. 2000 ft crossing restr causes somewhat abnormal application of FMS procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A310 ACFT ON SID REMAINED AT 2000 FT RESTR UNTIL MAKING CONTACT WITH DEP CTLR. RPTR FLC HAD FLOWN 7 MI BEYOND THE RESTR XING POINT AND WERE WAITING TO CLB UNTIL ESTABLISHING COM, THOUGH RPTR CAPT SAYS THAT THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN CLRED TO CLB TO FL230 AFTER THE 4 DME RESTR. BOTH FLC WERE RELATIVELY NEW ON THE ACFT AND MAY HAVE BEEN SLOW IN PROGRAMMING THE FMS.

Narrative: CLRED VIA OAK 4 SID TO CROSS THE 4 DME OF OAK VORTAC AT 2000 FT MSL THEN CLB TO FL230. COMPANY PROC/TECHNIQUE TO ENTER RESTRICTIVE ALT IN FMS UNTIL XING RESTR COMPLIED WITH, THEN CHANGE FMS ALT TO CLRED ALT. DUE RADIO CONGESTION WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT BAY DEP CTL AND CHK IN AT 2000 FT. DUE TO RAPID CONFIGN CHANGES AND PREOCCUPATION OF MAKING RADIO CONTACT, WAITED UNTIL CONTACT WAS MADE AT APPROX 10 DME BEFORE INITIATING CLB. SUGGEST THAT THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT IF IN IMC CONDITIONS. MT TAMALPIAS WAS ON COURSE APPROX 10-15 MI. UPON ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT WITH BAY DEP, WAS CLRED TO FL230. CTLR STATED HE WAS NOT RECEIVING OUR XPONDER, WE CHANGED XPONDERS AND RESUMED NORMAL DEP. WE RE-SELECTED BACK TO ORIGINAL XPONDER WITH SUBSEQUENT CTLR AND MADE NORMAL CHK-IN CALL. XPONDER APPEARED TO BE WORKING NORMALLY. FEEL THAT BOTH COCKPIT AND CTLR WORKLOADS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT. 2000 FT XING RESTR CAUSES SOMEWHAT ABNORMAL APPLICATION OF FMS PROCS.

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.