Narrative:

Clearance from phx to iwa initially runway heading (departing runway 26R) climb to and maintain 3000 ft. Departure frequency 124.1. After takeoff, the local controller gave us a heading of 220 degrees. After clearing the south runway departure corridor, we were given a turn south (190 degrees). We were then directed to contact departure. The departure controller had other air carrier traffic and did not acknowledge our initial call. A second call was made as we continued at 3000 ft and again was not acknowledged. The departure controller continued to communicate with scheduled acrs. Airspeed was slowed to 160 KTS to give the controller more time to respond, but we were never acknowledged. Approaching the terrain of the south mountain range (3000 ft MSL), we were forced to turn off our assigned heading to avoid terrain. We transmitted 'aircraft X turning right for terrain avoidance.' the frequency went dead silent for 10-20 seconds. We transmitted 'aircraft X continuing right turn for terrain avoidance.' a different controller then came on frequency and cleared us to a higher altitude and vectored us around the west end of the mountain range. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Phx approach continues on a daily basis to vector small aircraft and non scheduled large aircraft at low altitudes over terrain south of the airport, in what would appear to be an effort to get them out of class B airspace as soon as possible. There has also been a nationally published effort by phx approach to restrict 'small' aircraft from class B airspace around phx. The procedure of running aircraft at low altitudes requires flcs to routinely request higher altitudes or refuse assigned vectors to be safe and comply with FARS. This situation could be avoided if phx approach would provide the same level of service to small aircraft and non scheduled large aircraft they provide to scheduled air carrier traffic and would apply similar standards to departure procedures. The perception by air traffic controllers of 'little airplane, big airplane' continues to put the small guys in the ranks of second class citizens.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TURNS CLB AWAY FROM HIGHER TERRAIN S OF ARPT WHEN HE WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH PHX TRACON DEP CTLR. AFTER SECOND XMISSION THAT HE WAS TURNING CLBING TO AVOID TERRAIN, RPTR STATES A DIFFERENT CTLR ISSUES FURTHER CLRNC ON COURSE. PLT PERCEIVES CTLR EFFORT TO DISCOURAGE CLASS B USE FROM 'SMALL NON SCHEDULED ACFT.'

Narrative: CLRNC FROM PHX TO IWA INITIALLY RWY HDG (DEPARTING RWY 26R) CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. DEP FREQ 124.1. AFTER TKOF, THE LCL CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 220 DEGS. AFTER CLRING THE S RWY DEP CORRIDOR, WE WERE GIVEN A TURN S (190 DEGS). WE WERE THEN DIRECTED TO CONTACT DEP. THE DEP CTLR HAD OTHER ACR TFC AND DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE OUR INITIAL CALL. A SECOND CALL WAS MADE AS WE CONTINUED AT 3000 FT AND AGAIN WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. THE DEP CTLR CONTINUED TO COMMUNICATE WITH SCHEDULED ACRS. AIRSPD WAS SLOWED TO 160 KTS TO GIVE THE CTLR MORE TIME TO RESPOND, BUT WE WERE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED. APCHING THE TERRAIN OF THE S MOUNTAIN RANGE (3000 FT MSL), WE WERE FORCED TO TURN OFF OUR ASSIGNED HDG TO AVOID TERRAIN. WE XMITTED 'ACFT X TURNING R FOR TERRAIN AVOIDANCE.' THE FREQ WENT DEAD SILENT FOR 10-20 SECONDS. WE XMITTED 'ACFT X CONTINUING R TURN FOR TERRAIN AVOIDANCE.' A DIFFERENT CTLR THEN CAME ON FREQ AND CLRED US TO A HIGHER ALT AND VECTORED US AROUND THE W END OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGE. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. PHX APCH CONTINUES ON A DAILY BASIS TO VECTOR SMALL ACFT AND NON SCHEDULED LARGE ACFT AT LOW ALTS OVER TERRAIN S OF THE ARPT, IN WHAT WOULD APPEAR TO BE AN EFFORT TO GET THEM OUT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE ASAP. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A NATIONALLY PUBLISHED EFFORT BY PHX APCH TO RESTRICT 'SMALL' ACFT FROM CLASS B AIRSPACE AROUND PHX. THE PROC OF RUNNING ACFT AT LOW ALTS REQUIRES FLCS TO ROUTINELY REQUEST HIGHER ALTS OR REFUSE ASSIGNED VECTORS TO BE SAFE AND COMPLY WITH FARS. THIS SIT COULD BE AVOIDED IF PHX APCH WOULD PROVIDE THE SAME LEVEL OF SVC TO SMALL ACFT AND NON SCHEDULED LARGE ACFT THEY PROVIDE TO SCHEDULED ACR TFC AND WOULD APPLY SIMILAR STANDARDS TO DEP PROCS. THE PERCEPTION BY AIR TFC CTLRS OF 'LITTLE AIRPLANE, BIG AIRPLANE' CONTINUES TO PUT THE SMALL GUYS IN THE RANKS OF SECOND CLASS CITIZENS.

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.