Narrative:

There was a special obstacle departure listed for departure runway 22. It stated, 'follow the depicted departure or...after departure turn to heading 250 degrees and track outbound on lvz 287 degree radial until reaching 3000 ft, then proceed on course.' my first officer and I discussed the SID and the obstacle departure procedure. After takeoff, my first officer turned to 250 degrees as per the obstacle procedure, just as we were instructed to contact departure. Upon rolling out on heading 250 degrees, we received a traffic alert. We leveled off, then once the traffic was passed, assumed climb. Upon checking in with departure, they confirmed that there was indeed traffic that had passed near us. Departure control queried our departure instructions. I explained that I had followed the obstacle departure. They looked it up and replied that they understood the confusion, but they were expecting us to fly runway heading as per the SID. They said that there was no problem. My reason for following the obstacle departure was that with 3 mi visibility, I would be unable to adequately see and avoid high terrain after takeoff. I will try to research into this further. According to wilkes-barre approach control, one should ignore all obstacle departure procedures unless WX is less than 1000 ft and 3 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING BE1900 AT AVP FAILS TO FLY THE SID AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC.

Narrative: THERE WAS A SPECIAL OBSTACLE DEP LISTED FOR DEP RWY 22. IT STATED, 'FOLLOW THE DEPICTED DEP OR...AFTER DEP TURN TO HDG 250 DEGS AND TRACK OUTBOUND ON LVZ 287 DEG RADIAL UNTIL REACHING 3000 FT, THEN PROCEED ON COURSE.' MY FO AND I DISCUSSED THE SID AND THE OBSTACLE DEP PROC. AFTER TKOF, MY FO TURNED TO 250 DEGS AS PER THE OBSTACLE PROC, JUST AS WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP. UPON ROLLING OUT ON HDG 250 DEGS, WE RECEIVED A TFC ALERT. WE LEVELED OFF, THEN ONCE THE TFC WAS PASSED, ASSUMED CLB. UPON CHKING IN WITH DEP, THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS INDEED TFC THAT HAD PASSED NEAR US. DEP CTL QUERIED OUR DEP INSTRUCTIONS. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD FOLLOWED THE OBSTACLE DEP. THEY LOOKED IT UP AND REPLIED THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THE CONFUSION, BUT THEY WERE EXPECTING US TO FLY RWY HDG AS PER THE SID. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROB. MY REASON FOR FOLLOWING THE OBSTACLE DEP WAS THAT WITH 3 MI VISIBILITY, I WOULD BE UNABLE TO ADEQUATELY SEE AND AVOID HIGH TERRAIN AFTER TKOF. I WILL TRY TO RESEARCH INTO THIS FURTHER. ACCORDING TO WILKES-BARRE APCH CTL, ONE SHOULD IGNORE ALL OBSTACLE DEP PROCS UNLESS WX IS LESS THAN 1000 FT AND 3 MI.

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.