Narrative:

We departed runway 25 den on a 255 degree heading, den 3 departure, radar vectors to the lufse intersection, destination cos. Tower delayed our handoff to departure due to frequency congestion. Departure initially gave us a heading of 240 degrees, climb to 12000 ft MSL. We were then given a heading of 190 degrees to intercept victor 81 to brk. We turned to the assigned heading, but with easterly winds aloft, we did not intercept the airway quickly enough. We were below the oroca and the controller received a terrain warning. Since it is only a 60 mi flight, I had already switched to the cos ATIS. When I returned to den departure, we had already turned to a 100 degree heading as directed by the controller. I was unaware there was a problem until we landed at cos and ground gave us the phone number of the controller. My captain called the controller and then relayed the situation to me. Normally we depart den on runway 17L/right, runway 8 to go to cos. However, this time we departed runway 25 towards terrain. I was unfamiliar with victor 81 and had to look up on the chart, which caused a delay in intercepting. Future runway 25 departures bound for cos would benefit from a more expedient turn to the south, or rather than an airway routing for such a short flight, radar vectors would help reduce the flight crew workload. This is a difficult leg because everything is happening very fast.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BAE146 FLC FLEW TOWARD HIGH TERRAIN DEPARTING DEN WHICH GENERATED A 'TERRAIN' WARNING IN TRACON.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED RWY 25 DEN ON A 255 DEG HDG, DEN 3 DEP, RADAR VECTORS TO THE LUFSE INTXN, DEST COS. TWR DELAYED OUR HDOF TO DEP DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. DEP INITIALLY GAVE US A HDG OF 240 DEGS, CLB TO 12000 FT MSL. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A HDG OF 190 DEGS TO INTERCEPT VICTOR 81 TO BRK. WE TURNED TO THE ASSIGNED HDG, BUT WITH EASTERLY WINDS ALOFT, WE DID NOT INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY QUICKLY ENOUGH. WE WERE BELOW THE OROCA AND THE CTLR RECEIVED A TERRAIN WARNING. SINCE IT IS ONLY A 60 MI FLT, I HAD ALREADY SWITCHED TO THE COS ATIS. WHEN I RETURNED TO DEN DEP, WE HAD ALREADY TURNED TO A 100 DEG HDG AS DIRECTED BY THE CTLR. I WAS UNAWARE THERE WAS A PROB UNTIL WE LANDED AT COS AND GND GAVE US THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE CTLR. MY CAPT CALLED THE CTLR AND THEN RELAYED THE SIT TO ME. NORMALLY WE DEPART DEN ON RWY 17L/R, RWY 8 TO GO TO COS. HOWEVER, THIS TIME WE DEPARTED RWY 25 TOWARDS TERRAIN. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH VICTOR 81 AND HAD TO LOOK UP ON THE CHART, WHICH CAUSED A DELAY IN INTERCEPTING. FUTURE RWY 25 DEPS BOUND FOR COS WOULD BENEFIT FROM A MORE EXPEDIENT TURN TO THE S, OR RATHER THAN AN AIRWAY ROUTING FOR SUCH A SHORT FLT, RADAR VECTORS WOULD HELP REDUCE THE FLC WORKLOAD. THIS IS A DIFFICULT LEG BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING VERY FAST.

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.