Narrative:

Jun/tue/00, approximately XA30 am PDT, citation 560XL. Departing: napa valley, ca (apc) en route butte, montana (btm). Clearance received was slightly different from the flight plan that had been filed. The clearance received and acknowledged was: 'after takeoff direct to skaggs island, direct sacramento, direct to mustang, battle mountain, hia, direct. Maintain 8000 ft, expect FL370 in 10 mins, departure control 127.8, squawk XXXX.' the revised routing apc to (sgd-sac-fmg-bam-hia) btm was programmed into the FMS's. WX was clear with good visibility. We were then cleared for takeoff on runway 18R and when airborne instructed to contact departure control, which we did. According to the FMS, skaggs island VOR is 229 degrees, 4.8 NM from apc. After takeoff we were in a shallow right turn towards sgd, climbing and accelerating. The bank angle was shallow because we were looking for the single engine aircraft we had observed make a right turn immediately prior to our departure. Oakland departure control then advised us of something like 'traffic 12 O'clock position and 2 mi, 1000 ft above you,' which I believe would have been 3000 ft, or the TA may have stated 3000 ft, and we observed our altitude as 2000 ft and climbing, virtually simultaneously we received a 'traffic alert' from our TCASII.' we both began looking outside the aircraft for the traffic conflict. Once comfortable we were above the TA aircraft altitude we resumed our in-cockpit duties. Both FMS displays were showing the leg 'sgd-sac,' indicating to us that we had passed the sgd VOR. We turned left intending to intercept the displayed course, which we believed to be in accordance with our clearance. Prior to reaching that intended heading oakland departure broadcast 'you were cleared to the skaggs VOR, it looks like you are proceeding direct to sacramento.' I vaguely recall saying something like 'affirmative, we show we have passed skaggs VOR,' trying to explain what we were doing. Oakland's response was 'immediate right turn direct to the skaggs VOR.' which we complied with, resulting in not much more than a 270 degree turn direct to sac. Shortly thereafter, we were advised to contact the center once we were on the ground 'regarding a possible deviation,' and handed off to the next controller. After landing at butte, montana, we called the number given and spoke with someone (did not get a name) who stated 'I was not in the room at the time, but I heard what happened...you guys took off and proceeded directly to the sacramento VOR, possibly violating military approach's airspace... Our departure procedure from napa airport is direct to skaggs VOR then sacramento...' I then relayed what is stated above and the response was 'oh...well...a deviation has been filed and you should call in a few days, after the quality control board has had a chance to review this.' I recommend that a standard instrument departure for this airport be published to avoid any confusion of avoidance of any restr military airspace. Also, tower controller could advise traffic to be aware of local military airspace. We acted properly in the interest of traffic avoidance and safety of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C560XL FLC STARTS THEIR TURN ON COURSE DIRECT TO SAC BEFORE REACHING THE SGD VOR LOCATED 5 MI SW OF APC, CA.

Narrative: JUN/TUE/00, APPROX XA30 AM PDT, CITATION 560XL. DEPARTING: NAPA VALLEY, CA (APC) ENRTE BUTTE, MONTANA (BTM). CLRNC RECEIVED WAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE FLT PLAN THAT HAD BEEN FILED. THE CLRNC RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED WAS: 'AFTER TKOF DIRECT TO SKAGGS ISLAND, DIRECT SACRAMENTO, DIRECT TO MUSTANG, BATTLE MOUNTAIN, HIA, DIRECT. MAINTAIN 8000 FT, EXPECT FL370 IN 10 MINS, DEP CTL 127.8, SQUAWK XXXX.' THE REVISED ROUTING APC TO (SGD-SAC-FMG-BAM-HIA) BTM WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMS'S. WX WAS CLR WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 18R AND WHEN AIRBORNE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP CTL, WHICH WE DID. ACCORDING TO THE FMS, SKAGGS ISLAND VOR IS 229 DEGS, 4.8 NM FROM APC. AFTER TKOF WE WERE IN A SHALLOW R TURN TOWARDS SGD, CLBING AND ACCELERATING. THE BANK ANGLE WAS SHALLOW BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE SINGLE ENG ACFT WE HAD OBSERVED MAKE A R TURN IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO OUR DEP. OAKLAND DEP CTL THEN ADVISED US OF SOMETHING LIKE 'TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 2 MI, 1000 FT ABOVE YOU,' WHICH I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BEEN 3000 FT, OR THE TA MAY HAVE STATED 3000 FT, AND WE OBSERVED OUR ALT AS 2000 FT AND CLBING, VIRTUALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY WE RECEIVED A 'TFC ALERT' FROM OUR TCASII.' WE BOTH BEGAN LOOKING OUTSIDE THE ACFT FOR THE TFC CONFLICT. ONCE COMFORTABLE WE WERE ABOVE THE TA ACFT ALT WE RESUMED OUR IN-COCKPIT DUTIES. BOTH FMS DISPLAYS WERE SHOWING THE LEG 'SGD-SAC,' INDICATING TO US THAT WE HAD PASSED THE SGD VOR. WE TURNED L INTENDING TO INTERCEPT THE DISPLAYED COURSE, WHICH WE BELIEVED TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR CLRNC. PRIOR TO REACHING THAT INTENDED HEADING OAKLAND DEP BROADCAST 'YOU WERE CLRED TO THE SKAGGS VOR, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO SACRAMENTO.' I VAGUELY RECALL SAYING SOMETHING LIKE 'AFFIRMATIVE, WE SHOW WE HAVE PASSED SKAGGS VOR,' TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE WERE DOING. OAKLAND'S RESPONSE WAS 'IMMEDIATE R TURN DIRECT TO THE SKAGGS VOR.' WHICH WE COMPLIED WITH, RESULTING IN NOT MUCH MORE THAN A 270 DEG TURN DIRECT TO SAC. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT THE CTR ONCE WE WERE ON THE GND 'REGARDING A POSSIBLE DEV,' AND HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR. AFTER LNDG AT BUTTE, MONTANA, WE CALLED THE NUMBER GIVEN AND SPOKE WITH SOMEONE (DID NOT GET A NAME) WHO STATED 'I WAS NOT IN THE ROOM AT THE TIME, BUT I HEARD WHAT HAPPENED...YOU GUYS TOOK OFF AND PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE SACRAMENTO VOR, POSSIBLY VIOLATING MIL APCH'S AIRSPACE... OUR DEP PROC FROM NAPA ARPT IS DIRECT TO SKAGGS VOR THEN SACRAMENTO...' I THEN RELAYED WHAT IS STATED ABOVE AND THE RESPONSE WAS 'OH...WELL...A DEV HAS BEEN FILED AND YOU SHOULD CALL IN A FEW DAYS, AFTER THE QUALITY CTL BOARD HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS.' I RECOMMEND THAT A STANDARD INST DEP FOR THIS ARPT BE PUBLISHED TO AVOID ANY CONFUSION OF AVOIDANCE OF ANY RESTR MIL AIRSPACE. ALSO, TWR CTLR COULD ADVISE TFC TO BE AWARE OF LCL MIL AIRSPACE. WE ACTED PROPERLY IN THE INTEREST OF TFC AVOIDANCE AND SAFETY OF FLT.

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.