Narrative:

I departed runway 26 at mcd on an IFR clearance issued by green bay radio. Clearance was runway heading to 3000 ft void after XA35Z, squaw abcd, final 11000 ft. Conditions were VFR at the surface with AWOS reporting a ceiling of 3900 ft. With a passenger and full load of baggage, high humidity and warming temperatures, my climb rate was not much more than 500 FPM. I ched in with ZMP and was told to continue on my heading and climb to 4000 ft. Radar coverage does not exist below 4000 ft in that area. I continued to monitor the CTAF and heard several other uncontrolled calls including ones approaching or in the pattern at 83D from altitudes of 3000 ft on down. My departure path ran directly into the arrs and left downwind leg of 83D. Because conditions were VFR, I was able to identify several traffic conflicts visually. I also sighted one aircraft nearby that made no position report and gave no transponder return on my tpas. Also, a ing air was climbing straight out behind me. While watching as much traffic as I could, I too evasive action, primarily sidestepping to the south of my course, but maintaining heading, since most traffic was reporting position along or to the north of my course. I did not report my heading deviation to avoid traffic until I had established radar contact at 4000 ft. I was advised by center that, because I was on a clearance, no such deviation was permitted. I was subsequently advised that I should have maintained my course and that it was the responsibility of the other traffic, such as the ing air, to see and avoid me. Center had also been requesting position reports from traffic in the form of DME, but not bearing from mcd, which itself has no navaids on the field. Because of the significant variability of winds at lower altitudes in the macinac island area caused by the funnel swirling effect of the straits, constant heading assignments are not a reliable predictor of radial position below coverage. There is a nearby VORTAC at pellston (pln) (which in fact anchors the VOR/DME-a approach into mcd). It should be used by center for requesting position reports (radial and DME) below radar coverage in the vicinity of mcd, whether VMC or IMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT OF C177 ON IFR DEP FROM MCD IS CHASTISED BY ZMP RADAR CTLR FOR DEVIATING FROM HDG TO AVOID PATTERN TFC AT 83D.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RWY 26 AT MCD ON AN IFR CLRNC ISSUED BY GREEN BAY RADIO. CLRNC WAS RWY HDG TO 3000 FT VOID AFTER XA35Z, SQUAW ABCD, FINAL 11000 FT. CONDITIONS WERE VFR AT THE SURFACE WITH AWOS RPTING A CEILING OF 3900 FT. WITH A PAX AND FULL LOAD OF BAGGAGE, HIGH HUMIDITY AND WARMING TEMPS, MY CLB RATE WAS NOT MUCH MORE THAN 500 FPM. I CHED IN WITH ZMP AND WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE ON MY HDG AND CLB TO 4000 FT. RADAR COVERAGE DOES NOT EXIST BELOW 4000 FT IN THAT AREA. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE CTAF AND HEARD SEVERAL OTHER UNCTLED CALLS INCLUDING ONES APCHING OR IN THE PATTERN AT 83D FROM ALTS OF 3000 FT ON DOWN. MY DEP PATH RAN DIRECTLY INTO THE ARRS AND L DOWNWIND LEG OF 83D. BECAUSE CONDITIONS WERE VFR, I WAS ABLE TO IDENT SEVERAL TFC CONFLICTS VISUALLY. I ALSO SIGHTED ONE ACFT NEARBY THAT MADE NO POS RPT AND GAVE NO XPONDER RETURN ON MY TPAS. ALSO, A ING AIR WAS CLBING STRAIGHT OUT BEHIND ME. WHILE WATCHING AS MUCH TFC AS I COULD, I TOO EVASIVE ACTION, PRIMARILY SIDESTEPPING TO THE S OF MY COURSE, BUT MAINTAINING HDG, SINCE MOST TFC WAS RPTING POS ALONG OR TO THE N OF MY COURSE. I DID NOT RPT MY HDG DEV TO AVOID TFC UNTIL I HAD ESTABLISHED RADAR CONTACT AT 4000 FT. I WAS ADVISED BY CTR THAT, BECAUSE I WAS ON A CLRNC, NO SUCH DEV WAS PERMITTED. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED THAT I SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED MY COURSE AND THAT IT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OTHER TFC, SUCH AS THE ING AIR, TO SEE AND AVOID ME. CTR HAD ALSO BEEN REQUESTING POS RPTS FROM TFC IN THE FORM OF DME, BUT NOT BEARING FROM MCD, WHICH ITSELF HAS NO NAVAIDS ON THE FIELD. BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT VARIABILITY OF WINDS AT LOWER ALTS IN THE MACINAC ISLAND AREA CAUSED BY THE FUNNEL SWIRLING EFFECT OF THE STRAITS, CONSTANT HDG ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT A RELIABLE PREDICTOR OF RADIAL POS BELOW COVERAGE. THERE IS A NEARBY VORTAC AT PELLSTON (PLN) (WHICH IN FACT ANCHORS THE VOR/DME-A APCH INTO MCD). IT SHOULD BE USED BY CTR FOR REQUESTING POS RPTS (RADIAL AND DME) BELOW RADAR COVERAGE IN THE VICINITY OF MCD, WHETHER VMC OR IMC.

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.