Narrative:

Departing teb; nj; runway 24 via the teb 5 departure; dixie transition; I climbed to 1500 ft and then turned to a heading of 280 degrees. The departure calls for an additional climb to 2000 ft after crossing the teb 4.5 DME. The teb VOR/DME frequency was tuned on both navigation receivers with DME selected and checked prior to departure. After established on the 280 degree heading I noticed the DME readout was flagged. The departure control frequency seemed too busy to ask for confirmation of my position so I used the flight clock to estimate passing 4.5 miles from teb and then climbed to 2000 ft. Upon leveling ATC ask; 'what is your altitude?' we replied '2000 ft.' the controller then told us the departure called for 1500 ft at our current position. It appears that I climbed too soon and should have used a more precise method to determine my position. Departures from this airport typically are very busy and are a high workload for both crew members. There is usually very little air time on the departure frequency for anything other than standard communications. This influenced my decision to use a time estimate to determine my position. In the future I will be prepared to use additional means such as an NDB or GPS to verify my distance when departure this airport. In each of the last 3 years I have flown air ambulance operations of more than 1000 hours per year. These hours have been in GA jet aircraft throughout north; central and south america as well as parts of europe. Accordingly; I consider myself to be as proficient and current as anyone could expect to be in these high density sits. I have found arrs and departures at teb to be among the most demanding that I have experienced. There are often numerous frequency; altitude and heading changes issued by ATC as well as re-rtes which often occur at low altitudes during the initial critical phase of flight. I believe it would be beneficial to all if teb departure procedures could somehow be simplified. There just seems to be too much going on in the first 5000 ft on climb.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WESTWIND 124 PLT DEVIATED FROM THE TEB SID ASSIGNED ALT WHEN DISTRACTED BY LACK OF DME INDICATIONS.

Narrative: DEPARTING TEB; NJ; RWY 24 VIA THE TEB 5 DEP; DIXIE TRANSITION; I CLBED TO 1500 FT AND THEN TURNED TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS. THE DEP CALLS FOR AN ADDITIONAL CLB TO 2000 FT AFTER CROSSING THE TEB 4.5 DME. THE TEB VOR/DME FREQUENCY WAS TUNED ON BOTH NAV RECEIVERS WITH DME SELECTED AND CHKED PRIOR TO DEP. AFTER ESTABLISHED ON THE 280 DEG HDG I NOTICED THE DME READOUT WAS FLAGGED. THE DEP CTL FREQUENCY SEEMED TOO BUSY TO ASK FOR CONFIRMATION OF MY POS SO I USED THE FLT CLOCK TO ESTIMATE PASSING 4.5 MILES FROM TEB AND THEN CLBED TO 2000 FT. UPON LEVELING ATC ASK; 'WHAT IS YOUR ALT?' WE REPLIED '2000 FT.' THE CTLR THEN TOLD US THE DEP CALLED FOR 1500 FT AT OUR CURRENT POS. IT APPEARS THAT I CLBED TOO SOON AND SHOULD HAVE USED A MORE PRECISE METHOD TO DETERMINE MY POS. DEPS FROM THIS ARPT TYPICALLY ARE VERY BUSY AND ARE A HIGH WORKLOAD FOR BOTH CREW MEMBERS. THERE IS USUALLY VERY LITTLE AIR TIME ON THE DEP FREQUENCY FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN STANDARD COMS. THIS INFLUENCED MY DECISION TO USE A TIME ESTIMATE TO DETERMINE MY POS. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE PREPARED TO USE ADDITIONAL MEANS SUCH AS AN NDB OR GPS TO VERIFY MY DISTANCE WHEN DEP THIS ARPT. IN EACH OF THE LAST 3 YEARS I HAVE FLOWN AIR AMBULANCE OPS OF MORE THAN 1000 HRS PER YEAR. THESE HOURS HAVE BEEN IN GA JET ACFT THROUGHOUT N; CENTRAL AND S AMERICA AS WELL AS PARTS OF EUROPE. ACCORDINGLY; I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE AS PROFICIENT AND CURRENT AS ANYONE COULD EXPECT TO BE IN THESE HIGH DENSITY SITS. I HAVE FOUND ARRS AND DEPS AT TEB TO BE AMONG THE MOST DEMANDING THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED. THERE ARE OFTEN NUMEROUS FREQUENCY; ALT AND HDG CHANGES ISSUED BY ATC AS WELL AS RE-RTES WHICH OFTEN OCCUR AT LOW ALTS DURING THE INITIAL CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL IF TEB DEP PROCS COULD SOMEHOW BE SIMPLIFIED. THERE JUST SEEMS TO BE TOO MUCH GOING ON IN THE FIRST 5000 FT ON CLB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.