Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 74; Flight Crew Total 7000; Flight Crew Type 500
Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Equipment / Tooling; Procedure
After taking off Runway 16L (RNO) on the Mustang 7 Departure (FMG7); we made a left turn following the FMS flight director toward the FMG VOR. RNO Tower asked if we had the terrain in sight. We acknowledged that we did. Tower also advised us that the FMG7 was a '3DME turn.' This waypoint is depicted on the FMG7 chart as I-RNO 3 DME on LOC frequency 110.9 or RIJTU. It was at this point that we realized we had turned approximately 1 mile before RIJTU and about 1;600 FT below the charted altitude of 10;000 FT. I believe that following the FMS FD guidance (which has an early turn-in feature to prevent excessive turn rates) instead of the depicted routing led to an early turn toward FMG VOR before reaching 10;000 FT. We were above the MEA at all segments and at no time were we in any conflict of traffic or terrain. To have prevented this; we should have cross-referenced the LOC DME and made sure we were at our charted waypoint and altitude prior to making our turn and not solely relying on FMS automation.
Contributing factors: 1) Aircraft FMS/Flight Director commanded a lead-in turn prior to fly over point of RIJTU; 2) Pilot's lack of attention to chart notes stating attitude prior to turn. Reliance on automation was a big factor as well.
Corporate jet flight crew deviated from FMG7 Departure out of RNO due to FMS 'early turn' feature.