PA-31 Navajo/Chieftan/Mojave/T1040
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Human Factors
After departing Runway 24 from TEB on the Teterboro Eight departure; I was watching the DME looking for 4.5. I leveled at 1;500; turned to heading 280 and the DME read 7.1; so I continued the climb to 2;000 FT. At approximately 1;700 FT MSL; the DME went blank. When it came back on; it read only 3.7; indicating that I was inside the climb area. At that point; NY Departure gave me a climb to 6;000 FT MSL and nothing was said or mentioned about the climb. I will back-up the DME with the VOR radial; as is the procedure for 'non-DME-equipped aircraft'.
PA31 pilot reports climbing early on the TEB 8 departure due to faulty DME equipment aboard his aircraft.