Narrative:

The clearance was to depart dca runway 36 and to follow the company prescribed VFR SID (pilotage) up the potomac river. The company advisory page said '...an immediate turn at 300 ft AGL to position the aircraft directly over the potomac river is necessary....' the captain properly briefed the departure while at the gate. I have flown into dca twice before, but this was the first time I would fly, departing runway 36, on the VFR SID up the potomac river. We departed runway 36 and at 300 ft I looked for the river. With the nose of the aircraft at 20 degrees, I lost sight (which I never had in the first place) of the river and I was not familiar with the area. For a second I became disoriented. All I could see was river on the right side, and we were on the left side. So I made a right hand turn. Wrong! The captain immediately corrected me and said to turn left. At the same time tower said '...turn left immediately to 270 degrees.' the captain said we did not go over P56 (the white house), but we were close. We were then given clearance to follow the potomac river. We were a little behind the airplane, and at about 5 DME from dca VOR were about a mi west of the river as we were turning. It would have helped if the company advisory page said '...an immediate left turn' instead of 'an immediate turn.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG PENETRATED P56 AFTER DEP AT DCA.

Narrative: THE CLRNC WAS TO DEPART DCA RWY 36 AND TO FOLLOW THE COMPANY PRESCRIBED VFR SID (PILOTAGE) UP THE POTOMAC RIVER. THE COMPANY ADVISORY PAGE SAID '...AN IMMEDIATE TURN AT 300 FT AGL TO POS THE ACFT DIRECTLY OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER IS NECESSARY....' THE CAPT PROPERLY BRIEFED THE DEP WHILE AT THE GATE. I HAVE FLOWN INTO DCA TWICE BEFORE, BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I WOULD FLY, DEPARTING RWY 36, ON THE VFR SID UP THE POTOMAC RIVER. WE DEPARTED RWY 36 AND AT 300 FT I LOOKED FOR THE RIVER. WITH THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AT 20 DEGS, I LOST SIGHT (WHICH I NEVER HAD IN THE FIRST PLACE) OF THE RIVER AND I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. FOR A SECOND I BECAME DISORIENTED. ALL I COULD SEE WAS RIVER ON THE R SIDE, AND WE WERE ON THE L SIDE. SO I MADE A R HAND TURN. WRONG! THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED ME AND SAID TO TURN L. AT THE SAME TIME TWR SAID '...TURN L IMMEDIATELY TO 270 DEGS.' THE CAPT SAID WE DID NOT GO OVER P56 (THE WHITE HOUSE), BUT WE WERE CLOSE. WE WERE THEN GIVEN CLRNC TO FOLLOW THE POTOMAC RIVER. WE WERE A LITTLE BEHIND THE AIRPLANE, AND AT ABOUT 5 DME FROM DCA VOR WERE ABOUT A MI W OF THE RIVER AS WE WERE TURNING. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IF THE COMPANY ADVISORY PAGE SAID '...AN IMMEDIATE L TURN' INSTEAD OF 'AN IMMEDIATE TURN.'

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.