Narrative:

Prior to departing dca bound for yip (detroit, mi, willow run airport) I received the IFR clearance for this route. The initial clearance was 'cleared to yip via northwest radar vectors, noise abatement to join J518 ihd as filed, 5000 ft and FL390 in 10 mins, etc.' I read back the clearance but asked them to re-specify the initial part of it 'via northwest vectors, noise abatement' because this seemed very vague since no noise abatement procedures were to be found in the 'current' nos charts we had on board. They repeated the same clearance 'northwest vectors, noise abatement.' both these seemed vague since nothing specific was published in the nos charts, no sids, noise abatement or notes on the airport diagram. I expected a heading assignment upon clearance for takeoff, we were cleared for immediate takeoff (runway 36) and no vectors given. Upon initial climb out the captain began a standard rate turn while following general noise abatement procedures for this aircraft (LR24) between 1000 and 2000 ft AGL. The tower controller proclaimed 'turn to a heading of 270 degrees.' he continued the turn toward 270 degrees and prior to reaching it the tower controller stated 'turn to 240 degrees now!!' hearing his tone we abruptly turned to 240 degrees. Then after 1 min or so he cleared us to a 330 degree heading and told us to call their tower from our destination and gave us the number. I believe the factors that led to this situation were the high congestion of traffic, unclr departure clearance, and the expectation the crew members will follow procedures that are locally known but not published as sids for crews not frequenting dca. I had asked twice to clarify the clearance 'northwest heading, vectors, noise abatement' and the response I received both times was an aggravated controller repeating the exact same words. Supplemental information from acn 314730: prior to departing dca on runway 36, review of nos charts revealed no SID. Due to unfamiliarity with nos charts we did not review additional text of departure procedures located after the SID section of approach plates. After departure confusion in the cockpit caused (according to ATC) us to momentarily enter prohibited area near the white house. It is very unusual to have IFR departure procedure not published as a SID or dictated by ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF P56.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEPARTING DCA BOUND FOR YIP (DETROIT, MI, WILLOW RUN ARPT) I RECEIVED THE IFR CLRNC FOR THIS RTE. THE INITIAL CLRNC WAS 'CLRED TO YIP VIA NW RADAR VECTORS, NOISE ABATEMENT TO JOIN J518 IHD AS FILED, 5000 FT AND FL390 IN 10 MINS, ETC.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC BUT ASKED THEM TO RE-SPECIFY THE INITIAL PART OF IT 'VIA NW VECTORS, NOISE ABATEMENT' BECAUSE THIS SEEMED VERY VAGUE SINCE NO NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS WERE TO BE FOUND IN THE 'CURRENT' NOS CHARTS WE HAD ON BOARD. THEY REPEATED THE SAME CLRNC 'NW VECTORS, NOISE ABATEMENT.' BOTH THESE SEEMED VAGUE SINCE NOTHING SPECIFIC WAS PUBLISHED IN THE NOS CHARTS, NO SIDS, NOISE ABATEMENT OR NOTES ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM. I EXPECTED A HDG ASSIGNMENT UPON CLRNC FOR TKOF, WE WERE CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF (RWY 36) AND NO VECTORS GIVEN. UPON INITIAL CLBOUT THE CAPT BEGAN A STANDARD RATE TURN WHILE FOLLOWING GENERAL NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS FOR THIS ACFT (LR24) BTWN 1000 AND 2000 FT AGL. THE TWR CTLR PROCLAIMED 'TURN TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS.' HE CONTINUED THE TURN TOWARD 270 DEGS AND PRIOR TO REACHING IT THE TWR CTLR STATED 'TURN TO 240 DEGS NOW!!' HEARING HIS TONE WE ABRUPTLY TURNED TO 240 DEGS. THEN AFTER 1 MIN OR SO HE CLRED US TO A 330 DEG HDG AND TOLD US TO CALL THEIR TWR FROM OUR DEST AND GAVE US THE NUMBER. I BELIEVE THE FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS SIT WERE THE HIGH CONGESTION OF TFC, UNCLR DEP CLRNC, AND THE EXPECTATION THE CREW MEMBERS WILL FOLLOW PROCS THAT ARE LOCALLY KNOWN BUT NOT PUBLISHED AS SIDS FOR CREWS NOT FREQUENTING DCA. I HAD ASKED TWICE TO CLARIFY THE CLRNC 'NW HDG, VECTORS, NOISE ABATEMENT' AND THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED BOTH TIMES WAS AN AGGRAVATED CTLR REPEATING THE EXACT SAME WORDS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 314730: PRIOR TO DEPARTING DCA ON RWY 36, REVIEW OF NOS CHARTS REVEALED NO SID. DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY WITH NOS CHARTS WE DID NOT REVIEW ADDITIONAL TEXT OF DEP PROCS LOCATED AFTER THE SID SECTION OF APCH PLATES. AFTER DEP CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT CAUSED (ACCORDING TO ATC) US TO MOMENTARILY ENTER PROHIBITED AREA NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE. IT IS VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE IFR DEP PROC NOT PUBLISHED AS A SID OR DICTATED BY ATC.

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.