Narrative:

This NASA report is prompted by contact from my chief pilot who in turn was contacted by the FAA regarding an alleged overflt of the white house on the morning of nov/xx/95. I was the PF in the first officer position of an A320 departing on runway 36. WX was a 200 ft ceiling and visibility was approximately 3 mi. I am sure of the ceiling but am estimating the visibility to the best of my recollection. Thunderstorms were in the area and the departure was made with a 5 KT tailwind component and full thrust. Dca VOR was set in my NAVAID with the 328 degree radial selected. It was my intention to fly a 'managed' departure and follow steering bar commands from the inertial reference system (IRS). The A320 flight director defaults to the managed mode at 400 ft AGL after takeoff. We were completely IMC at 200 ft AGL. At 400 ft AGL I anticipated managed guidance which did not occur because the captain had selected the heading mode to prompt a manual turn toward the 328 degree radial prior to 400 ft AGL. I switched from the map arc display to the VOR display on my navigation cathode ray tube and initiated a left turn toward the 328 degree radial. Prior to intercepting the 328 degree radial we were given vectors for the remainder of the departure. At no time during the departure did I feel that we drifted east of runway heading, nor do I feel that the initial turn toward the 328 degree radial was delayed significantly. The IMC conditions prevent me from verifying, with absolute certainty, based on visual recollection, my departure track. No comment was made by any ATC agency regarding our departure as it was actually being performed. I was unaware of any controversy regarding our flight path until contacted by my chief pilot this date, nov/xx/95. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: because the reporter had some misunderstandings about the A320, a callback was made. He was still not aware that managed heading mode requires pushing the heading/track knob and thought it was in managed mode until selecting heading select. The before departure briefing was inadequate by the captain and reporter says their communication wasn't good and that he was a half a step behind the captain's actions. After questioning him about the 10-7 page in the operations manual concerning the dca northwest noise abatement departure and the specific instructions concerning the proper heading to intercept the 328 degree radial, he got his manual and looked it up. He said that he had flown the departure many times in another aircraft, but was behind in the 'magic' of the A320.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV INTO PROHIBITED AIRSPACE ACFT SYS KNOWLEDGE AND CREW COORD POOR.

Narrative: THIS NASA RPT IS PROMPTED BY CONTACT FROM MY CHIEF PLT WHO IN TURN WAS CONTACTED BY THE FAA REGARDING AN ALLEGED OVERFLT OF THE WHITE HOUSE ON THE MORNING OF NOV/XX/95. I WAS THE PF IN THE FO POS OF AN A320 DEPARTING ON RWY 36. WX WAS A 200 FT CEILING AND VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 3 MI. I AM SURE OF THE CEILING BUT AM ESTIMATING THE VISIBILITY TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION. TSTMS WERE IN THE AREA AND THE DEP WAS MADE WITH A 5 KT TAILWIND COMPONENT AND FULL THRUST. DCA VOR WAS SET IN MY NAVAID WITH THE 328 DEG RADIAL SELECTED. IT WAS MY INTENTION TO FLY A 'MANAGED' DEP AND FOLLOW STEERING BAR COMMANDS FROM THE INERTIAL REF SYS (IRS). THE A320 FLT DIRECTOR DEFAULTS TO THE MANAGED MODE AT 400 FT AGL AFTER TKOF. WE WERE COMPLETELY IMC AT 200 FT AGL. AT 400 FT AGL I ANTICIPATED MANAGED GUIDANCE WHICH DID NOT OCCUR BECAUSE THE CAPT HAD SELECTED THE HDG MODE TO PROMPT A MANUAL TURN TOWARD THE 328 DEG RADIAL PRIOR TO 400 FT AGL. I SWITCHED FROM THE MAP ARC DISPLAY TO THE VOR DISPLAY ON MY NAV CATHODE RAY TUBE AND INITIATED A L TURN TOWARD THE 328 DEG RADIAL. PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING THE 328 DEG RADIAL WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DEP. AT NO TIME DURING THE DEP DID I FEEL THAT WE DRIFTED E OF RWY HEADING, NOR DO I FEEL THAT THE INITIAL TURN TOWARD THE 328 DEG RADIAL WAS DELAYED SIGNIFICANTLY. THE IMC CONDITIONS PREVENT ME FROM VERIFYING, WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY, BASED ON VISUAL RECOLLECTION, MY DEP TRACK. NO COMMENT WAS MADE BY ANY ATC AGENCY REGARDING OUR DEP AS IT WAS ACTUALLY BEING PERFORMED. I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY CONTROVERSY REGARDING OUR FLT PATH UNTIL CONTACTED BY MY CHIEF PLT THIS DATE, NOV/XX/95. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: BECAUSE THE RPTR HAD SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE A320, A CALLBACK WAS MADE. HE WAS STILL NOT AWARE THAT MANAGED HEADING MODE REQUIRES PUSHING THE HEADING/TRACK KNOB AND THOUGHT IT WAS IN MANAGED MODE UNTIL SELECTING HEADING SELECT. THE BEFORE DEP BRIEFING WAS INADEQUATE BY THE CAPT AND RPTR SAYS THEIR COM WASN'T GOOD AND THAT HE WAS A HALF A STEP BEHIND THE CAPT'S ACTIONS. AFTER QUESTIONING HIM ABOUT THE 10-7 PAGE IN THE OPS MANUAL CONCERNING THE DCA NW NOISE ABATEMENT DEP AND THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE PROPER HEADING TO INTERCEPT THE 328 DEG RADIAL, HE GOT HIS MANUAL AND LOOKED IT UP. HE SAID THAT HE HAD FLOWN THE DEP MANY TIMES IN ANOTHER ACFT, BUT WAS BEHIND IN THE 'MAGIC' OF THE A320.

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.