Flight crew of a lear jet 31 failed to turn after takeoff and follow a track that will keep them out...

Attributes
ACN	354680
Time
Date	199612
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca tower : bwi
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Learjet 29
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10599 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	354680
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our clearance to depart dca from runway 36 was: cleared to apa, noise abatement procedure, radar vectors armel VOR, as filed, climb and maintain 5000 ft. No SID was assigned or located in our charts. Both pilots had reviewed the noise abatement procedure, which began with several paragraphs discussing proper throttle settings, and both pilots missed the inclusion later in the text of the instruction to follow the potomac river northwest, which would require a 45 degree left turn immediately after takeoff. Our mindset was to expect a vector upon receiving takeoff clearance, or immediately after takeoff from tower or departure. We received no turn instruction at takeoff clearance, and subsequently no instruction to contact departure. During the initial climb I instructed the first officer to establish a reduced power setting and a high angle of climb. When that was established I realized we had not received a turn instruction or request to contact departure. I looked out the right window and observed the washington monument passing below and to the right. I then contacted departure and reported our altitude and altitude limit. The controller requested our present heading, and I reported 360 degrees, runway heading. After a short pause, he requested a left turn to 320 degrees and increased our altitude limit, and we complied. I realized we should not have been so close to the capitol grounds, and the first officer and I began to discuss why it had happened. After re-reading through the very technical power reduction procedure, I idented the turn instruction imbedded in the bottom of the page text. I believe our past experience with departure clrncs that include either an initial turn instruction or a SID, along with the inclusion of radar vectors in our clearance this night, left us unexpectant of finding a turn instruction buried at the bottom of a lengthy throttle control procedure. The fine print at the bottom indicating a graphic on the reverse side was not in the least helpful in finding that a route procedure existed. I think the graphic procedure should be page one, with the text description moved to page 2, with a strong indication on page 1 that page 2 also exists.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A LEAR JET 31 FAILED TO TURN AFTER TKOF AND FOLLOW A TRACK THAT WILL KEEP THEM OUT OF PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. ATC VECTORED THEM BACK TO THE PROPER TRACK.

Narrative: OUR CLRNC TO DEPART DCA FROM RWY 36 WAS: CLRED TO APA, NOISE ABATEMENT PROC, RADAR VECTORS ARMEL VOR, AS FILED, CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. NO SID WAS ASSIGNED OR LOCATED IN OUR CHARTS. BOTH PLTS HAD REVIEWED THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC, WHICH BEGAN WITH SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS DISCUSSING PROPER THROTTLE SETTINGS, AND BOTH PLTS MISSED THE INCLUSION LATER IN THE TEXT OF THE INSTRUCTION TO FOLLOW THE POTOMAC RIVER NW, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A 45 DEG L TURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. OUR MINDSET WAS TO EXPECT A VECTOR UPON RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC, OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF FROM TWR OR DEP. WE RECEIVED NO TURN INSTRUCTION AT TKOF CLRNC, AND SUBSEQUENTLY NO INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT DEP. DURING THE INITIAL CLB I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO ESTABLISH A REDUCED PWR SETTING AND A HIGH ANGLE OF CLB. WHEN THAT WAS ESTABLISHED I REALIZED WE HAD NOT RECEIVED A TURN INSTRUCTION OR REQUEST TO CONTACT DEP. I LOOKED OUT THE R WINDOW AND OBSERVED THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT PASSING BELOW AND TO THE R. I THEN CONTACTED DEP AND RPTED OUR ALT AND ALT LIMIT. THE CTLR REQUESTED OUR PRESENT HDG, AND I RPTED 360 DEGS, RWY HDG. AFTER A SHORT PAUSE, HE REQUESTED A L TURN TO 320 DEGS AND INCREASED OUR ALT LIMIT, AND WE COMPLIED. I REALIZED WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO CLOSE TO THE CAPITOL GROUNDS, AND THE FO AND I BEGAN TO DISCUSS WHY IT HAD HAPPENED. AFTER RE-READING THROUGH THE VERY TECHNICAL PWR REDUCTION PROC, I IDENTED THE TURN INSTRUCTION IMBEDDED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TEXT. I BELIEVE OUR PAST EXPERIENCE WITH DEP CLRNCS THAT INCLUDE EITHER AN INITIAL TURN INSTRUCTION OR A SID, ALONG WITH THE INCLUSION OF RADAR VECTORS IN OUR CLRNC THIS NIGHT, LEFT US UNEXPECTANT OF FINDING A TURN INSTRUCTION BURIED AT THE BOTTOM OF A LENGTHY THROTTLE CTL PROC. THE FINE PRINT AT THE BOTTOM INDICATING A GRAPHIC ON THE REVERSE SIDE WAS NOT IN THE LEAST HELPFUL IN FINDING THAT A RTE PROC EXISTED. I THINK THE GRAPHIC PROC SHOULD BE PAGE ONE, WITH THE TEXT DESCRIPTION MOVED TO PAGE 2, WITH A STRONG INDICATION ON PAGE 1 THAT PAGE 2 ALSO EXISTS.

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.

Flight crew of a lear jet 31 failed to turn after takeoff and follow a track that will keep them out of prohibited airspace. ATC vectored them back to the proper track.