Narrative:

I am sure that this is not the first NASA report filed for the runway 36 visual departure out of dca. I do not believe that an incursion of the prohibited airspace around the white house and the washington monument actually occurred, but we came close enough to make me write this report. I was the first officer flying the departure off of runway 36 at dca. Our procedures tell us to keep the east bank of the potomac river in sight at all times, to keep clear of the prohibited airspace. If contact with the east bank is lost, it says to turn to 300 degrees and intercept the washington 328 degree radial. This procedure is clear enough, but its dependence on visual navigation during a high workload phase of flight is what troubles me. I was concentrating on a nonstandard noise abatement profile, the possibility of a nonstandard engine out procedure, if one was required, and also remaining clear of prohibited airspace visually, at a 20 degree body angle. There is something in the procedure about waiting until a certain DME is reached before turning left, but I had dumped that information as I was already task-saturated. To add to the confusion, the cockpit door had swung open during the takeoff roll, and remained open during the departure. After taking the time to make sure we were on profile and safe, I looked out to get a visual on the river. I had climbed straight ahead for the first few hundred ft, for safety, and because I knew there was something in the procedure about not turning early. By the time I was oriented, it looked like we were very close to the airspace, so I began a left turn, but slowly because we were climbing steeply, slowly, and again that nagging feeling about not turning early. The captain believes that we did not enter the airspace, and I agree, but we came closer than I would have liked. It occurred to me, wouldn't it just be easier to have a simple departure procedure that calls for a specific heading after takeoff or above a certain altitude. It seems to me that it would cause a lot less confusion during an already busy noise abatement procedure takeoff. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that he would like to make the procedure as simple as possible. He would like to see a single departure procedure that would encompass both VFR and IFR conditions. The procedure should address the needs of the local communities as well as P56. Reporter emphasized that just after liftoff is the most critical phase of flight coupled with a close-in turn and high body angle, makes for one of the most challenging departures in the country. Any kind of distraction could cause you to violate the procedure. Talked to dca TRACON person. Many of the flcs do not like the procedure, however, it's the best they have to offer. Asked about video mapping of P56. He said that approach has it displayed on their radar. But, because of the close proximity of the radar site to P56, they cannot, with absolute certainty, know if an aircraft penetrated the airspace. Another government agency usually will follow up with the flight crew. However, it's still the FAA's responsibility to keep the aircraft clear of P56. Asked if any consideration was given to using the 328 radial both in VFR and IFR conditions. He stated that some controllers do that now. The 328 degree radial was used because it simulates the river. An agreement made many yrs ago.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THIS IS ANOTHER INCIDENT WHERE THE FLC WAS EITHER TOO BUSY OR PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER DUTIES JUST AFTER LIFTOFF FROM DCA RWY 36 TO ADHERE PRECISELY TO THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROHIBITED AREA AVOIDANCE PROCS. BY THE TIME THEY RECOVERED THEY FELT THEY MAY HAVE CLIPPED THE PROHIBITED AREA.

Narrative: I AM SURE THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST NASA RPT FILED FOR THE RWY 36 VISUAL DEP OUT OF DCA. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT AN INCURSION OF THE PROHIBITED AIRSPACE AROUND THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT ACTUALLY OCCURRED, BUT WE CAME CLOSE ENOUGH TO MAKE ME WRITE THIS RPT. I WAS THE FO FLYING THE DEP OFF OF RWY 36 AT DCA. OUR PROCS TELL US TO KEEP THE E BANK OF THE POTOMAC RIVER IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES, TO KEEP CLR OF THE PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. IF CONTACT WITH THE E BANK IS LOST, IT SAYS TO TURN TO 300 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE WASHINGTON 328 DEG RADIAL. THIS PROC IS CLR ENOUGH, BUT ITS DEPENDENCE ON VISUAL NAV DURING A HIGH WORKLOAD PHASE OF FLT IS WHAT TROUBLES ME. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON A NONSTANDARD NOISE ABATEMENT PROFILE, THE POSSIBILITY OF A NONSTANDARD ENG OUT PROC, IF ONE WAS REQUIRED, AND ALSO REMAINING CLR OF PROHIBITED AIRSPACE VISUALLY, AT A 20 DEG BODY ANGLE. THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE PROC ABOUT WAITING UNTIL A CERTAIN DME IS REACHED BEFORE TURNING L, BUT I HAD DUMPED THAT INFO AS I WAS ALREADY TASK-SATURATED. TO ADD TO THE CONFUSION, THE COCKPIT DOOR HAD SWUNG OPEN DURING THE TKOF ROLL, AND REMAINED OPEN DURING THE DEP. AFTER TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ON PROFILE AND SAFE, I LOOKED OUT TO GET A VISUAL ON THE RIVER. I HAD CLBED STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR THE FIRST FEW HUNDRED FT, FOR SAFETY, AND BECAUSE I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE PROC ABOUT NOT TURNING EARLY. BY THE TIME I WAS ORIENTED, IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE AIRSPACE, SO I BEGAN A L TURN, BUT SLOWLY BECAUSE WE WERE CLBING STEEPLY, SLOWLY, AND AGAIN THAT NAGGING FEELING ABOUT NOT TURNING EARLY. THE CAPT BELIEVES THAT WE DID NOT ENTER THE AIRSPACE, AND I AGREE, BUT WE CAME CLOSER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED. IT OCCURRED TO ME, WOULDN'T IT JUST BE EASIER TO HAVE A SIMPLE DEP PROC THAT CALLS FOR A SPECIFIC HDG AFTER TKOF OR ABOVE A CERTAIN ALT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WOULD CAUSE A LOT LESS CONFUSION DURING AN ALREADY BUSY NOISE ABATEMENT PROC TKOF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE PROC AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SINGLE DEP PROC THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS BOTH VFR AND IFR CONDITIONS. THE PROC SHOULD ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE LCL COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS P56. RPTR EMPHASIZED THAT JUST AFTER LIFTOFF IS THE MOST CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT COUPLED WITH A CLOSE-IN TURN AND HIGH BODY ANGLE, MAKES FOR ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING DEPS IN THE COUNTRY. ANY KIND OF DISTR COULD CAUSE YOU TO VIOLATE THE PROC. TALKED TO DCA TRACON PERSON. MANY OF THE FLCS DO NOT LIKE THE PROC, HOWEVER, IT'S THE BEST THEY HAVE TO OFFER. ASKED ABOUT VIDEO MAPPING OF P56. HE SAID THAT APCH HAS IT DISPLAYED ON THEIR RADAR. BUT, BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROX OF THE RADAR SITE TO P56, THEY CANNOT, WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY, KNOW IF AN ACFT PENETRATED THE AIRSPACE. ANOTHER GOV AGENCY USUALLY WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE FLC. HOWEVER, IT'S STILL THE FAA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THE ACFT CLR OF P56. ASKED IF ANY CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO USING THE 328 RADIAL BOTH IN VFR AND IFR CONDITIONS. HE STATED THAT SOME CTLRS DO THAT NOW. THE 328 DEG RADIAL WAS USED BECAUSE IT SIMULATES THE RIVER. AN AGREEMENT MADE MANY YRS AGO.

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.