Narrative:

Leaving dca, tower gave us an immediate takeoff from runway 1 with a B737-400 not yet off the runway and a guy on 2 mile final. We took off and they asked us if we had the B737 in sight. It was hard not to see him. It was a clear night. We had less than 2 mi separation. After the immediate left turn to avoid the prohibited area, I looked at the TCAS. We were 1 1/2 mi behind the B737 and rapidly gaining. We were told to follow him and keep the separation. We were directly 1000 ft below him and a mile and a half behind him getting bumped around by wake turbulence. The departure procedure calls for staying over the middle of the potomac river for noise abatement. We were getting bumped around by the B737 and overtaking him. Therefore, we went just a little left of the river for smoother air. The controller stated 'you're flying left of course over my house' (in a humorous tone). I said nothing. The captain told him, 'that we were deviating left of course due to wake turbulence from the B737.' the controller said, 'oh, it's just a B737-400, the turbulence shouldn't be that bad.' this made us both angry and frustrated. He gave us a heading of 020 degrees to get back on course. We slowly complied. Then he gave us a turn to the east and said resume our navigation and handed us off. I pleasantly said goodnight and switched frequencies. The captain and I were unfamiliar with the dca airport. We had only flown there for the first time the previous day. This was a large factor. In hindsight, we shouldn't have accepted the rushed takeoff clearance or called the traffic in sight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW HAD TRACK DEV ON DEP AT DCA, CLASS B.

Narrative: LEAVING DCA, TWR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE TKOF FROM RWY 1 WITH A B737-400 NOT YET OFF THE RWY AND A GUY ON 2 MILE FINAL. WE TOOK OFF AND THEY ASKED US IF WE HAD THE B737 IN SIGHT. IT WAS HARD NOT TO SEE HIM. IT WAS A CLEAR NIGHT. WE HAD LESS THAN 2 MI SEPARATION. AFTER THE IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN TO AVOID THE PROHIBITED AREA, I LOOKED AT THE TCAS. WE WERE 1 1/2 MI BEHIND THE B737 AND RAPIDLY GAINING. WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW HIM AND KEEP THE SEPARATION. WE WERE DIRECTLY 1000 FT BELOW HIM AND A MILE AND A HALF BEHIND HIM GETTING BUMPED AROUND BY WAKE TURBULENCE. THE DEP PROCEDURE CALLS FOR STAYING OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE POTOMAC RIVER FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. WE WERE GETTING BUMPED AROUND BY THE B737 AND OVERTAKING HIM. THEREFORE, WE WENT JUST A LITTLE LEFT OF THE RIVER FOR SMOOTHER AIR. THE CTLR STATED 'YOU'RE FLYING LEFT OF COURSE OVER MY HOUSE' (IN A HUMOROUS TONE). I SAID NOTHING. THE CAPTAIN TOLD HIM, 'THAT WE WERE DEVIATING LEFT OF COURSE DUE TO WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE B737.' THE CTLR SAID, 'OH, IT'S JUST A B737-400, THE TURBULENCE SHOULDN'T BE THAT BAD.' THIS MADE US BOTH ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED. HE GAVE US A HDG OF 020 DEGREES TO GET BACK ON COURSE. WE SLOWLY COMPLIED. THEN HE GAVE US A TURN TO THE E AND SAID RESUME OUR NAVIGATION AND HANDED US OFF. I PLEASANTLY SAID GOODNIGHT AND SWITCHED FREQUENCIES. THE CAPTAIN AND I WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE DCA ARPT. WE HAD ONLY FLOWN THERE FOR THE FIRST TIME THE PREVIOUS DAY. THIS WAS A LARGE FACTOR. IN HINDSIGHT, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ACCEPTED THE RUSHED TKOF CLRNC OR CALLED THE TRAFFIC IN SIGHT.

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.