Narrative:

Departing dca runway 1. Climb out requires turn to avoid P56 less than one mile from end of the runway. Captain flying chose to use VOR localizer to intercept 328 degree radial, per departure instructions. I entered dca 328 degree radial in fix page and it was graphically depicted on screen. Captain late to start turn to intercept radial 328 (left turn) possibly due to erroneous guidance from setup on his side. I dialed heading bug to approximately 300 and captain initiated a shallow turn at 15 degrees angle of bank. Radial 328 intercepted and shortly after, tower contacted us and asked us to contact dca base supervisor upon landing. Flight continued uneventfully and captain contacted FAA upon landing. If an intrusion did occur, it was undoubtedly a result of conflicting guidance that the captain received from his command bars in relation to what he was expecting to see. After resolving the conflict, he made a decision not to exacerbate the problem by initiating a radical turn that would alarm the passenger in an already sensitive environment. No consideration was made on my part at any time to take control of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT OVERSHOT TURN AFTER TKOF FROM DCA RESULTING IN PENETRATING P56 DUE TO FOLLOWING HIS PRE PROGRAMMED AUTO NAV FMS GUIDANCE.

Narrative: DEPARTING DCA RWY 1. CLIMB OUT REQUIRES TURN TO AVOID P56 LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM END OF THE RWY. CAPT FLYING CHOSE TO USE VOR LOC TO INTERCEPT 328 DEG RADIAL, PER DEP INSTRUCTIONS. I ENTERED DCA 328 DEG RADIAL IN FIX PAGE AND IT WAS GRAPHICALLY DEPICTED ON SCREEN. CAPT LATE TO START TURN TO INTERCEPT RADIAL 328 (L TURN) POSSIBLY DUE TO ERRONEOUS GUIDANCE FROM SETUP ON HIS SIDE. I DIALED HEADING BUG TO APPROX 300 AND CAPT INITIATED A SHALLOW TURN AT 15 DEGS ANGLE OF BANK. RADIAL 328 INTERCEPTED AND SHORTLY AFTER, TWR CONTACTED US AND ASKED US TO CONTACT DCA BASE SUPVR UPON LNDG. FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY AND CAPT CONTACTED FAA UPON LNDG. IF AN INTRUSION DID OCCUR, IT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY A RESULT OF CONFLICTING GUIDANCE THAT THE CAPT RECEIVED FROM HIS COMMAND BARS IN RELATION TO WHAT HE WAS EXPECTING TO SEE. AFTER RESOLVING THE CONFLICT, HE MADE A DECISION NOT TO EXACERBATE THE PROB BY INITIATING A RADICAL TURN THAT WOULD ALARM THE PAX IN AN ALREADY SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENT. NO CONSIDERATION WAS MADE ON MY PART AT ANY TIME TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE ACFT.

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.