B737 flight crew departure from dca is issued clearance that utilized a VOR that was notamed OTS.

Attributes
ACN	610971
Time
Date	200403
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca.airport
State Reference	DC
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : noise abatement
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	610971
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Navigational Facility ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Clrncs -- pre departure clearance and verbal -- are being issued out of dca to follow the 328 degree or 185 degree radial even though the VOR is notamed off the air. Gives impression that it's working. No problem for us with the computer but might eventually cause conflict, especially headed north. Non event for us as had B737 computer programmed with the radial but it definitely was not on the air. DME ok, but no course guidance. Yet, the original pre departure clearance to the north and subsequent change to the south both had instructions to follow the dca radial.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW DEP FROM DCA IS ISSUED CLRNC THAT UTILIZED A VOR THAT WAS NOTAMED OTS.

Narrative: CLRNCS -- PDC AND VERBAL -- ARE BEING ISSUED OUT OF DCA TO FOLLOW THE 328 DEG OR 185 DEG RADIAL EVEN THOUGH THE VOR IS NOTAMED OFF THE AIR. GIVES IMPRESSION THAT IT'S WORKING. NO PROB FOR US WITH THE COMPUTER BUT MIGHT EVENTUALLY CAUSE CONFLICT, ESPECIALLY HEADED N. NON EVENT FOR US AS HAD B737 COMPUTER PROGRAMMED WITH THE RADIAL BUT IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT ON THE AIR. DME OK, BUT NO COURSE GUIDANCE. YET, THE ORIGINAL PDC TO THE N AND SUBSEQUENT CHANGE TO THE S BOTH HAD INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW THE DCA RADIAL.

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.