B717 flight crew has a track heading deviation departure dca.

Attributes
ACN	700014
Time
Date	200606
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca.tracon tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B717 (Formerly MD-95)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	700014
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Departure out of dca: aircraft needed to join 328 degree radial to avoid prohibited airspace. First officer was flying. I (captain) was monitoring. After departure; first officer turned to join the 328 degree radial but stopped. I selected a heading to the left in which flight director was showing right. I told the first officer 'you need to go left' and reselected the heading knob to cause the command bars to come left. Then re-armed the VOR. The command bars still showed a right turn selection. The first officer was still following the erroneous commands from the flight director. I restated 'you need to come left; left now!' I again reselected and rearmed the VOR tracking. ZDC came over the frequency and said 'flight XXX; left turn now hard left!' the first officer immediately responded to the second input. We rejoined the departure without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717 FLT CREW HAS A TRACK HDG DEV DEP DCA.

Narrative: DEP OUT OF DCA: ACFT NEEDED TO JOIN 328 DEG RADIAL TO AVOID PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. FO WAS FLYING. I (CAPT) WAS MONITORING. AFTER DEP; FO TURNED TO JOIN THE 328 DEG RADIAL BUT STOPPED. I SELECTED A HDG TO THE L IN WHICH FLT DIRECTOR WAS SHOWING R. I TOLD THE FO 'YOU NEED TO GO L' AND RESELECTED THE HDG KNOB TO CAUSE THE COMMAND BARS TO COME L. THEN RE-ARMED THE VOR. THE COMMAND BARS STILL SHOWED A R TURN SELECTION. THE FO WAS STILL FOLLOWING THE ERRONEOUS COMMANDS FROM THE FLT DIRECTOR. I RESTATED 'YOU NEED TO COME L; L NOW!' I AGAIN RESELECTED AND REARMED THE VOR TRACKING. ZDC CAME OVER THE FREQ AND SAID 'FLT XXX; L TURN NOW HARD L!' THE FO IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO THE SECOND INPUT. WE REJOINED THE DEP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.