Narrative:

We got assigned the dixxy six departure and then I proceeded to brief as it was my leg. I briefed the taxi; departure; special procedure and also; threats like the terrain in the area. I also set the terr mode on my mfd for reference on the departure. I also told the first officer to identify the localizer frequency as it was a pilot navigation departure. On the taxi; we noticed a momentary flag on the ehsi; it was a second; and then the flag went out of view. We both noticed it and briefed accordingly as it was VFR. As we took off and tried to track the 252 out of the localizer as per the departure first officer armed the navigation at 400 ft and then it showed capture on the FMA. The FD was showing a shallow bank towards the left and I was correcting to center the localizer; which it was not. When passing 4;000 ft and climbing to 5;000; ATC said to us that we were 5 miles left of course. Then; ATC gave us a right turn direct to dilnnthe threat was that the dixxy six departure uses the localizer from runway 6. There was no notation on the departure about any reverse sensing effect and that's why we set the course to 252 as per the dixxy six departure. It happens that we tracked the front course and we think we had reverse sensing on the ehsi. Obviously we caught it after ATC gave us the vector to dilnn. I hope that the company and the FAA can put this important notation on the departure for our crews to reference it. This is the only explanation I have on this event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 flight crew reports getting well off track flying the DIXXY 6 departure from ROA. The crew set the depicted course of 252 degrees to fly the back course LOC departure.

Narrative: We got assigned the DIXXY SIX departure and then I proceeded to brief as it was my leg. I briefed the taxi; departure; special procedure and also; threats like the terrain in the area. I also set the TERR mode on my MFD for reference on the departure. I also told the First Officer to identify the LOC frequency as it was a pilot NAV departure. On the taxi; we noticed a momentary flag on the EHSI; it was a second; and then the flag went out of view. We both noticed it and briefed accordingly as it was VFR. As we took off and tried to track the 252 out of the LOC as per the departure First Officer armed the NAV at 400 FT and then it showed capture on the FMA. The FD was showing a shallow bank towards the left and I was correcting to center the LOC; which it was not. When passing 4;000 FT and climbing to 5;000; ATC said to us that we were 5 miles left of course. Then; ATC gave us a right turn direct to DILNNThe threat was that the DIXXY SIX departure uses the LOC from Runway 6. There was no notation on the departure about any reverse sensing effect and that's why we set the course to 252 as per the DIXXY SIX departure. It happens that we tracked the front course and we think we had reverse sensing on the EHSI. Obviously we caught it after ATC gave us the vector to DILNN. I hope that the company and the FAA can put this important notation on the departure for our crews to reference it. This is the only explanation I have on this event.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.