Narrative:

After takeoff from runway 36 at washington's nat'l airport, I came very close to violating the restr airspace that surrounds the white house. Prior to flight, I entered the noise abatement departure (328 degree radial/10 DME) into the FMGS. When we taxied out to the runway we observed some possibly hazardous WX on the departure path and delayed our takeoff. After approximately 10 mins, another aircraft took off although the WX had moved very little. After climb out, that aircraft reported that he had not encountered any problems and had a fairly smooth ride, so I decided we would be next to go. I planned on using the FMGS to intercept the departure radial so I could concentrate more on the WX radar. We took off and after passing the field boundary I started my left turn and called for the copilot to 'give me managed heading'. I then took my eyes off the instruments to make sure that he pushed the heading button in. When I returned my scan back to the instruments, I concentrated on recentering the command bars and monitoring the radar. What I did not realize at the time was that FMGS was not flying the 328 degree radial. I had called for managed heading after we had already crossed the 328 degree radial, therefore, we did not have an intercept heading and the FMGS was just commanding our present heading. When the first officer said we were going through the radial, I was distracted by the WX on the radar and trying to keep the command bars centered, his warning just didn't register with me. Finally the departure controller called and told us we were just on the edge of the restr area. I then executed an immediate left turn to stay clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT DEVIATED FROM DEP PROC AND ALMOST ENTERED A PROHIBITED AREA.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 36 AT WASHINGTON'S NAT'L ARPT, I CAME VERY CLOSE TO VIOLATING THE RESTR AIRSPACE THAT SURROUNDS THE WHITE HOUSE. PRIOR TO FLT, I ENTERED THE NOISE ABATEMENT DEP (328 DEG RADIAL/10 DME) INTO THE FMGS. WHEN WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY WE OBSERVED SOME POSSIBLY HAZARDOUS WX ON THE DEP PATH AND DELAYED OUR TKOF. AFTER APPROX 10 MINS, ANOTHER ACFT TOOK OFF ALTHOUGH THE WX HAD MOVED VERY LITTLE. AFTER CLIMB OUT, THAT ACFT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED ANY PROBLEMS AND HAD A FAIRLY SMOOTH RIDE, SO I DECIDED WE WOULD BE NEXT TO GO. I PLANNED ON USING THE FMGS TO INTERCEPT THE DEP RADIAL SO I COULD CONCENTRATE MORE ON THE WX RADAR. WE TOOK OFF AND AFTER PASSING THE FIELD BOUNDARY I STARTED MY LEFT TURN AND CALLED FOR THE COPLT TO 'GIVE ME MANAGED HDG'. I THEN TOOK MY EYES OFF THE INSTRUMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT HE PUSHED THE HDG BUTTON IN. WHEN I RETURNED MY SCAN BACK TO THE INSTRUMENTS, I CONCENTRATED ON RECENTERING THE COMMAND BARS AND MONITORING THE RADAR. WHAT I DID NOT REALIZE AT THE TIME WAS THAT FMGS WAS NOT FLYING THE 328 DEG RADIAL. I HAD CALLED FOR MANAGED HDG AFTER WE HAD ALREADY CROSSED THE 328 DEG RADIAL, THEREFORE, WE DID NOT HAVE AN INTERCEPT HDG AND THE FMGS WAS JUST COMMANDING OUR PRESENT HDG. WHEN THE F/O SAID WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE RADIAL, I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE WX ON THE RADAR AND TRYING TO KEEP THE COMMAND BARS CENTERED, HIS WARNING JUST DIDN'T REGISTER WITH ME. FINALLY THE DEP CTLR CALLED AND TOLD US WE WERE JUST ON THE EDGE OF THE RESTR AREA. I THEN EXECUTED AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN TO STAY CLEAR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.