Narrative:

Takeoff on runway 36 dca. First officer received clearance for a northwest departure to intercept aml 091 degree right, paleo X, V44, etc. Neither of us had been to dca for some time and there was a little confusion as to exactly to execute the departure. He asked me something about the departure and I said to follow the river. Takeoff runway 36 was normal and aircraft climbed rapidly straight ahead. First officer did not start a turn. Seemed a little confused. Told him to turn. By the time he finally did (turned right instead of left), I was looking down at the white house. Then he turned left toward the potomac river on a northwest heading. Dca came up and vectored us thereafter. They asked me to call the area supervisor on arrival in ewr. Debriefing, I found out that when the first officer asked me about the departure he said something like, 'right to the river,' and I said, 'yes, follow the river.' I didn't understand that he meant right turn to the river. That could be understandable since we were to intercept the aml 091 degree right eastbound to paleo. At any rate, he didn't turn soon enough in either direction. As a postmortem, I realize I should have been more assertive in getting him to turn, probably even to the point of taking the aircraft. A thorough departure briefing would have cleared up our communication problem and avoided this whole thing altogether.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TRACK HEADING DEVIATION AND UNAUTH PENETRATION OF P56.

Narrative: TKOF ON RWY 36 DCA. F/O RECEIVED CLRNC FOR A NW DEP TO INTERCEPT AML 091 DEG R, PALEO X, V44, ETC. NEITHER OF US HAD BEEN TO DCA FOR SOME TIME AND THERE WAS A LITTLE CONFUSION AS TO EXACTLY TO EXECUTE THE DEP. HE ASKED ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE DEP AND I SAID TO FOLLOW THE RIVER. TKOF RWY 36 WAS NORMAL AND ACFT CLBED RAPIDLY STRAIGHT AHEAD. F/O DID NOT START A TURN. SEEMED A LITTLE CONFUSED. TOLD HIM TO TURN. BY THE TIME HE FINALLY DID (TURNED RIGHT INSTEAD OF LEFT), I WAS LOOKING DOWN AT THE WHITE HOUSE. THEN HE TURNED LEFT TOWARD THE POTOMAC RIVER ON A NW HDG. DCA CAME UP AND VECTORED US THEREAFTER. THEY ASKED ME TO CALL THE AREA SUPVR ON ARR IN EWR. DEBRIEFING, I FOUND OUT THAT WHEN THE F/O ASKED ME ABOUT THE DEP HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE, 'RIGHT TO THE RIVER,' AND I SAID, 'YES, FOLLOW THE RIVER.' I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT HE MEANT RIGHT TURN TO THE RIVER. THAT COULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE SINCE WE WERE TO INTERCEPT THE AML 091 DEG R EBND TO PALEO. AT ANY RATE, HE DIDN'T TURN SOON ENOUGH IN EITHER DIRECTION. AS A POSTMORTEM, I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ASSERTIVE IN GETTING HIM TO TURN, PROBABLY EVEN TO THE POINT OF TAKING THE ACFT. A THOROUGH DEP BRIEFING WOULD HAVE CLRED UP OUR COM PROB AND AVOIDED THIS WHOLE THING ALTOGETHER.

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.