Narrative:

Just after takeoff on runway 36 at washington national with a 400 ft overcast, we were IMC. Our gross weight for takeoff was relatively light and the aircraft was climbing rapidly. A maximum power takeoff was done because a landing aircraft reported a 10-15 KT airspeed loss on final approach. The captain was set up to fly the 329 degree radial outbound out of dca VOR and I was set up on the inbound radial to aml VOR. I was either disarming the autospoilers and autobrakes or maybe I was switching to departure control. I'm not sure if we were talking with tower or departure. After what seemed like a little longer than normal, I asked the captain if he was going to start his turn toward the northwest. He said the VOR is not coming in yet and started a turn to 320 degree heading. Assuming that the VOR had failed, I immediately called the controller if we should intercept. He asked our heading. It was 320 degrees. He told us to maintain heading 320 degrees. At about the same time, the captain and I had both noticed that he put in 110.0 instead of 111.0 in his VOR receiver. With just the short delay in the departure turn, I feel we may have encroached on the P56 prohibited area. Problems: obviously the frequency mistake was a big factor. We should have realized that with the VOR at the field, we should have checked for a DME and also checked the morse code identify for dca. Procedures: on aeronautical charts P10-9A IFR departure procedure says 'turn as soon as feasible.' air carrier departure page says depart northwest, follow the potomac river or the 328 degree radial. No where do I see that an immediate turn while IMC is mandatory. Recommendations: a SID indicating an immediate turn to a heading and then intercept the radial. Or a turn within a specific DME to a heading to intercept a radial. Or have tower issue departure instructions for turn immediately after takeoff to a heading for the intercept. Although we did partially cause our own problem, radial high aob turns in extreme bad WX at low altitude to avoid an airspace within 1/5 mi should have a more defined procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF PROHIBITED AREA ON DEP PROC.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF ON RWY 36 AT WASHINGTON NATL WITH A 400 FT OVCST, WE WERE IMC. OUR GROSS WT FOR TKOF WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT AND THE ACFT WAS CLBING RAPIDLY. A MAX PWR TKOF WAS DONE BECAUSE A LNDG ACFT RPTED A 10-15 KT AIRSPD LOSS ON FINAL APCH. THE CAPT WAS SET UP TO FLY THE 329 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND OUT OF DCA VOR AND I WAS SET UP ON THE INBOUND RADIAL TO AML VOR. I WAS EITHER DISARMING THE AUTOSPOILERS AND AUTOBRAKES OR MAYBE I WAS SWITCHING TO DEP CTL. I'M NOT SURE IF WE WERE TALKING WITH TWR OR DEP. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE A LITTLE LONGER THAN NORMAL, I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS GOING TO START HIS TURN TOWARD THE NW. HE SAID THE VOR IS NOT COMING IN YET AND STARTED A TURN TO 320 DEG HDG. ASSUMING THAT THE VOR HAD FAILED, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE CTLR IF WE SHOULD INTERCEPT. HE ASKED OUR HDG. IT WAS 320 DEGS. HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN HDG 320 DEGS. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE CAPT AND I HAD BOTH NOTICED THAT HE PUT IN 110.0 INSTEAD OF 111.0 IN HIS VOR RECEIVER. WITH JUST THE SHORT DELAY IN THE DEP TURN, I FEEL WE MAY HAVE ENCROACHED ON THE P56 PROHIBITED AREA. PROBLEMS: OBVIOUSLY THE FREQ MISTAKE WAS A BIG FACTOR. WE SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WITH THE VOR AT THE FIELD, WE SHOULD HAVE CHKED FOR A DME AND ALSO CHKED THE MORSE CODE IDENT FOR DCA. PROCS: ON AERO CHARTS P10-9A IFR DEP PROC SAYS 'TURN AS SOON AS FEASIBLE.' ACR DEP PAGE SAYS DEPART NW, FOLLOW THE POTOMAC RIVER OR THE 328 DEG RADIAL. NO WHERE DO I SEE THAT AN IMMEDIATE TURN WHILE IMC IS MANDATORY. RECOMMENDATIONS: A SID INDICATING AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO A HDG AND THEN INTERCEPT THE RADIAL. OR A TURN WITHIN A SPECIFIC DME TO A HDG TO INTERCEPT A RADIAL. OR HAVE TWR ISSUE DEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR TURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF TO A HDG FOR THE INTERCEPT. ALTHOUGH WE DID PARTIALLY CAUSE OUR OWN PROBLEM, RADIAL HIGH AOB TURNS IN EXTREME BAD WX AT LOW ALT TO AVOID AN AIRSPACE WITHIN 1/5 MI SHOULD HAVE A MORE DEFINED PROC.

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.