Narrative:

During takeoff from runway 36 at dca we apparently flew through prohibited airspace P-56 which covers 'the white house' and capitol building. I'm not sure if we actually flew through or turned in time. The reason for this occurrence I believe was the lack of departure information issued to us by ATC. See attached printed clearance -- issued through the automated clearance procedure and printed in the cockpit. The 2 sids for dca both state 'turn left as soon as feasible and intercept the dca 328 radial.' this clearance does not state that. It says depart northwest. To my understanding, that is not a clearance to turn after takeoff and navigation on our own. I assumed ATC (tower or departure control) would issue us a turn instruction. The next time, I will ask for a clarification. The first officer and I discussed the lack of turn instructions prior to takeoff, but we did not ask for clarification. I am also well aware of the prohibited area but 'assumed' ATC was calling the shots. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: no amplifying instructions were given by the tower or ground control. No SID was issued. When departure control said something like 'where are you going?' the reporter turned to intercept the 328 radial of dca. Both sids out of dca require a left turn 'as soon as feasible,' but the pre-departure clearance does not emphasize this. The performance of the modern aircraft make a left turn mandatory just after wheels up while company operating procedure states that no turn should be made below 500 ft, especially in the clouds. A telephone call to the TRACON supervisor determined that the FAA was going to take no action. TRACON would not state if the aircraft had entered the prohibited area as that would have put his people 'on report' for not keeping the reporter's aircraft out of the prohibited area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG MAY HAVE FLOWN INTO P-56 ON DEP FROM DCA.

Narrative: DURING TKOF FROM RWY 36 AT DCA WE APPARENTLY FLEW THROUGH PROHIBITED AIRSPACE P-56 WHICH COVERS 'THE WHITE HOUSE' AND CAPITOL BUILDING. I'M NOT SURE IF WE ACTUALLY FLEW THROUGH OR TURNED IN TIME. THE REASON FOR THIS OCCURRENCE I BELIEVE WAS THE LACK OF DEP INFO ISSUED TO US BY ATC. SEE ATTACHED PRINTED CLRNC -- ISSUED THROUGH THE AUTOMATED CLRNC PROC AND PRINTED IN THE COCKPIT. THE 2 SIDS FOR DCA BOTH STATE 'TURN L AS SOON AS FEASIBLE AND INTERCEPT THE DCA 328 RADIAL.' THIS CLRNC DOES NOT STATE THAT. IT SAYS DEPART NW. TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THAT IS NOT A CLRNC TO TURN AFTER TKOF AND NAV ON OUR OWN. I ASSUMED ATC (TWR OR DEP CTL) WOULD ISSUE US A TURN INSTRUCTION. THE NEXT TIME, I WILL ASK FOR A CLARIFICATION. THE FO AND I DISCUSSED THE LACK OF TURN INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO TKOF, BUT WE DID NOT ASK FOR CLARIFICATION. I AM ALSO WELL AWARE OF THE PROHIBITED AREA BUT 'ASSUMED' ATC WAS CALLING THE SHOTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NO AMPLIFYING INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN BY THE TWR OR GND CTL. NO SID WAS ISSUED. WHEN DEP CTL SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' THE RPTR TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE 328 RADIAL OF DCA. BOTH SIDS OUT OF DCA REQUIRE A L TURN 'AS SOON AS FEASIBLE,' BUT THE PRE-DEP CLRNC DOES NOT EMPHASIZE THIS. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MODERN ACFT MAKE A L TURN MANDATORY JUST AFTER WHEELS UP WHILE COMPANY OPERATING PROC STATES THAT NO TURN SHOULD BE MADE BELOW 500 FT, ESPECIALLY IN THE CLOUDS. A TELEPHONE CALL TO THE TRACON SUPVR DETERMINED THAT THE FAA WAS GOING TO TAKE NO ACTION. TRACON WOULD NOT STATE IF THE ACFT HAD ENTERED THE PROHIBITED AREA AS THAT WOULD HAVE PUT HIS PEOPLE 'ON RPT' FOR NOT KEEPING THE RPTR'S ACFT OUT OF THE PROHIBITED AREA.

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.