Narrative:

The captain was the PNF and the first officer (me) was the PF of an air carrier large transport. We were cleared for takeoff, off runway 36, to follow the noise abatement procedure, i.e., after takeoff, fly heading 328 degrees until intercepting the dca 328 degree radial, track outbound on the 328 degree radial until receiving vectors to the first assigned fix, climb to 5000 ft. After takeoff I climbed to 300 ft AGL as per company procedure on runway heading then turned to 328 degree heading. I had 328 degree radial dialed into the heading window and selected heading select at 300 ft. The command v- bars commanded a turn to 328 degrees which I followed. This produced a very low intercept angle towards the 328 degree radial which I did not notice immediately because the radial is not displayed on the HSI in the map mode, it is shown on the rmdi if manual is selected on the VOR control head. I was in automatic on the control head so the FMC had commanded the VOR head to use a different VOR for navigation update to the FMC. When called by departure asking if I was on the 328 degree radial I selected manual, saw I was tracking the 330 degree radial and corrected. This error was due to my inexperience and low time in the aircraft and the captain's low time and inexperience (50 hours). The WX was partial fog, 300 ft overcast, 4 mi visibility, so I was on instruments almost immediately and was concentrating on the ADI and HSI. Unfortunately in the large transport, when in the missed approach mode (which is the normal mode for navigating aircraft) heading is not under the lubber line and this can and does lead to confusion when air crews first start flying the large transport with the FMC. Next time I'll either takeoff in the VOR mode or program the dca 328 degree radial into the FMC prior to takeoff so I can fly the navigation presentation in the HSI in the missed approach mode.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV IN A NON ADHERENCE TO ATC PROC NOISE ABATEMENT PROC.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS THE PNF AND THE FO (ME) WAS THE PF OF AN ACR LGT. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, OFF RWY 36, TO FOLLOW THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC, I.E., AFTER TKOF, FLY HDG 328 DEGS UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL, TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE 328 DEG RADIAL UNTIL RECEIVING VECTORS TO THE FIRST ASSIGNED FIX, CLB TO 5000 FT. AFTER TKOF I CLBED TO 300 FT AGL AS PER COMPANY PROC ON RWY HDG THEN TURNED TO 328 DEG HDG. I HAD 328 DEG RADIAL DIALED INTO THE HDG WINDOW AND SELECTED HDG SELECT AT 300 FT. THE COMMAND V- BARS COMMANDED A TURN TO 328 DEGS WHICH I FOLLOWED. THIS PRODUCED A VERY LOW INTERCEPT ANGLE TOWARDS THE 328 DEG RADIAL WHICH I DID NOT NOTICE IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THE RADIAL IS NOT DISPLAYED ON THE HSI IN THE MAP MODE, IT IS SHOWN ON THE RMDI IF MANUAL IS SELECTED ON THE VOR CTL HEAD. I WAS IN AUTO ON THE CTL HEAD SO THE FMC HAD COMMANDED THE VOR HEAD TO USE A DIFFERENT VOR FOR NAV UPDATE TO THE FMC. WHEN CALLED BY DEP ASKING IF I WAS ON THE 328 DEG RADIAL I SELECTED MANUAL, SAW I WAS TRACKING THE 330 DEG RADIAL AND CORRECTED. THIS ERROR WAS DUE TO MY INEXPERIENCE AND LOW TIME IN THE ACFT AND THE CAPT'S LOW TIME AND INEXPERIENCE (50 HRS). THE WX WAS PARTIAL FOG, 300 FT OVCST, 4 MI VISIBILITY, SO I WAS ON INSTS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE ADI AND HSI. UNFORTUNATELY IN THE LGT, WHEN IN THE MISSED APCH MODE (WHICH IS THE NORMAL MODE FOR NAVING ACFT) HDG IS NOT UNDER THE LUBBER LINE AND THIS CAN AND DOES LEAD TO CONFUSION WHEN AIR CREWS FIRST START FLYING THE LGT WITH THE FMC. NEXT TIME I'LL EITHER TKOF IN THE VOR MODE OR PROGRAM THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL INTO THE FMC PRIOR TO TKOF SO I CAN FLY THE NAV PRESENTATION IN THE HSI IN THE MISSED APCH MODE.

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.