Narrative:

Government X departed dca en route to savannah, GA. The PIC was in the right seat handling radio communication and the sic was flying from the left seat. The departure clearance was received via pre departure clearance over the afis and was as follows: 'depart south on the dca 185 degree radial for radar vectors, then via daily, J61, as filed, maintain 5000 ft, expect FL390 10 mins after departure, squawk wxyz.' washington departure control gave us a vector heading of 160 degrees off the dca 185 degree radial and cleared us to climb to 14000. They did not instruct us to intercept J61. Prior to crossing J61, departure control instructed us to contact washington center on 133.9 we called on 133.9 and received no answer. We then verified the frequency and called again. As we were doing this we crossed J61. When we finally made radio contact on 133.9, we were told to descend to 13000 ft and to turn right immediately to heading 220 degrees. As we were doing this the controller said he needed a hard right turn. We then disconnected the automatic pilot, increased the bank from 28 to 45 degrees, and leveled at 13000 ft. We were never issued any traffic but both of us looked for traffic to the left and did not see any. The controller then gave us instructions to intercept J61. During this time, other aircraft where calling on the frequency and were not being acknowledged. The flight proceeded uneventfully to savannah. That afternoon at approximately XA00 we received a telephone call from our duty officer just to let us know that our airplane had been involved in an ATC operational error. He stated that training was in progress at washington tower/approach control and the trainee that issued the 160 degree heading should also have issued instructions to intercept J61, but he did not. He said that separation between our airplane and military Y had decreased to 4.7 mi at 14000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GOV X HAD LTSS FROM MIL Y SAME ALT. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: GOV X DEPARTED DCA ENRTE TO SAVANNAH, GA. THE PIC WAS IN THE R SEAT HANDLING RADIO COM AND THE SIC WAS FLYING FROM THE L SEAT. THE DEP CLRNC WAS RECEIVED VIA PDC OVER THE AFIS AND WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'DEPART S ON THE DCA 185 DEG RADIAL FOR RADAR VECTORS, THEN VIA DAILY, J61, AS FILED, MAINTAIN 5000 FT, EXPECT FL390 10 MINS AFTER DEP, SQUAWK WXYZ.' WASHINGTON DEP CTL GAVE US A VECTOR HDG OF 160 DEGS OFF THE DCA 185 DEG RADIAL AND CLRED US TO CLB TO 14000. THEY DID NOT INSTRUCT US TO INTERCEPT J61. PRIOR TO XING J61, DEP CTL INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT WASHINGTON CTR ON 133.9 WE CALLED ON 133.9 AND RECEIVED NO ANSWER. WE THEN VERIFIED THE FREQ AND CALLED AGAIN. AS WE WERE DOING THIS WE CROSSED J61. WHEN WE FINALLY MADE RADIO CONTACT ON 133.9, WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 13000 FT AND TO TURN R IMMEDIATELY TO HDG 220 DEGS. AS WE WERE DOING THIS THE CTLR SAID HE NEEDED A HARD R TURN. WE THEN DISCONNECTED THE AUTO PLT, INCREASED THE BANK FROM 28 TO 45 DEGS, AND LEVELED AT 13000 FT. WE WERE NEVER ISSUED ANY TFC BUT BOTH OF US LOOKED FOR TFC TO THE L AND DID NOT SEE ANY. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO INTERCEPT J61. DURING THIS TIME, OTHER ACFT WHERE CALLING ON THE FREQ AND WERE NOT BEING ACKNOWLEDGED. THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO SAVANNAH. THAT AFTERNOON AT APPROX XA00 WE RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM OUR DUTY OFFICER JUST TO LET US KNOW THAT OUR AIRPLANE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ATC OPERROR. HE STATED THAT TRAINING WAS IN PROGRESS AT WASHINGTON TWR/APCH CTL AND THE TRAINEE THAT ISSUED THE 160 DEG HDG SHOULD ALSO HAVE ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO INTERCEPT J61, BUT HE DID NOT. HE SAID THAT SEPARATION BTWN OUR AIRPLANE AND MIL Y HAD DECREASED TO 4.7 MI AT 14000 FT.

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.