Narrative:

Clearance was given as after departure turn right to 050 degrees (northeast) radar vector to canny intersection thence as filed. Climb and maintain 2000 ft. Our runway assignment was runway 3. We were too heavy for that runway and advised that we needed runway 36. Ground control then re-assigned us to runway 36, and never re- assigned a new departure heading. The noise abatement procedures for dca state to fly runway heading to 1500 ft before turning on course, unless otherwise assigned by ATC. After takeoff and reaching 400 ft AGL, we turned right to 050 degrees. Tower then told us to turn right to 150 degrees as soon as possible. Before reaching 150 degrees we were then cleared to turn left to 060 degrees and we read it back twice to confirm since there seemed to have been some confusion in the cockpit and by ATC. We were now leveling at 2000 ft and tower told us to contact departure control. When checking in with departure control, he advised us to turn right to 150 degrees as soon as possible, and we began the turn. Only halfway through the turn, ATC then told us to turn left to 040 degrees and intercept the airway to canny and climb to 17000 ft. We had to correct the ATC heading and asked for 080 degrees to intercept the airway, and he cleared as requested. Later, after checking in with center, ATC advised us to call dca tower and gave us the number when we arrived at jfk. We had a jumpseat rider that said he thinks we might have flown over the capitol building. That was later confirmed when we called dca tower on the landline. They informed us that it was an ATC problem and was being taken care of internally. We were the first saab that our airline flew into dca and the ATC was not used to us having to use the other runway for departure and therefore, forgot to assign us another departure heading. Supplemental information from acn 291549: because of numerous turns directly after takeoff I myself, as the PF, never looked out the window at the ground below but watched out for traffic visually and on TCASII.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF PROHIBITED AIRSPACE BY SF-340 FLC.

Narrative: CLRNC WAS GIVEN AS AFTER DEP TURN R TO 050 DEGS (NE) RADAR VECTOR TO CANNY INTXN THENCE AS FILED. CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT. OUR RWY ASSIGNMENT WAS RWY 3. WE WERE TOO HVY FOR THAT RWY AND ADVISED THAT WE NEEDED RWY 36. GND CTL THEN RE-ASSIGNED US TO RWY 36, AND NEVER RE- ASSIGNED A NEW DEP HDG. THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS FOR DCA STATE TO FLY RWY HDG TO 1500 FT BEFORE TURNING ON COURSE, UNLESS OTHERWISE ASSIGNED BY ATC. AFTER TKOF AND REACHING 400 FT AGL, WE TURNED R TO 050 DEGS. TWR THEN TOLD US TO TURN R TO 150 DEGS ASAP. BEFORE REACHING 150 DEGS WE WERE THEN CLRED TO TURN L TO 060 DEGS AND WE READ IT BACK TWICE TO CONFIRM SINCE THERE SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT AND BY ATC. WE WERE NOW LEVELING AT 2000 FT AND TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT DEP CTL. WHEN CHKING IN WITH DEP CTL, HE ADVISED US TO TURN R TO 150 DEGS ASAP, AND WE BEGAN THE TURN. ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN, ATC THEN TOLD US TO TURN L TO 040 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY TO CANNY AND CLB TO 17000 FT. WE HAD TO CORRECT THE ATC HDG AND ASKED FOR 080 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY, AND HE CLRED AS REQUESTED. LATER, AFTER CHKING IN WITH CTR, ATC ADVISED US TO CALL DCA TWR AND GAVE US THE NUMBER WHEN WE ARRIVED AT JFK. WE HAD A JUMPSEAT RIDER THAT SAID HE THINKS WE MIGHT HAVE FLOWN OVER THE CAPITOL BUILDING. THAT WAS LATER CONFIRMED WHEN WE CALLED DCA TWR ON THE LANDLINE. THEY INFORMED US THAT IT WAS AN ATC PROB AND WAS BEING TAKEN CARE OF INTERNALLY. WE WERE THE FIRST SAAB THAT OUR AIRLINE FLEW INTO DCA AND THE ATC WAS NOT USED TO US HAVING TO USE THE OTHER RWY FOR DEP AND THEREFORE, FORGOT TO ASSIGN US ANOTHER DEP HDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 291549: BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS TURNS DIRECTLY AFTER TKOF I MYSELF, AS THE PF, NEVER LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AT THE GND BELOW BUT WATCHED OUT FOR TFC VISUALLY AND ON TCASII.

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.