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Deviation from clearance route - air carrier does not follow the noise abatement route until prompted by departure controllers.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 302565 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199504 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dca |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dca |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | departure : noise abatement departure sid : sid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 196 flight time total : 4428 flight time type : 2998 |
| ASRS Report | 302565 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Given takeoff clearance runway 36 dca with instructions to maintain visual separation from an md-80 that just departed. After takeoff given a clearance to turn left and join noise abatement departure (reduce power and follow potomac river northwest). Switched over to washington departure controller who asked if we had the md-80 traffic in sight ahead. Replied affirmative. Controller questioned if we were over the river. We replied affirmative. A different controller immediately questioned if we were over river. Again replied affirmative. This visual departure is difficult to determine exact course (follow river) due to high noise attitude and poor visibility through side windows. Typically the only way to execute is to make the river disappear under the aircraft. If the river becomes visible you must be off course. Therefore it is impossible to positively verify if over the river and on course visually. This demanding visual departure coupled with instructions to maintain visual separation with traffic ahead at night made it possible to become slightly off course. To the best of our knowledge we complied with all procedures and clrncs. The entire operation at washington national airport is marginal. Controllers must have had doubt as to our exact position. Once we confirmed we were on course over the river the second time no further comment from the controllers. Continued flight without incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DEV FROM CLRNC RTE - ACR DOES NOT FOLLOW THE NOISE ABATEMENT RTE UNTIL PROMPTED BY DEP CTLRS.
Narrative: GIVEN TKOF CLRNC RWY 36 DCA WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM AN MD-80 THAT JUST DEPARTED. AFTER TKOF GIVEN A CLRNC TO TURN L AND JOIN NOISE ABATEMENT DEP (REDUCE PWR AND FOLLOW POTOMAC RIVER NW). SWITCHED OVER TO WASHINGTON DEP CTLR WHO ASKED IF WE HAD THE MD-80 TFC IN SIGHT AHEAD. REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. CTLR QUESTIONED IF WE WERE OVER THE RIVER. WE REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. A DIFFERENT CTLR IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED IF WE WERE OVER RIVER. AGAIN REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. THIS VISUAL DEP IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE EXACT COURSE (FOLLOW RIVER) DUE TO HIGH NOISE ATTITUDE AND POOR VISIBILITY THROUGH SIDE WINDOWS. TYPICALLY THE ONLY WAY TO EXECUTE IS TO MAKE THE RIVER DISAPPEAR UNDER THE ACFT. IF THE RIVER BECOMES VISIBLE YOU MUST BE OFF COURSE. THEREFORE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO POSITIVELY VERIFY IF OVER THE RIVER AND ON COURSE VISUALLY. THIS DEMANDING VISUAL DEP COUPLED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH TFC AHEAD AT NIGHT MADE IT POSSIBLE TO BECOME SLIGHTLY OFF COURSE. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE WE COMPLIED WITH ALL PROCS AND CLRNCS. THE ENTIRE OP AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL ARPT IS MARGINAL. CTLRS MUST HAVE HAD DOUBT AS TO OUR EXACT POS. ONCE WE CONFIRMED WE WERE ON COURSE OVER THE RIVER THE SECOND TIME NO FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE CTLRS. CONTINUED FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT.
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.