Narrative:

I departed runway 36 at washington national airport. I complied with the noise abatement procedure as published which basically requires a steep climb gradient over the potomac river to 10 DME. About 30 mins out of dca the center controller advised us to call the dca tower at our earliest convenience. The copilot did so immediately on the flight phone and was advised that I set off the prohibited area alarms upon departure. This was a bit of a surprise as I have been complying with this procedure on a semi-regular basis for over 15 yrs. In complying with the intent of this departure procedure I had an approximately 23 degree pitch angle and in excess of 6000 FPM climb rate. Although it is a bit difficult to see straight down in this condition, I believe that I had stayed over the river. I don't know what happened here, but it was certainly my perception that I had complied with the procedure properly. I have always contended that all the controllers at dca do a terrific job under extremely difficult conditions. They are extremely busy but I would think that there ought to be some means of cautioning pilots of departing aircraft of their proximity to the prohibited area. I really think that the controllers at dca should be recognized for the wonderful job that they do. There's just so much activity in such a confined space. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this lear 55 captain said that he has operated out of dca for yrs and knows the area well and also knows that he did not go into prohibited area. He said that he was over the river and never over P-56. Additionally, he did not understand how he could be accused of any noise violation. He said that the FAA has now informed him that he is not going to be charged with a violation. He spoke to an FAA investigator about a week after the flight and was told that he was properly flying the charted route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR FLC WAS ACCUSED OF ENTERING P-56 AFTER TKOF FROM DCA, HOWEVER THE FAA HAS NOW AGREED THAT THEY DID NOT ENTER THAT AREA. LR55.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RWY 36 AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL ARPT. I COMPLIED WITH THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC AS PUBLISHED WHICH BASICALLY REQUIRES A STEEP CLB GRADIENT OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER TO 10 DME. ABOUT 30 MINS OUT OF DCA THE CTR CTLR ADVISED US TO CALL THE DCA TWR AT OUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. THE COPLT DID SO IMMEDIATELY ON THE FLT PHONE AND WAS ADVISED THAT I SET OFF THE PROHIBITED AREA ALARMS UPON DEP. THIS WAS A BIT OF A SURPRISE AS I HAVE BEEN COMPLYING WITH THIS PROC ON A SEMI-REGULAR BASIS FOR OVER 15 YRS. IN COMPLYING WITH THE INTENT OF THIS DEP PROC I HAD AN APPROX 23 DEG PITCH ANGLE AND IN EXCESS OF 6000 FPM CLB RATE. ALTHOUGH IT IS A BIT DIFFICULT TO SEE STRAIGHT DOWN IN THIS CONDITION, I BELIEVE THAT I HAD STAYED OVER THE RIVER. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED HERE, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY MY PERCEPTION THAT I HAD COMPLIED WITH THE PROC PROPERLY. I HAVE ALWAYS CONTENDED THAT ALL THE CTLRS AT DCA DO A TERRIFIC JOB UNDER EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CONDITIONS. THEY ARE EXTREMELY BUSY BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME MEANS OF CAUTIONING PLTS OF DEPARTING ACFT OF THEIR PROX TO THE PROHIBITED AREA. I REALLY THINK THAT THE CTLRS AT DCA SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR THE WONDERFUL JOB THAT THEY DO. THERE'S JUST SO MUCH ACTIVITY IN SUCH A CONFINED SPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS LEAR 55 CAPT SAID THAT HE HAS OPERATED OUT OF DCA FOR YRS AND KNOWS THE AREA WELL AND ALSO KNOWS THAT HE DID NOT GO INTO PROHIBITED AREA. HE SAID THAT HE WAS OVER THE RIVER AND NEVER OVER P-56. ADDITIONALLY, HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW HE COULD BE ACCUSED OF ANY NOISE VIOLATION. HE SAID THAT THE FAA HAS NOW INFORMED HIM THAT HE IS NOT GOING TO BE CHARGED WITH A VIOLATION. HE SPOKE TO AN FAA INVESTIGATOR ABOUT A WK AFTER THE FLT AND WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS PROPERLY FLYING THE CHARTED RTE.

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.