Cpr PIC complaint regarding the noise abatement procedure out of dca. Claims that with the requireme...

Attributes
ACN	380320
Time
Date	199709
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure : noise abatement departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	380320
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We were assigned the northwest noise abatement procedure which calls for following the potomac river visually until the dca 4 DME, then intercepting the 328 degree radial dca out to the 10 DME. This is inherently a dangerous procedure. What we found ourselves doing immediately after departing runway 33 was making a right turn to final and follow the river while looking into low angle sun on a hazy morning. Using the noise abatement procedures, we had a deck angle of 15+ degrees which further reduced visibility from a jet in which you can't see directly below you under any circumstance. With restr area P56 somewhere out to our right front and within 1 min of departure from dca, we were both looking down trying to see the river so we could turn left and follow it, rather than looking where we were going in a high density traffic area. The resulting risks are imprecise navigation due to the inherent limitations of trying to visually follow a winding river from a climbing aircraft with restr outward visibility and the almost required abandonment of see and avoid due to the tricky navigation. Our only hope was that radar would advise us if we were wandering close to P56 or other aircraft. The procedure should be modified to require immediate interception and tracking of the dca 328 degree radial, thereby keeping an IFR procedure IFR.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR PIC COMPLAINT REGARDING THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC OUT OF DCA. CLAIMS THAT WITH THE REQUIREMENT TO FOLLOW THE RIVER VISUALLY FOR 4 MI PRIOR TO THE 328 DEG RADIAL INTERCEPT THAT TOO MANY THINGS CAN GO WRONG.

Narrative: WE WERE ASSIGNED THE NW NOISE ABATEMENT PROC WHICH CALLS FOR FOLLOWING THE POTOMAC RIVER VISUALLY UNTIL THE DCA 4 DME, THEN INTERCEPTING THE 328 DEG RADIAL DCA OUT TO THE 10 DME. THIS IS INHERENTLY A DANGEROUS PROC. WHAT WE FOUND OURSELVES DOING IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEPARTING RWY 33 WAS MAKING A R TURN TO FINAL AND FOLLOW THE RIVER WHILE LOOKING INTO LOW ANGLE SUN ON A HAZY MORNING. USING THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS, WE HAD A DECK ANGLE OF 15+ DEGS WHICH FURTHER REDUCED VISIBILITY FROM A JET IN WHICH YOU CAN'T SEE DIRECTLY BELOW YOU UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. WITH RESTR AREA P56 SOMEWHERE OUT TO OUR R FRONT AND WITHIN 1 MIN OF DEP FROM DCA, WE WERE BOTH LOOKING DOWN TRYING TO SEE THE RIVER SO WE COULD TURN L AND FOLLOW IT, RATHER THAN LOOKING WHERE WE WERE GOING IN A HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA. THE RESULTING RISKS ARE IMPRECISE NAV DUE TO THE INHERENT LIMITATIONS OF TRYING TO VISUALLY FOLLOW A WINDING RIVER FROM A CLBING ACFT WITH RESTR OUTWARD VISIBILITY AND THE ALMOST REQUIRED ABANDONMENT OF SEE AND AVOID DUE TO THE TRICKY NAV. OUR ONLY HOPE WAS THAT RADAR WOULD ADVISE US IF WE WERE WANDERING CLOSE TO P56 OR OTHER ACFT. THE PROC SHOULD BE MODIFIED TO REQUIRE IMMEDIATE INTERCEPTION AND TRACKING OF THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL, THEREBY KEEPING AN IFR PROC IFR.

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.

Cpr PIC complaint regarding the noise abatement procedure out of dca. Claims that with the requirement to follow the river visually for 4 mi prior to the 328 degree radial intercept that too many things can go wrong.