Narrative:

We (the crew) received our clearance on the FBO ramp at dca. The clearance started with 'depart northwest on the 328 degree radial' and thence the rest of our clearance on the way to georgetown, sc. After taxiing to runway 36, the takeoff clearance I believe I heard was 'cleared for takeoff runway 36, runway heading, 5000 ft.' the pilot and the copilot both had the dca 328 degree radial dialed in. Just after liftoff the pilot asked me if he should be on the 328 degree radial instead of runway heading. I told him I heard runway heading. He then asked me to get clarification. At this point we were still on tower frequency. This frequency was too congested to get a word in so I immediately went to departure frequency. As soon as I checked on, departure said to identify. We did and he then gave us a vector heading of 340 degrees. He then, a couple of mins later, gave us another vector heading, right turn to 140 degrees. At this point, since the initial vector of 340 degrees, we assumed we had made the right decision. Before he handed us off to the next controller, he asked us if we had time to copy down a phone number to call as soon as we landed. We copied it down and then changed frequencys. The departure brief the captain gave was thorough, but we should have briefed the initial departure routing more carefully. We felt like we did the right thing by talking about what to do after liftoff. The captain took my word for it that I had heard runway heading. A thorough review of the IFR departure procedure to a clear understanding of our clearance would have prevented us flying too close to that particular prohibited area. Supplemental information from acn 384322: as a crew we understood our IFR clearance off of dca. We were to intercept the dca 328 degree radial outbound and then expect radar vectors to our first intersection. I had read the IFR departure procedure for runway 36 which stated that we were to make a left turn as soon as feasible to intercept the 328 degree radial. I discussed the clearance with my copilot but did not discuss the printed IFR procedure with him before taxi. Prior to receiving our takeoff clearance. I gave the copilot a takeoff briefing. It included what callouts were to be made, abort procedures, and emergency return procedures. We were given a clearance to taxi onto runway 36 and after a short hold, were cleared to takeoff. After 400 ft MSL and retracting the takeoff flaps, I focused on the navigation CDI which said I was still south of the 328 degree radial. I continued the climb expecting the needle to move. The tower was very busy with departures and arrs and had not yet told us to switch to departure. I then noticed that my CDI was not on the VOR navigation mode as it should be. It was on the GPS mode which was giving me an erroneous CDI indication. The needle deflected to the opposite side telling me I was now north of the radial. I informed my copilot that I needed to start my turn. The copilot informed me that we needed to be on runway heading. I questioned him, 'are you sure?' he said 'yes runway heading.' I asked him to confirm it with ATC but at that time tower was busy with other traffic. We called departure instead and they told us to identify. We did and were then given a 340 degree vector and climb. We did so and were then given a hard right turn to 140 degrees with further climb instructions. After about 15 mi or so and before we were handed off to center, the controller asked us if we had time to copy a phone number. We did and we were told to call the number as soon as we arrived at our destination. After debriefing the situation with my copilot, we agreed that a better, more thorough pre takeoff briefing, including a more thorough understanding of the IFR departure procedure, might have prevented the confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF C550 ON DEP IS CONFUSED REGARDING HDG AFTER TKOF. TWR FREQ IS CONGESTED SO UNABLE TO CONFIRM. THEY SWITCH TO DEP FREQ AND RECEIVE A VECTOR AND A REQUEST TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER. APPARENTLY THEY STRAYED INTO THE PROHIBITED AREA.

Narrative: WE (THE CREW) RECEIVED OUR CLRNC ON THE FBO RAMP AT DCA. THE CLRNC STARTED WITH 'DEPART NW ON THE 328 DEG RADIAL' AND THENCE THE REST OF OUR CLRNC ON THE WAY TO GEORGETOWN, SC. AFTER TAXIING TO RWY 36, THE TKOF CLRNC I BELIEVE I HEARD WAS 'CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 36, RWY HDG, 5000 FT.' THE PLT AND THE COPLT BOTH HAD THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL DIALED IN. JUST AFTER LIFTOFF THE PLT ASKED ME IF HE SHOULD BE ON THE 328 DEG RADIAL INSTEAD OF RWY HDG. I TOLD HIM I HEARD RWY HDG. HE THEN ASKED ME TO GET CLARIFICATION. AT THIS POINT WE WERE STILL ON TWR FREQ. THIS FREQ WAS TOO CONGESTED TO GET A WORD IN SO I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO DEP FREQ. AS SOON AS I CHKED ON, DEP SAID TO IDENT. WE DID AND HE THEN GAVE US A VECTOR HDG OF 340 DEGS. HE THEN, A COUPLE OF MINS LATER, GAVE US ANOTHER VECTOR HDG, R TURN TO 140 DEGS. AT THIS POINT, SINCE THE INITIAL VECTOR OF 340 DEGS, WE ASSUMED WE HAD MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. BEFORE HE HANDED US OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR, HE ASKED US IF WE HAD TIME TO COPY DOWN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AS SOON AS WE LANDED. WE COPIED IT DOWN AND THEN CHANGED FREQS. THE DEP BRIEF THE CAPT GAVE WAS THOROUGH, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE BRIEFED THE INITIAL DEP ROUTING MORE CAREFULLY. WE FELT LIKE WE DID THE RIGHT THING BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO AFTER LIFTOFF. THE CAPT TOOK MY WORD FOR IT THAT I HAD HEARD RWY HDG. A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE IFR DEP PROC TO A CLR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR CLRNC WOULD HAVE PREVENTED US FLYING TOO CLOSE TO THAT PARTICULAR PROHIBITED AREA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 384322: AS A CREW WE UNDERSTOOD OUR IFR CLRNC OFF OF DCA. WE WERE TO INTERCEPT THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND AND THEN EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO OUR FIRST INTXN. I HAD READ THE IFR DEP PROC FOR RWY 36 WHICH STATED THAT WE WERE TO MAKE A L TURN AS SOON AS FEASIBLE TO INTERCEPT THE 328 DEG RADIAL. I DISCUSSED THE CLRNC WITH MY COPLT BUT DID NOT DISCUSS THE PRINTED IFR PROC WITH HIM BEFORE TAXI. PRIOR TO RECEIVING OUR TKOF CLRNC. I GAVE THE COPLT A TKOF BRIEFING. IT INCLUDED WHAT CALLOUTS WERE TO BE MADE, ABORT PROCS, AND EMER RETURN PROCS. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO TAXI ONTO RWY 36 AND AFTER A SHORT HOLD, WERE CLRED TO TKOF. AFTER 400 FT MSL AND RETRACTING THE TKOF FLAPS, I FOCUSED ON THE NAV CDI WHICH SAID I WAS STILL S OF THE 328 DEG RADIAL. I CONTINUED THE CLB EXPECTING THE NEEDLE TO MOVE. THE TWR WAS VERY BUSY WITH DEPS AND ARRS AND HAD NOT YET TOLD US TO SWITCH TO DEP. I THEN NOTICED THAT MY CDI WAS NOT ON THE VOR NAV MODE AS IT SHOULD BE. IT WAS ON THE GPS MODE WHICH WAS GIVING ME AN ERRONEOUS CDI INDICATION. THE NEEDLE DEFLECTED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE TELLING ME I WAS NOW N OF THE RADIAL. I INFORMED MY COPLT THAT I NEEDED TO START MY TURN. THE COPLT INFORMED ME THAT WE NEEDED TO BE ON RWY HDG. I QUESTIONED HIM, 'ARE YOU SURE?' HE SAID 'YES RWY HDG.' I ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM IT WITH ATC BUT AT THAT TIME TWR WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. WE CALLED DEP INSTEAD AND THEY TOLD US TO IDENT. WE DID AND WERE THEN GIVEN A 340 DEG VECTOR AND CLB. WE DID SO AND WERE THEN GIVEN A HARD R TURN TO 140 DEGS WITH FURTHER CLB INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER ABOUT 15 MI OR SO AND BEFORE WE WERE HANDED OFF TO CTR, THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD TIME TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER. WE DID AND WE WERE TOLD TO CALL THE NUMBER AS SOON AS WE ARRIVED AT OUR DEST. AFTER DEBRIEFING THE SIT WITH MY COPLT, WE AGREED THAT A BETTER, MORE THOROUGH PRE TKOF BRIEFING, INCLUDING A MORE THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE IFR DEP PROC, MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THE CONFUSION.

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.