Narrative:

Noise abatement procedures washington dc national pages 10-4, 10-4A, 10-7 and 10-7A. After departing runway 36 at night and with limited experience in the DC9-30 (IOE was completed 14 hours ago) and flying from a new airport, I have never departed from before, I attempted to try to maintain visual references with the potomac river to stay centered over the river. However, I erred on the west side of the river instead of concentrating on my VOR radial, because I wanted to avoid prohibited area(south) P-56. At 2 DME my CDI was off 4-5 degrees to the right and I was correcting back to the dca 343 degree radial when we were then handed off to another controller and then I was turning 310 degree heading to intercept the 328 degree radial and then the controller (ATC) began vectoring us out of the area. I suggest that at night some sort of potomac river strobes or special light be put in place to aid pilots (especially inexperienced ones) so they can fly between the lights (strobes) to guide them. Also make more airspace available west of these radials and ideally just use one (say the 328 degree) radial to make this less complicated. It is difficult to keep up with all of the changes in a big jet for maneuvering, etc, even though I tried to use some common sense and fly accurately. Also page 10-4 contradicts 10-7A, ie: 'reduced power' versus 'normal climb power.' please make these directions more clear and simplified. ATC is usually doing a great job. The FAA should try to help us with an easier procedure -- not to try to see how many people they can violate (especially those who try to do it right and have limited experience).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-30 ACFT ON DEP SID FROM DCA, PF, FO, WAS NEW ON ACFT AND HAD NOT FLOWN OUT OF DCA BEFORE. RWY 36 DEP PROC INCLUDES NOISE ABATEMENT AS WELL AS RADIAL AND VISUAL REFS TO PRECLUDE INCURSION INTO PROHIBITED AREA P-56. RPTR OVERCORRECTED TO REMAIN CLR OF P-56 AND WENT TOO FAR TO THE W WHEN DEP CTLR COMMENCED VECTORING ACFT.

Narrative: NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS WASHINGTON DC NATIONAL PAGES 10-4, 10-4A, 10-7 AND 10-7A. AFTER DEPARTING RWY 36 AT NIGHT AND WITH LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN THE DC9-30 (IOE WAS COMPLETED 14 HRS AGO) AND FLYING FROM A NEW ARPT, I HAVE NEVER DEPARTED FROM BEFORE, I ATTEMPTED TO TRY TO MAINTAIN VISUAL REFS WITH THE POTOMAC RIVER TO STAY CTRED OVER THE RIVER. HOWEVER, I ERRED ON THE W SIDE OF THE RIVER INSTEAD OF CONCENTRATING ON MY VOR RADIAL, BECAUSE I WANTED TO AVOID PROHIBITED AREA(S) P-56. AT 2 DME MY CDI WAS OFF 4-5 DEGS TO THE R AND I WAS CORRECTING BACK TO THE DCA 343 DEG RADIAL WHEN WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR AND THEN I WAS TURNING 310 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE 328 DEG RADIAL AND THEN THE CTLR (ATC) BEGAN VECTORING US OUT OF THE AREA. I SUGGEST THAT AT NIGHT SOME SORT OF POTOMAC RIVER STROBES OR SPECIAL LIGHT BE PUT IN PLACE TO AID PLTS (ESPECIALLY INEXPERIENCED ONES) SO THEY CAN FLY BTWN THE LIGHTS (STROBES) TO GUIDE THEM. ALSO MAKE MORE AIRSPACE AVAILABLE W OF THESE RADIALS AND IDEALLY JUST USE ONE (SAY THE 328 DEG) RADIAL TO MAKE THIS LESS COMPLICATED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THE CHANGES IN A BIG JET FOR MANEUVERING, ETC, EVEN THOUGH I TRIED TO USE SOME COMMON SENSE AND FLY ACCURATELY. ALSO PAGE 10-4 CONTRADICTS 10-7A, IE: 'REDUCED PWR' VERSUS 'NORMAL CLB PWR.' PLEASE MAKE THESE DIRECTIONS MORE CLR AND SIMPLIFIED. ATC IS USUALLY DOING A GREAT JOB. THE FAA SHOULD TRY TO HELP US WITH AN EASIER PROC -- NOT TO TRY TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY CAN VIOLATE (ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO TRY TO DO IT RIGHT AND HAVE LIMITED EXPERIENCE).

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.