Narrative:

Upon completion of the weight and balance, we determined our ramp weight as 24053 pounds (maximum ramp weight is 24110 pounds). The winds were favoring runway 1 for departure. Our performance determined that we would need to perform a flap 0 degree takeoff, not an abnormal procedure, but definitely out of the ordinary. On taxi out, the first officer bugged the speeds for a flap 9 degree takeoff, not a flap 0 degree takeoff, I completely missed this. For flap 9 degrees, V1/vr is 117 KTS, V2 is 121 KTS. For flap 0 degree, V1/vr is 126 KTS, V2 is 130 KTS. The taxi was short, and we waited a min or two to burn fuel to be at the maximum takeoff weight (24000 pounds). It was my leg to fly, the departure out of dca called for a right turn to a 090 degree heading to avoid the prohibited airspace to the northeast of the airport. At 117 KTS, the first officer called 'V1, rotate,' I began rotating and soon realized that something wasn't right. I slightly lowered the nose to allow the aircraft to accelerate, and while doing this began a shallow bank to the right to avoid the prohibited area. Once the airspeed increased, the aircraft flew normally, and we avoided the prohibited area by maybe a 1/2 mi at the closest point. By this time, I had been flying for 5 straight days, 2 of these days in poor WX, and was at 28 hours of flying in the last 7 days. The previous night, we had about 17 hours of rest. Although this event ended successfully, it could have very easily not been so successful. I remember mentioning to the first officer that I was ready to be finished with the trip. Although I had a very long overnight the night before, I was still tired, and found myself not thinking as clearly as I needed. First, it would have been very easy, and would have had no problem just requesting a left turn after departure instead of the hard right that the turboprops normally receive. I have asked for it before and was never even questioned about it. At maximum gross weight, this is what we should have done. Secondly, our taxi check requires both crew members to verify the takeoff speeds, and aircraft confign. While we ran the taxi checklist, we found the first officer had set the takeoff confign warning system (tocws) flap switch to a flap 9 degrees, not a flap 0 degree takeoff, although the flaps were actually set to zero. This too should have rang a bell that maybe we would take a look at things before we departed. Again it didn't. We didn't realize that the incorrect speeds were bugged until we were well on our way. In many ways I was legal to take that flight. I had plenty of rest the night before, we had an early show that morning, not terribly early. I was only scheduled for about 4 hours of flying that day, and was close, but still under 30 hours in 7 days. I didn't really even feel too tired to be taking that flight, but it surprised me how easily I just became complacent. I had flown with this first officer on previous trips, and found him to be very competent. He had just started flying the previous day to this. I found myself putting a lot of trust in him. Had we had an engine failure on takeoff, it could have been dramatically different. We either would have not been able to climb, or we would have had a good view of the capitol, as we would have probably flown over it at about 500 ft. Either way, the situation was not good.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A J41 PIC SUFFERS A LOSS OF TKOF AND CLB PERFORMANCE AND A HEADING DEV WHEN THE ACFT IS ROTATED TOO EARLY ON A ZERO FLAP TKOF WHEN DEPARTING DCA, DC.

Narrative: UPON COMPLETION OF THE WT AND BAL, WE DETERMINED OUR RAMP WT AS 24053 LBS (MAX RAMP WT IS 24110 LBS). THE WINDS WERE FAVORING RWY 1 FOR DEP. OUR PERFORMANCE DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PERFORM A FLAP 0 DEG TKOF, NOT AN ABNORMAL PROC, BUT DEFINITELY OUT OF THE ORDINARY. ON TAXI OUT, THE FO BUGGED THE SPDS FOR A FLAP 9 DEG TKOF, NOT A FLAP 0 DEG TKOF, I COMPLETELY MISSED THIS. FOR FLAP 9 DEGS, V1/VR IS 117 KTS, V2 IS 121 KTS. FOR FLAP 0 DEG, V1/VR IS 126 KTS, V2 IS 130 KTS. THE TAXI WAS SHORT, AND WE WAITED A MIN OR TWO TO BURN FUEL TO BE AT THE MAX TKOF WT (24000 LBS). IT WAS MY LEG TO FLY, THE DEP OUT OF DCA CALLED FOR A R TURN TO A 090 DEG HDG TO AVOID THE PROHIBITED AIRSPACE TO THE NE OF THE ARPT. AT 117 KTS, THE FO CALLED 'V1, ROTATE,' I BEGAN ROTATING AND SOON REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. I SLIGHTLY LOWERED THE NOSE TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO ACCELERATE, AND WHILE DOING THIS BEGAN A SHALLOW BANK TO THE R TO AVOID THE PROHIBITED AREA. ONCE THE AIRSPD INCREASED, THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY, AND WE AVOIDED THE PROHIBITED AREA BY MAYBE A 1/2 MI AT THE CLOSEST POINT. BY THIS TIME, I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 5 STRAIGHT DAYS, 2 OF THESE DAYS IN POOR WX, AND WAS AT 28 HRS OF FLYING IN THE LAST 7 DAYS. THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, WE HAD ABOUT 17 HRS OF REST. ALTHOUGH THIS EVENT ENDED SUCCESSFULLY, IT COULD HAVE VERY EASILY NOT BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL. I REMEMBER MENTIONING TO THE FO THAT I WAS READY TO BE FINISHED WITH THE TRIP. ALTHOUGH I HAD A VERY LONG OVERNIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE, I WAS STILL TIRED, AND FOUND MYSELF NOT THINKING AS CLRLY AS I NEEDED. FIRST, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY EASY, AND WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROB JUST REQUESTING A L TURN AFTER DEP INSTEAD OF THE HARD R THAT THE TURBOPROPS NORMALLY RECEIVE. I HAVE ASKED FOR IT BEFORE AND WAS NEVER EVEN QUESTIONED ABOUT IT. AT MAX GROSS WT, THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE. SECONDLY, OUR TAXI CHK REQUIRES BOTH CREW MEMBERS TO VERIFY THE TKOF SPDS, AND ACFT CONFIGN. WHILE WE RAN THE TAXI CHKLIST, WE FOUND THE FO HAD SET THE TKOF CONFIGN WARNING SYS (TOCWS) FLAP SWITCH TO A FLAP 9 DEGS, NOT A FLAP 0 DEG TKOF, ALTHOUGH THE FLAPS WERE ACTUALLY SET TO ZERO. THIS TOO SHOULD HAVE RANG A BELL THAT MAYBE WE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THINGS BEFORE WE DEPARTED. AGAIN IT DIDN'T. WE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE INCORRECT SPDS WERE BUGGED UNTIL WE WERE WELL ON OUR WAY. IN MANY WAYS I WAS LEGAL TO TAKE THAT FLT. I HAD PLENTY OF REST THE NIGHT BEFORE, WE HAD AN EARLY SHOW THAT MORNING, NOT TERRIBLY EARLY. I WAS ONLY SCHEDULED FOR ABOUT 4 HRS OF FLYING THAT DAY, AND WAS CLOSE, BUT STILL UNDER 30 HRS IN 7 DAYS. I DIDN'T REALLY EVEN FEEL TOO TIRED TO BE TAKING THAT FLT, BUT IT SURPRISED ME HOW EASILY I JUST BECAME COMPLACENT. I HAD FLOWN WITH THIS FO ON PREVIOUS TRIPS, AND FOUND HIM TO BE VERY COMPETENT. HE HAD JUST STARTED FLYING THE PREVIOUS DAY TO THIS. I FOUND MYSELF PUTTING A LOT OF TRUST IN HIM. HAD WE HAD AN ENG FAILURE ON TKOF, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT. WE EITHER WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CLB, OR WE WOULD HAVE HAD A GOOD VIEW OF THE CAPITOL, AS WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY FLOWN OVER IT AT ABOUT 500 FT. EITHER WAY, THE SIT WAS NOT GOOD.

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.