Narrative:

Departing dca runway 1 in IMC, we failed to intercept the 328 degree radial, and apparently violated prohibited airspace. The departure had been briefed as published and the VOR and radial were set into the navigation. We incorrectly set runway heading rather than an intercept heading and had the bank limit set at 15 degrees rather than 25 degrees, which would have been more prudent. The first officer was at the controls, and after liftoff, I distraction myself resetting the packs, which had been selected off for takeoff. Initial contact with departure was delayed, because an incorrect frequency having been set in the radio control head had added to the distraction. After an unsuccessful attempt to contact departure, the proper frequency was found and set. I noted the radial had not been intercepted when the first officer called for the 1000 ft cleanup procedures. An intercept turn was then commenced, but was slowed by the shallow bank angle still set into the flight director and the initial intercept heading was too shallow. During the turn, contact with departure was established and I informed them we were turning to intercept with the initial call. Departure asked me to call them after landing, but made no further comments. I had flown this departure once before earlier in the month without problem and should have had it planned better this time. It was the first officer's first time to fly this IMC departure and had selected VOR intercept mode after liftoff thinking the VOR would capture and command the turn to intercept. I failed to note the error in a timely fashion. We were met by secret service agents and informed of the airspace violation. Supplemental information from acn 569482: this was my third time into dca and the first time I've flown this departure in IMC. During the taxi out, the captain fully briefed me on the noise abatement/P56 avoidance departure procedure runway 1, including IMC departure. We both recognized the IMC departure was required. Instruments were set for the dca R-328. I had set up in the arc position and WX mode in my EFIS display. The captain had map and terrain selected. IMC immediately after takeoff. Right after gear retraction, I selected VOR/localizer on the DFGS. I noticed an initial roll toward the left and VOR in the tarp display. I turned my attention to clean up and speed controls. Initial leveloff was to be at 5000 ft MSL. Right after climb, power was selected (1000 ft AGL), the captain directed me to turn left. It was at that time I realized the flight director bars were not intercepting the radial, but were, in fact, continuing on the runway heading. The captain prompted an initial heading of 310 degrees. We were still in 15 degrees of bank on the flight director. At the same time, the captain was busy reconfiguring our aircraft for icing conditions. Due to our weight, we had elected to make a maximum power, bleed off takeoff. Additionally, the captain was making required radio calls. On his third attempt to contact departure control, dca departure asked if we were on an intercept heading for the 328 degree radial. The captain replied we were, but then directed me to turn further left to approximately 300 degrees to intercept. After completing the departure, ATC notified the captain to call them when we arrived at dfw. Upon arrival, we were met and interviewed by the secret service. At that time, we were informed that we had flown into the prohibited airspace. After a thorough debrief and investigation, we were released. The captain has contacted the FAA as directed. Observation: lacking a specific departure heading in the procedure, I should have selected and briefed at least an initial heading of 320 degrees and then adjust as required. I did not brief my captain on the technique I planned for the departure. Additionally, I misinterped the location of the VOR with respect to the field and incorrectly thought I could arm the VOR on the flight director to ensure a proper intercept. In fact, I was already past the radial, when I had selected VOR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PROHIBITED AREA P56 ENTRY BY AN ACR ON DEP FROM DCA.

Narrative: DEPARTING DCA RWY 1 IN IMC, WE FAILED TO INTERCEPT THE 328 DEG RADIAL, AND APPARENTLY VIOLATED PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. THE DEP HAD BEEN BRIEFED AS PUBLISHED AND THE VOR AND RADIAL WERE SET INTO THE NAV. WE INCORRECTLY SET RWY HDG RATHER THAN AN INTERCEPT HDG AND HAD THE BANK LIMIT SET AT 15 DEGS RATHER THAN 25 DEGS, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PRUDENT. THE FO WAS AT THE CTLS, AND AFTER LIFTOFF, I DISTR MYSELF RESETTING THE PACKS, WHICH HAD BEEN SELECTED OFF FOR TKOF. INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEP WAS DELAYED, BECAUSE AN INCORRECT FREQ HAVING BEEN SET IN THE RADIO CTL HEAD HAD ADDED TO THE DISTR. AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO CONTACT DEP, THE PROPER FREQ WAS FOUND AND SET. I NOTED THE RADIAL HAD NOT BEEN INTERCEPTED WHEN THE FO CALLED FOR THE 1000 FT CLEANUP PROCS. AN INTERCEPT TURN WAS THEN COMMENCED, BUT WAS SLOWED BY THE SHALLOW BANK ANGLE STILL SET INTO THE FLT DIRECTOR AND THE INITIAL INTERCEPT HDG WAS TOO SHALLOW. DURING THE TURN, CONTACT WITH DEP WAS ESTABLISHED AND I INFORMED THEM WE WERE TURNING TO INTERCEPT WITH THE INITIAL CALL. DEP ASKED ME TO CALL THEM AFTER LNDG, BUT MADE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. I HAD FLOWN THIS DEP ONCE BEFORE EARLIER IN THE MONTH WITHOUT PROB AND SHOULD HAVE HAD IT PLANNED BETTER THIS TIME. IT WAS THE FO'S FIRST TIME TO FLY THIS IMC DEP AND HAD SELECTED VOR INTERCEPT MODE AFTER LIFTOFF THINKING THE VOR WOULD CAPTURE AND COMMAND THE TURN TO INTERCEPT. I FAILED TO NOTE THE ERROR IN A TIMELY FASHION. WE WERE MET BY SECRET SVC AGENTS AND INFORMED OF THE AIRSPACE VIOLATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 569482: THIS WAS MY THIRD TIME INTO DCA AND THE FIRST TIME I'VE FLOWN THIS DEP IN IMC. DURING THE TAXI OUT, THE CAPT FULLY BRIEFED ME ON THE NOISE ABATEMENT/P56 AVOIDANCE DEP PROC RWY 1, INCLUDING IMC DEP. WE BOTH RECOGNIZED THE IMC DEP WAS REQUIRED. INSTS WERE SET FOR THE DCA R-328. I HAD SET UP IN THE ARC POS AND WX MODE IN MY EFIS DISPLAY. THE CAPT HAD MAP AND TERRAIN SELECTED. IMC IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. RIGHT AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, I SELECTED VOR/LOC ON THE DFGS. I NOTICED AN INITIAL ROLL TOWARD THE L AND VOR IN THE TARP DISPLAY. I TURNED MY ATTN TO CLEAN UP AND SPD CTLS. INITIAL LEVELOFF WAS TO BE AT 5000 FT MSL. RIGHT AFTER CLB, PWR WAS SELECTED (1000 FT AGL), THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO TURN L. IT WAS AT THAT TIME I REALIZED THE FLT DIRECTOR BARS WERE NOT INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL, BUT WERE, IN FACT, CONTINUING ON THE RWY HDG. THE CAPT PROMPTED AN INITIAL HDG OF 310 DEGS. WE WERE STILL IN 15 DEGS OF BANK ON THE FLT DIRECTOR. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CAPT WAS BUSY RECONFIGURING OUR ACFT FOR ICING CONDITIONS. DUE TO OUR WT, WE HAD ELECTED TO MAKE A MAX PWR, BLEED OFF TKOF. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAPT WAS MAKING REQUIRED RADIO CALLS. ON HIS THIRD ATTEMPT TO CONTACT DEP CTL, DCA DEP ASKED IF WE WERE ON AN INTERCEPT HDG FOR THE 328 DEG RADIAL. THE CAPT REPLIED WE WERE, BUT THEN DIRECTED ME TO TURN FURTHER L TO APPROX 300 DEGS TO INTERCEPT. AFTER COMPLETING THE DEP, ATC NOTIFIED THE CAPT TO CALL THEM WHEN WE ARRIVED AT DFW. UPON ARR, WE WERE MET AND INTERVIEWED BY THE SECRET SVC. AT THAT TIME, WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE HAD FLOWN INTO THE PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. AFTER A THOROUGH DEBRIEF AND INVESTIGATION, WE WERE RELEASED. THE CAPT HAS CONTACTED THE FAA AS DIRECTED. OBSERVATION: LACKING A SPECIFIC DEP HDG IN THE PROC, I SHOULD HAVE SELECTED AND BRIEFED AT LEAST AN INITIAL HDG OF 320 DEGS AND THEN ADJUST AS REQUIRED. I DID NOT BRIEF MY CAPT ON THE TECHNIQUE I PLANNED FOR THE DEP. ADDITIONALLY, I MISINTERPED THE LOCATION OF THE VOR WITH RESPECT TO THE FIELD AND INCORRECTLY THOUGHT I COULD ARM THE VOR ON THE FLT DIRECTOR TO ENSURE A PROPER INTERCEPT. IN FACT, I WAS ALREADY PAST THE RADIAL, WHEN I HAD SELECTED VOR.

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.