Narrative:

Taxiing for takeoff, our departure runway was changed twice for various reasons. Upon talking about the departure, I told the captain (the PNF) that I would verify with tower before takeoff what the appropriate departure frequency would now be. We were cleared into position and hold. The captain then gave me the controls which is not our normal procedure before receiving takeoff clearance. He did it because we knew that an 'immediate' departure would be forthcoming. He now had the radios. When subsequently cleared for takeoff, we were told to expedite and given an unusual clearance to turn to a 090 degree heading upon departure from runway 1. Ground had previously told us to track outbound on the dca 328 degree radial, an usual clearance. The ceilings were low and there would be no way of ensuring that we could remain clear of the very sensitive prohibited areas in the area. We, therefore, appropriately questioned the clearance and the controller changed it back to the 328 degree radial, though he was obviously upset because this exchange was unexpected considering his instruction to expedite. We took off, and the aircraft on arrival did not have to go around. Upon contacting departure, the controller was at first silent then obviously upset with us. She told us that we were both on the wrong frequency (the captain had forgotten to verify the frequency due to the abnormal takeoff situation), and that we were on the wrong squawk code. Again, not a good thing in this sensitive airspace. The captain who had set up the radios had read his own writing incorrectly and entered the wrong squawk code. When I had read his writing on the ground, it appeared the same as what he had entered in the transponder. All the xchks in the world cannot help illegible writing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHANGING RWYS AND DEP PROCS AT DCA, D328 FLT CREW MISS CORRECT DEP FREQ AND XPONDER SETTING ON TKOF.

Narrative: TAXIING FOR TKOF, OUR DEP RWY WAS CHANGED TWICE FOR VARIOUS REASONS. UPON TALKING ABOUT THE DEP, I TOLD THE CAPT (THE PNF) THAT I WOULD VERIFY WITH TWR BEFORE TKOF WHAT THE APPROPRIATE DEP FREQ WOULD NOW BE. WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. THE CAPT THEN GAVE ME THE CTLS WHICH IS NOT OUR NORMAL PROC BEFORE RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC. HE DID IT BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT AN 'IMMEDIATE' DEP WOULD BE FORTHCOMING. HE NOW HAD THE RADIOS. WHEN SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR TKOF, WE WERE TOLD TO EXPEDITE AND GIVEN AN UNUSUAL CLRNC TO TURN TO A 090 DEG HDG UPON DEP FROM RWY 1. GND HAD PREVIOUSLY TOLD US TO TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL, AN USUAL CLRNC. THE CEILINGS WERE LOW AND THERE WOULD BE NO WAY OF ENSURING THAT WE COULD REMAIN CLR OF THE VERY SENSITIVE PROHIBITED AREAS IN THE AREA. WE, THEREFORE, APPROPRIATELY QUESTIONED THE CLRNC AND THE CTLR CHANGED IT BACK TO THE 328 DEG RADIAL, THOUGH HE WAS OBVIOUSLY UPSET BECAUSE THIS EXCHANGE WAS UNEXPECTED CONSIDERING HIS INSTRUCTION TO EXPEDITE. WE TOOK OFF, AND THE ACFT ON ARR DID NOT HAVE TO GO AROUND. UPON CONTACTING DEP, THE CTLR WAS AT FIRST SILENT THEN OBVIOUSLY UPSET WITH US. SHE TOLD US THAT WE WERE BOTH ON THE WRONG FREQ (THE CAPT HAD FORGOTTEN TO VERIFY THE FREQ DUE TO THE ABNORMAL TKOF SIT), AND THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG SQUAWK CODE. AGAIN, NOT A GOOD THING IN THIS SENSITIVE AIRSPACE. THE CAPT WHO HAD SET UP THE RADIOS HAD READ HIS OWN WRITING INCORRECTLY AND ENTERED THE WRONG SQUAWK CODE. WHEN I HAD READ HIS WRITING ON THE GND, IT APPEARED THE SAME AS WHAT HE HAD ENTERED IN THE XPONDER. ALL THE XCHKS IN THE WORLD CANNOT HELP ILLEGIBLE WRITING.

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.