Narrative:

Cleared to depart northwest, noise abatement procedures for radar vectors to the kenton 271 degree right swann intersection V268 bross-woodstown 240 degree right woodstown as filed. Maintain 5000', expect 270 degrees in 10 mins. Departure on 126.55 squawk XXXX. The clearance was read back and acknowledged to be correct. Ground controller was contacted and we were told to taxi to runway 33 which we did. We went over our routing and performed the necessary checklists and called ready to the tower. The tower told us to taxi into position on runway 33 and hold and then very shortly thereafter gave us a clearance for an immediate takeoff which we complied with. Shortly after takeoff we were called by the tower and told to turn right and intercept the radial and contact departure. I read back the clearance in the following manner: turn right, intercept the radial and contact departure. I had anticipated we would be intercepting the kenton 271 degree right, but then questioned the PF if he had heard what radial we were to intercept and he said no. I then tried to immediately confirm what radial we were to intercept but the tower was talking to another aircraft. I then switched to departure control and immediately asked him which radial we were to intercept and he then asked me what our instructions from the tower had been. I responded with our clearance and asked him again to confirm if we were to intercept the kenton 271 degree right. The departure controller came back with standby and then shortly after gave us radar vectors to intercept the kenton 271 degree right as we had anticipated. The departure controller again questioned us as to our instructions from the tower and I again told him he thanked us for our cooperation and told us to have a good flight. We arrived in hpn and found that the secret service was on the phone and wanted to talk to us. Apparently we had penetrated part of the prohibited area in washington dc and they wanted an explanation. We explained the situation to the secret service rep and they said they were satisfied and we would probably not be hearing from them again. Perceived causes: although a departure northwest with radar vector was given in the clearance it was changed shortly after takeoff to intercept a radial that was unintelligible to both pilots. This was done during a high workload period at a very busy airport and confirming the new clearance took too much time. There seemed to be a lack of communication between the tower controller and departure controller as departure did not know which radial we were told to intercept. Hindsight tells me that I should have confirmed the radial intercept with the tower instead of departure control. I thought it would be quicker with departure since the tower was talking to another aircraft. Suggested solutions: I feel strongly that a SID should be published for dca defining operational parameters during transition from takeoff to en route flight. The proximity of the prohibited area to the airport demands a strictly defined routing system and not one on changing clrncs that are given during high workload periods. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter is using NOAA charts and does not have the commercial charts available. No information in NOAA on the noise abatement procedure as issued in the clearance. Explained to the reporter this information is contained in the airport/facility directory. He feels very strongly some type of SID information should be available in NOAA charts, either the SID or the instrument approach procedure. Secret service has not taken any further action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PENETRATED PROHIBITED AREA ON DEP FROM DCA.

Narrative: CLRED TO DEPART NW, NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS FOR RADAR VECTORS TO THE KENTON 271 DEG R SWANN INTXN V268 BROSS-WOODSTOWN 240 DEG R WOODSTOWN AS FILED. MAINTAIN 5000', EXPECT 270 DEGS IN 10 MINS. DEP ON 126.55 SQUAWK XXXX. THE CLRNC WAS READ BACK AND ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE CORRECT. GND CTLR WAS CONTACTED AND WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 33 WHICH WE DID. WE WENT OVER OUR ROUTING AND PERFORMED THE NECESSARY CHKLISTS AND CALLED READY TO THE TWR. THE TWR TOLD US TO TAXI INTO POS ON RWY 33 AND HOLD AND THEN VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER GAVE US A CLRNC FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF WHICH WE COMPLIED WITH. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WE WERE CALLED BY THE TWR AND TOLD TO TURN RIGHT AND INTERCEPT THE RADIAL AND CONTACT DEP. I READ BACK THE CLRNC IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER: TURN RIGHT, INTERCEPT THE RADIAL AND CONTACT DEP. I HAD ANTICIPATED WE WOULD BE INTERCEPTING THE KENTON 271 DEG R, BUT THEN QUESTIONED THE PF IF HE HAD HEARD WHAT RADIAL WE WERE TO INTERCEPT AND HE SAID NO. I THEN TRIED TO IMMEDIATELY CONFIRM WHAT RADIAL WE WERE TO INTERCEPT BUT THE TWR WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT. I THEN SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED HIM WHICH RADIAL WE WERE TO INTERCEPT AND HE THEN ASKED ME WHAT OUR INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR HAD BEEN. I RESPONDED WITH OUR CLRNC AND ASKED HIM AGAIN TO CONFIRM IF WE WERE TO INTERCEPT THE KENTON 271 DEG R. THE DEP CTLR CAME BACK WITH STANDBY AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER GAVE US RADAR VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE KENTON 271 DEG R AS WE HAD ANTICIPATED. THE DEP CTLR AGAIN QUESTIONED US AS TO OUR INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR AND I AGAIN TOLD HIM HE THANKED US FOR OUR COOPERATION AND TOLD US TO HAVE A GOOD FLT. WE ARRIVED IN HPN AND FOUND THAT THE SECRET SVC WAS ON THE PHONE AND WANTED TO TALK TO US. APPARENTLY WE HAD PENETRATED PART OF THE PROHIBITED AREA IN WASHINGTON DC AND THEY WANTED AN EXPLANATION. WE EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THE SECRET SVC REP AND THEY SAID THEY WERE SATISFIED AND WE WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE HEARING FROM THEM AGAIN. PERCEIVED CAUSES: ALTHOUGH A DEP NW WITH RADAR VECTOR WAS GIVEN IN THE CLRNC IT WAS CHANGED SHORTLY AFTER TKOF TO INTERCEPT A RADIAL THAT WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE TO BOTH PLTS. THIS WAS DONE DURING A HIGH WORKLOAD PERIOD AT A VERY BUSY ARPT AND CONFIRMING THE NEW CLRNC TOOK TOO MUCH TIME. THERE SEEMED TO BE A LACK OF COM BTWN THE TWR CTLR AND DEP CTLR AS DEP DID NOT KNOW WHICH RADIAL WE WERE TOLD TO INTERCEPT. HINDSIGHT TELLS ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THE RADIAL INTERCEPT WITH THE TWR INSTEAD OF DEP CTL. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE QUICKER WITH DEP SINCE THE TWR WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT. SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS: I FEEL STRONGLY THAT A SID SHOULD BE PUBLISHED FOR DCA DEFINING OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS DURING TRANSITION FROM TKOF TO ENRTE FLT. THE PROX OF THE PROHIBITED AREA TO THE ARPT DEMANDS A STRICTLY DEFINED ROUTING SYS AND NOT ONE ON CHANGING CLRNCS THAT ARE GIVEN DURING HIGH WORKLOAD PERIODS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR IS USING NOAA CHARTS AND DOES NOT HAVE THE COMMERCIAL CHARTS AVAILABLE. NO INFO IN NOAA ON THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROC AS ISSUED IN THE CLRNC. EXPLAINED TO THE RPTR THIS INFO IS CONTAINED IN THE ARPT/FAC DIRECTORY. HE FEELS VERY STRONGLY SOME TYPE OF SID INFO SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN NOAA CHARTS, EITHER THE SID OR THE INSTRUMENT APCH PROC. SECRET SVC HAS NOT TAKEN ANY FURTHER ACTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.