Date: 201509
Location: ATL.Airport, GA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
Airspace: Class B ATL
ATC / advisory: TRACON A80
Second aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Distraction; Situational Awareness
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Runway 9 Left Novss7 departure - normal take off; gear up and at around 7 hundred feet AGL I called 'speed mode NAV mode' at about the same time we encountered wake turbulence (plus 20 degree roll). I remained 'hands on' the controls to counter roll motions. ATC queried us as to our heading and at that point we became aware that we were not tracking the departure nor was the auto pilot on. ATC gave us a heading and shortly after that they gave us direct to waypoint GRITZ. There was no TCAS alert so we are assuming there was no traffic conflict.Two threats:1) our take off roll and initial climb was complicated by the fact that the sun was directly in our eyes. 2) distraction due to wake turbulence.Errors:1) Monitoring pilot did not verify the NAV mode on (due to sun in his eyes?)2) Flying pilot did not maintain proper track (distraction due to wake turbulence?)This is another case where both pilots started to assume the same roles - aircraft control was in question due to the wake turbulence so both pilots were focusing on aircraft control and no-one was monitoring the flight path or the autopilot. This is another reminder that each pilot ought to focus on his/her own role as pilot flying or pilot monitoring. NOTE: neither pilot was using their EFB at this time.


Second narrative: While taking off from 9R into bright blinding morning sun; the Captain and I were executing a routine departure.  The Captain and I stated out standard callouts; at 600 feet Captain requested autopilot; at that time we got into I'd say moderate wake turbulence from the Aircraft ahead of us; not bad; but it got both of our attentions because the Aircraft rolled 15-20 [degrees] and just stayed there riding the vortex. He placed his hands on the controls and flew with the Autopilot; both of us expected it to kick off; when it didn't we were surprised and commented that we thought it would kick off as that was some strong wake turbulence.  At that time I resumed my duties of completing the climb checklist.ATC then called asking our heading. I replied 095 and they informed us we were supposed to be in the NOVSS and gave us a heading and verified following traffic had visual on us; after another vector we were given 'resume the departure'Our threats were; we even discussed them; that the sun was going to be bright in the windshield; the close departure with the 737. I think what happened is when I went to hit NAV I hit heading and because of the sun I didn't notice the wrong lights on the Flight Control Panel (FCP).  When I should have called FMS off the FMA we were in the wake turbulence and I was watching that the Captain had control of the Aircraft.My learning factors are to be more vigilant at which button I press on the FCP and try to also do my Pilot Monitoring duties during an event in which the Aircraft is in an undesired state.


Synopsis: A CRJ900 flight crew reported a deviation from cleared departure route when they were distracted by the bright early morning sun and a wake turbulence encounter departing ATL in trail of a B737.