Date: 201201
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: PCT.TRACON, VA
Flight conditions: IMC
Weather elements / visibility: Rain; 2
Light: Night
Aircraft: B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Climb
Airspace: Class B DCA
ATC / advisory: TRACON PCT
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Time Pressure; Workload; Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion
Anomaly: Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure; Weather; Airport
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: Departure from DCA; weather was 500 OVC. We briefed the Special Critical Performance Procedure for Runway 1. I was set up on my side with the 343 radial and VOR. We were very light for take-off. We had to re align the IRUs at the gate because our position was offset on the depiction. A quick alignment looked OK. The take-off events happened very rapidly. Once airborne the deck angle was approaching 20 degrees; initial VOR needle indications were sporadic due to the position of the VOR and probably our altitude by the end of the runway. We were IMC very quickly and I initiated a left turn; even with the initial VOR needle indication showing I needed to come right. I rolled out of some bank; the CDI was very jumpy; I came back left ahead of the needle. When it stabilized it was maybe 1/2 dot deflection to the left. I continued left bank and tried to stabilize an unstable CDI. The cockpit was extremely busy. The takeoff procedure happened very rapidly; deck angle was high; CDI was all over; flaps were being retracted; climb power selected; pitch angle decreased; radio change to departure; flaps retracted and ATC assigned 11;000 FT. Then we heard our call sign 'climb maintain 5;000' which caused confusion since I believe we were already passing 5;500 at the time. I believe the call was actually for the aircraft behind us. Now it was about 2.7 DME and I initiated a left turn to intercept the 328 radial when ATC called us with a 300 degree heading. I didn't feel I could connect the autopilot until I was stable on the heading. I didn't need any autopilot issues. Once stable on the 300 heading I engaged the autopilot. Once on the 300 heading we received a TA; then ATC assigned us a 320 heading. Things then calmed down. All these events happened within about three miles of the DCA VOR. I did not expect this departure to be so challenging; I should have anticipated our increase in performance with such a light load; and been more aggressive to correct to the CDI; or even flown a heading until the CDI stabilized. I will not use raw data again for a departure. It would have been more accurate to build the departure and back it up with RAW data.




Synopsis: The First Officer of a B757; performing a special departure procedure from Runway 1 at DCA; experienced work overload and got behind the aircraft. Vectoring was received from ATC to re-establish situational awareness and to avoid the restricted areas to the North of the airport.