Date: 201403
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: PCT.TRACON, VA
Flight conditions: IMC
Weather elements / visibility: Rain; 2
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Operator: Corporate
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Climb
Airspace: Class B DCA
ATC / advisory: TRACON PCT
Reporter organization: Corporate
Reporter function: Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness; Workload; Confusion; Distraction
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Contributing factors: Weather; Procedure; Human Factors; Chart Or Publication; Aircraft
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: The NATIONAL 3 departure was loaded into the FMS and reviewed prior to taxi. After takeoff; pilot flying made an immediate climbing left turn resulting in an overshoot of the DCA 328 degree radial per the National 3 departure; placing the aircraft slightly west of the intended course. The FMS commanded a right turn back to the east to intercept the 328 degree radial. The turn back to intercept; however; resulted in a slight overshoot of the radial which placed the airplane close to the prohibited area. The Potomac Departure Controller issued a heading to turn back northwest bound away from the prohibited area and back on course. Due to the lack of visual reference to the river along the departure corridor because of the low ceilings; it was not immediately apparent to the crew of the overshoot on the 328 degree radial toward the prohibited area east of the river. Afterward it was discussed that a better backup to the FMS blue data should have been displayed more prominently on the PFD. A bearing pointer; which is white in color; was displayed on the PFD; but a better solution would have been to utilize the HSI green needle instead. This would have provided better situational awareness and would have also served to better alert the pilots of the impending overshoot.


Second narrative: We were assigned the NATIONAL 3 Departure from DCA. Upon takeoff we turned onto a heading of 328 degrees just as we lifted off. This early turn to 328 degrees may have put us west of the 328 radial which the SID requires to be flown. Our FMS gave us a correction turn to a heading of 342 which we flew. This heading took us back; east of the 328 assigned racial on the departure. The FMS locked onto a heading of 342; not 328 and this caused us to be somewhat east of the 328 departure radial. The FMS never guided us to assume the proper 328 departure radial.I think the departure would be better designed if it had 'fly over waypoints' to define the out bound track so that the FMS would have to direct the aircraft over the exact track as prescribed in the National 3 SID.


Synopsis: After departing on the DCA NATIONAL 3; the Corporate First Officer turned before the 328 Radial and when correcting back to the radial; the FMS guidance overshot possibly causing a P40 violation.