A320 FO WAS NOT READY TO FLY. HE WAS UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO TO AVOID THE PROHIBITED AREAS N AND NE OF DCA.

Narrative

ON TKOF FROM DCA RWY 1; WE MAY HAVE PENETRATED THE PROHIBITED AREA N OF THE ARPT. THE WX WAS VMC CONDITIONS AND THERE WAS A NE WIND. OUR OPS DESCRIBE A NORTHERLY TKOF FROM DCA. IT DESCRIBES A VMC AND IMC TKOF. THE VMC DESCRIBES ONE WHERE THE FO KEEPS THE E COAST OF THE POTOMAC RIVER IN SIGHT AND PROCEED N ALONG THE RIVER TIL 4 DME AND INTERCEPT THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL. THE IMC DESCRIBES A TKOF WHERE AT 400 FT TURN TO A 300 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE 328 DEG RADIAL. WE SET UP THE 328 DEG RADIAL AND WERE PREPARED TO INTERCEPT IT WHICH WE BRIEFED BEFORE THE TKOF. AS FAR AS THE HEADING TO USE TO INTERCEPT; WE WEREN'T SURE; SINCE THIS WAS VMC AND A HEADING WASN'T MENTIONED. BEFORE TKOF WE INQUIRED ATC FOR A HEADING BUT THEY JUST SAID 'TURN TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL.' IN SHORT; THE PROB AROSE WHEN I WAS TRYING TO COMBINE THE VMC AND IMC PROCS. MY ATTN WAS DIVIDED INAPPROPRIATELY. I WAS INTENT ON LOCATING THE RIVER BUT BECAUSE OF THE ACFT BODY AND CLBING ANGLE I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING. AT 800 FT I ALMOST OVERSPD THE FLAPS AND NOW MY ATTN WAS ON THE FLAPS AND I LESSENED THE BANK ANGLE OF MY TURN. I ROLLED OUT ON A 325 DEG HDG SINCE WE WERE CLOSE TO THE VOR AND HAD A NE WIND I ASSUMED WE DIDN'T NEED A BIG INTERCEPT ANGLE. THE CAPT ASKED FOR A FURTHER TURN L AND I COMPLIED WITH 315 DEGS. BECAUSE OF THE CLBING ANGLE I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE OUR POS. IN THE END WE INTERCEPTED THE RADIAL BUT NOT SURE IF WE PENETRATED THE PROHIBITED AREA AND ATC DIDN'T SAY WE DID. WHAT LED TO THIS WAS SIMPLE -- AVIATE; NAV; COMMUNICATE. BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO NAV I FORGOT ABOUT THE AIRPLANE. ALSO; WE COULD'VE BRIEFED THE TKOF BETTER WHERE I WAS JUST PF AND LET THE CAPT NAV. AS FAR AS ATC PROCS; WHAT WOULD MAKE THIS SIMPLER IS IF THE TWR SAID 'WHEN SAFE EXPEDITE A TURN TO 300 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 328 DEG RADIAL' EITHER IMC OR VMC.