Narrative:

1WE crossed aml at 8000'. After aml our clearance was to proceed direct washington VOR, maintain 8000'. About 20 DME from dca, I asked the captain how far he thought they would take us out tonight. He called approach and we were told '8 mi final.' during this conversation I had slowed the aircraft from 250 to 220 KTS. About 10 DME we were told to descend to 5000'. Full speed brakes were applied and the slats were extended. I then selected 180 KTS airspeed, but maintain 220 KTS to facilitate the descent. Then 4 mi from dca we were told to turn right to a heading of 180 degrees. We flew this heading for a very short period of time. By that time I had called for flaps 11 degrees. At 6 DME we were told to turn left to 090 degrees, descend to 2500'. I then called for flaps 15 degrees, gear down. We were then told to descend to 1600', and to turn left to heading 045 degrees. We finally broke out of the clouds to find ourselves at 4000' over the woodrow wilson bridge, which is approximately 4 DME from dca. I immediately called for flaps 40 degrees, however we were now crossing the extended centerline of runway 36. The captain asked the controller if he knew we were landing at dca. He responded 'affirmative, will you have a problem making it from there?' we responded that there was no way we could get down and lined up within 4 mi of the airport. We were then told to turn to a heading of 180 degrees, maintain 1600'. I then called for flaps 15 degrees and gear up. We were then told we would follow another medium large transport. We never saw the traffic. We were then told to turn left heading 090 degrees. We were now to follow a widebody transport. About 1 min later we were told to turn right heading 200 degrees. Immediately afterward we were issued a heading O 300 degrees, maintain 2500' until over the river, clear mount vernon visibility runway 36. By this time we were at 2000', still in a slow descent for 1600'. Evidently with all the vectoring, we were further south, in an area where the floor of the TCA is 2500'. First of all, they don't issue first officer's TCA pages, and second of all, who has the time to look at them--especially in a 2-M cockpit, trying to make the airplane do something it won't, and still watching for traffic? Once we reached operations we called the tower and spoke to a supervisor. He aid he had already debriefed the controller. He also said that the controller was fully qualified on that position, however he had been off for an extended period of time and had just come back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ON APCH VECTORED TO FINAL AT ALT IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCEND TO LAND. REVECTORED INTO AREA WHERE THEY WERE BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA.

Narrative: 1WE CROSSED AML AT 8000'. AFTER AML OUR CLRNC WAS TO PROCEED DIRECT WASHINGTON VOR, MAINTAIN 8000'. ABOUT 20 DME FROM DCA, I ASKED THE CAPT HOW FAR HE THOUGHT THEY WOULD TAKE US OUT TONIGHT. HE CALLED APCH AND WE WERE TOLD '8 MI FINAL.' DURING THIS CONVERSATION I HAD SLOWED THE ACFT FROM 250 TO 220 KTS. ABOUT 10 DME WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 5000'. FULL SPD BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE SLATS WERE EXTENDED. I THEN SELECTED 180 KTS AIRSPD, BUT MAINTAIN 220 KTS TO FACILITATE THE DSCNT. THEN 4 MI FROM DCA WE WERE TOLD TO TURN RIGHT TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS. WE FLEW THIS HDG FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. BY THAT TIME I HAD CALLED FOR FLAPS 11 DEGS. AT 6 DME WE WERE TOLD TO TURN LEFT TO 090 DEGS, DSND TO 2500'. I THEN CALLED FOR FLAPS 15 DEGS, GEAR DOWN. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO DSND TO 1600', AND TO TURN LEFT TO HDG 045 DEGS. WE FINALLY BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS TO FIND OURSELVES AT 4000' OVER THE WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE, WHICH IS APPROX 4 DME FROM DCA. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR FLAPS 40 DEGS, HOWEVER WE WERE NOW XING THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF RWY 36. THE CAPT ASKED THE CTLR IF HE KNEW WE WERE LNDG AT DCA. HE RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE, WILL YOU HAVE A PROB MAKING IT FROM THERE?' WE RESPONDED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD GET DOWN AND LINED UP WITHIN 4 MI OF THE ARPT. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO TURN TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS, MAINTAIN 1600'. I THEN CALLED FOR FLAPS 15 DEGS AND GEAR UP. WE WERE THEN TOLD WE WOULD FOLLOW ANOTHER MLG. WE NEVER SAW THE TFC. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO TURN LEFT HDG 090 DEGS. WE WERE NOW TO FOLLOW A WDB. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER WE WERE TOLD TO TURN RIGHT HDG 200 DEGS. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD WE WERE ISSUED A HDG O 300 DEGS, MAINTAIN 2500' UNTIL OVER THE RIVER, CLEAR MOUNT VERNON VIS RWY 36. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT 2000', STILL IN A SLOW DSCNT FOR 1600'. EVIDENTLY WITH ALL THE VECTORING, WE WERE FURTHER S, IN AN AREA WHERE THE FLOOR OF THE TCA IS 2500'. FIRST OF ALL, THEY DON'T ISSUE F/O'S TCA PAGES, AND SECOND OF ALL, WHO HAS THE TIME TO LOOK AT THEM--ESPECIALLY IN A 2-M COCKPIT, TRYING TO MAKE THE AIRPLANE DO SOMETHING IT WON'T, AND STILL WATCHING FOR TFC? ONCE WE REACHED OPS WE CALLED THE TWR AND SPOKE TO A SUPVR. HE AID HE HAD ALREADY DEBRIEFED THE CTLR. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE CTLR WAS FULLY QUALIFIED ON THAT POS, HOWEVER HE HAD BEEN OFF FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME AND HAD JUST COME BACK.

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