Narrative:

Prior to contacting washington approach, we received dca ATIS information as reporting 80 sct 120 broken 250 ovc visibility 12 mi and to expect a river visual approach runway 18. Approach asked if we could accept a visual approach to runway 21 to which we responded, 'yes.' the controller then asked if we were familiar and we replied 'no.' at this point we disregarded the river visual approach runway 18 and referred to the chart displaying the airport diagram for orientation. A short series of vectors and dscnts took us to the potomac river approximately 10 mi northwest of the airport where we reported the airport in sight. Approach then cleared us for a visual to runway 21, told us to 'follow the river' to the airport, requested that we maintain 170 KTS or greater until 5 mi out and instructed us to contact the tower. We proceeded southeast along the northern shoreline of the potomac at 170 KTS in a descent to 1600 MSL while hurriedly trying to find a visual approach chart reference for runway 21, look for traffic, configure the aircraft for landing, and positively identify the approach end of the runway. Once runway 21 was clearly identified we faced yet another complication -- from our position nothing short of aerobatics could assure a landing! In the interest of safety, I planned a more standard entry to a right base to be followed by a short final and landing. Moments later, my plans were changed by dca tower. As we crossed the final approach course to runway 18, tower told us to proceed immediately to runway 18. We executed an immediate right turn to final and landed on runway 18. After landing, we were informed that we had entered prohibited airspace P-56. Approach never specifically directed us to fly the published river visual approach runway 18 to the airport. A higher than normal approach speed, and limited visibility due to aircraft design contributed to the problem. Recommendations: design a visual river approach to runway 21 to be used from the north. Visual apches should not be assigned to runways at dca unless a published visual approach procedure is available. ATC could help defeat pilot confusion by specifically assigning a published approach rather than just saying, 'follow the river.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX COMMUTER DEVIATES FROM AT CLRNC ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 21 AT DCA AND PENETRATES PROHIBITED AREA P56, OR COMMUTER ACFT CONDUCTS UNSCHEDULED TOUR OF WHILE HOUSE.

Narrative: PRIOR TO CONTACTING WASHINGTON APCH, WE RECEIVED DCA ATIS INFO AS REPORTING 80 SCT 120 BKN 250 OVC VISIBILITY 12 MI AND TO EXPECT A RIVER VISUAL APCH RWY 18. APCH ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 21 TO WHICH WE RESPONDED, 'YES.' THE CTLR THEN ASKED IF WE WERE FAMILIAR AND WE REPLIED 'NO.' AT THIS POINT WE DISREGARDED THE RIVER VISUAL APCH RWY 18 AND REFERRED TO THE CHART DISPLAYING THE ARPT DIAGRAM FOR ORIENTATION. A SHORT SERIES OF VECTORS AND DSCNTS TOOK US TO THE POTOMAC RIVER APPROX 10 MI NW OF THE ARPT WHERE WE REPORTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT. APCH THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 21, TOLD US TO 'FOLLOW THE RIVER' TO THE ARPT, REQUESTED THAT WE MAINTAIN 170 KTS OR GREATER UNTIL 5 MI OUT AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT THE TWR. WE PROCEEDED SE ALONG THE NORTHERN SHORELINE OF THE POTOMAC AT 170 KTS IN A DSCNT TO 1600 MSL WHILE HURRIEDLY TRYING TO FIND A VISUAL APCH CHART REFERENCE FOR RWY 21, LOOK FOR TFC, CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG, AND POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE APCH END OF THE RWY. ONCE RWY 21 WAS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED WE FACED YET ANOTHER COMPLICATION -- FROM OUR POSITION NOTHING SHORT OF AEROBATICS COULD ASSURE A LNDG! IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, I PLANNED A MORE STANDARD ENTRY TO A RIGHT BASE TO BE FOLLOWED BY A SHORT FINAL AND LNDG. MOMENTS LATER, MY PLANS WERE CHANGED BY DCA TWR. AS WE CROSSED THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 18, TWR TOLD US TO PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO RWY 18. WE EXECUTED AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN TO FINAL AND LANDED ON RWY 18. AFTER LNDG, WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE HAD ENTERED PROHIBITED AIRSPACE P-56. APCH NEVER SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED US TO FLY THE PUBLISHED RIVER VISUAL APCH RWY 18 TO THE ARPT. A HIGHER THAN NORMAL APCH SPEED, AND LIMITED VISIBILITY DUE TO ACFT DESIGN CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM. RECOMMENDATIONS: DESIGN A VISUAL RIVER APCH TO RWY 21 TO BE USED FROM THE N. VISUAL APCHES SHOULD NOT BE ASSIGNED TO RWYS AT DCA UNLESS A PUBLISHED VISUAL APCH PROC IS AVAILABLE. ATC COULD HELP DEFEAT PLT CONFUSION BY SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNING A PUBLISHED APCH RATHER THAN JUST SAYING, 'FOLLOW THE RIVER.'

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.