Narrative:

I was flying to dca. Approximately 7 mi from the airport I was given a heading of 310 degrees until I was north of the airport. I was then told to follow the river in for runway 18. As I started my turn inbound for runway 18, I realized I was a little high for runway 18 and also needed to lose about 15 KTS so I could get the gear down. To give me the extra spacing I needed to slow down and lose a little altitude, I requested runway 21 and was cleared for the visual to that runway. I knew that P-56 was to my left and started about the 355 degree radial from dca VOR. I extended the base I was on for runway 18 to accommodate runway 21. This would enable me to make a normal transition from base to final. As I flew over the river, on the base for runway 21, the VOR needle on my HSI indicated that I was on the 315 degree radial from dca VOR. I thought to myself that I had good spacing between P-56 and by the time I came close to it I would be south of the prohibited area. I was cleared to land runway 21 and landed using proper pattern procedures. When I walked into the FBO I was told that I had a phone call from the tower. I talked with the controller, who was very nice, and explained to me that there had been a possible airspace violation. He said it happens about 5 times a month either on arrival or departure. I gave the controller my name and pilot information. A few days later I had a trip to crg. On the way down I was cleared to stary intersection. When the GPS said I had arrived at stary the VOR needle on my HSI was about 40 degrees off. I then thought to myself maybe I had inadvertently penetrated p- 56. On that flight to dca I had learned several lessons. Even though my VOR needle on my HSI had shown me 40 degrees from P-56 I should have flown down the river until very close to runway 18, then circle to land runway 21. The winds were right down runway 21 which could have been a small mitigating factor, but the winds would be no excuse for penetrating P-56. The prohibited area is so close to the north side of the airport that I would recommend that any aircraft that approachs the field from the west should not be given runway 21 as an option. Approaching runway 21 from the west is a circling maneuver. It is very tight. If an aircraft must land on runway 21 from the west the controller should clear the pilot for the river visual to runway 18 until 1/2 mi from the runway, then circle to land runway 21. I would strongly recommend some stars be developed for the north runways at dca. I feel that this would greatly decrease the number of aircraft penetrating P-56. I later found out that the very next day another aircraft had possibly penetrated P-56 from the west trying to maneuver to runway 21, so apparently it must be a problem that needs to be addressed. I have gotten my HSI fixed, and in the future I will use my #1 navigation to back up my position, especially when it comes to prohibited airspace. I also learned, through sharing my experience with other pilots, most of them did not realize that you must have a reservation to fly into dca. I quickly filled them in on what they had to do to properly fly to dca. One thing I did not realize about the reservation was that it is only good up until 'the hour.' I had always been told it was good for 1 whole hour. This I found out not to be true. On my flight in which I may have penetrated P-56 I had a reservation time of XX30, which I thought was good through XY30. I found out through talking with a pilot that the slot times expire the last min of the hour. So my reservation time of XX30 expired at XX59. I landed about XY05, so I was out of time. When you call to get a reservation time the recording should advise you when your reservation slot expires. I also feel that this information should be located somewhere on the airport diagram. My reservation time in the future will be correct. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft is a cheyenne turboprop. He has been contacted by the FSDO and interviewed and a letter of warning will be entered in his file. He has been told that there is a problem with prohibited area being so close and several times a month someone does just what he did. There are measuresbeing reviewed to develop a solution with a STAR or other published procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT ON VISUAL APCH TO DCA ENTERS P-56 WHILE LINING UP FOR THE RWY. HE IS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER AND CONTACTS ATC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING TO DCA. APPROX 7 MI FROM THE ARPT I WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 310 DEGS UNTIL I WAS N OF THE ARPT. I WAS THEN TOLD TO FOLLOW THE RIVER IN FOR RWY 18. AS I STARTED MY TURN INBOUND FOR RWY 18, I REALIZED I WAS A LITTLE HIGH FOR RWY 18 AND ALSO NEEDED TO LOSE ABOUT 15 KTS SO I COULD GET THE GEAR DOWN. TO GIVE ME THE EXTRA SPACING I NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN AND LOSE A LITTLE ALT, I REQUESTED RWY 21 AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO THAT RWY. I KNEW THAT P-56 WAS TO MY L AND STARTED ABOUT THE 355 DEG RADIAL FROM DCA VOR. I EXTENDED THE BASE I WAS ON FOR RWY 18 TO ACCOMMODATE RWY 21. THIS WOULD ENABLE ME TO MAKE A NORMAL TRANSITION FROM BASE TO FINAL. AS I FLEW OVER THE RIVER, ON THE BASE FOR RWY 21, THE VOR NEEDLE ON MY HSI INDICATED THAT I WAS ON THE 315 DEG RADIAL FROM DCA VOR. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT I HAD GOOD SPACING BTWN P-56 AND BY THE TIME I CAME CLOSE TO IT I WOULD BE S OF THE PROHIBITED AREA. I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 21 AND LANDED USING PROPER PATTERN PROCS. WHEN I WALKED INTO THE FBO I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A PHONE CALL FROM THE TWR. I TALKED WITH THE CTLR, WHO WAS VERY NICE, AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN A POSSIBLE AIRSPACE VIOLATION. HE SAID IT HAPPENS ABOUT 5 TIMES A MONTH EITHER ON ARR OR DEP. I GAVE THE CTLR MY NAME AND PLT INFO. A FEW DAYS LATER I HAD A TRIP TO CRG. ON THE WAY DOWN I WAS CLRED TO STARY INTXN. WHEN THE GPS SAID I HAD ARRIVED AT STARY THE VOR NEEDLE ON MY HSI WAS ABOUT 40 DEGS OFF. I THEN THOUGHT TO MYSELF MAYBE I HAD INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED P- 56. ON THAT FLT TO DCA I HAD LEARNED SEVERAL LESSONS. EVEN THOUGH MY VOR NEEDLE ON MY HSI HAD SHOWN ME 40 DEGS FROM P-56 I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN DOWN THE RIVER UNTIL VERY CLOSE TO RWY 18, THEN CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 21. THE WINDS WERE RIGHT DOWN RWY 21 WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN A SMALL MITIGATING FACTOR, BUT THE WINDS WOULD BE NO EXCUSE FOR PENETRATING P-56. THE PROHIBITED AREA IS SO CLOSE TO THE N SIDE OF THE ARPT THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANY ACFT THAT APCHS THE FIELD FROM THE W SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN RWY 21 AS AN OPTION. APCHING RWY 21 FROM THE W IS A CIRCLING MANEUVER. IT IS VERY TIGHT. IF AN ACFT MUST LAND ON RWY 21 FROM THE W THE CTLR SHOULD CLR THE PLT FOR THE RIVER VISUAL TO RWY 18 UNTIL 1/2 MI FROM THE RWY, THEN CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 21. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND SOME STARS BE DEVELOPED FOR THE N RWYS AT DCA. I FEEL THAT THIS WOULD GREATLY DECREASE THE NUMBER OF ACFT PENETRATING P-56. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE VERY NEXT DAY ANOTHER ACFT HAD POSSIBLY PENETRATED P-56 FROM THE W TRYING TO MANEUVER TO RWY 21, SO APPARENTLY IT MUST BE A PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE GOTTEN MY HSI FIXED, AND IN THE FUTURE I WILL USE MY #1 NAV TO BACK UP MY POS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. I ALSO LEARNED, THROUGH SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER PLTS, MOST OF THEM DID NOT REALIZE THAT YOU MUST HAVE A RESERVATION TO FLY INTO DCA. I QUICKLY FILLED THEM IN ON WHAT THEY HAD TO DO TO PROPERLY FLY TO DCA. ONE THING I DID NOT REALIZE ABOUT THE RESERVATION WAS THAT IT IS ONLY GOOD UP UNTIL 'THE HR.' I HAD ALWAYS BEEN TOLD IT WAS GOOD FOR 1 WHOLE HR. THIS I FOUND OUT NOT TO BE TRUE. ON MY FLT IN WHICH I MAY HAVE PENETRATED P-56 I HAD A RESERVATION TIME OF XX30, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS GOOD THROUGH XY30. I FOUND OUT THROUGH TALKING WITH A PLT THAT THE SLOT TIMES EXPIRE THE LAST MIN OF THE HR. SO MY RESERVATION TIME OF XX30 EXPIRED AT XX59. I LANDED ABOUT XY05, SO I WAS OUT OF TIME. WHEN YOU CALL TO GET A RESERVATION TIME THE RECORDING SHOULD ADVISE YOU WHEN YOUR RESERVATION SLOT EXPIRES. I ALSO FEEL THAT THIS INFO SHOULD BE LOCATED SOMEWHERE ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM. MY RESERVATION TIME IN THE FUTURE WILL BE CORRECT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT IS A CHEYENNE TURBOPROP. HE HAS BEEN CONTACTED BY THE FSDO AND INTERVIEWED AND A LETTER OF WARNING WILL BE ENTERED IN HIS FILE. HE HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS A PROB WITH PROHIBITED AREA BEING SO CLOSE AND SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH SOMEONE DOES JUST WHAT HE DID. THERE ARE MEASURESBEING REVIEWED TO DEVELOP A SOLUTION WITH A STAR OR OTHER PUBLISHED PROCS.

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.