Narrative:

We were told by washington approach to transition from V308 to go direct nottingham VOR, then ATC corrected himself and put us on a vector of 270 degrees, we did so. Approximately 5-6 mi east of dca, washington approach asked us if we could identify the anacostia river. We responded yes, then ATC asked if we could see the airport (dca). We responded yes. ATC asked us to keep up our speed for jet traffic. We said that we would (+200 KTS). Then they (ATC) cleared us for a visual to runway 21 and xferred us to dca tower. We called the tower at approximately 4-5 mi east of airport, then the tower cleared us to land runway 21. At that point the PF started to lose visual contact with the runway due to setting sun glare and haze from forest fire in south new jersey. Only a few seconds passed by when we were able to re-establish visual contact with the runway, and started a turn toward the runway. At that point the tower told us to start an immediate turn to (left) 150 degree heading. We were either in the P56 area or about to enter it. We immediately entered a turn to 150 degrees which put us right over the united states capital building. In only a few seconds we were re-established with the extended centerline of runway 21. So we turned to the runway and were cleared again to land. At that point we made a normal and routine landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX FLC FLYING BE1900 ACFT INTO DCA INADVERTENTLY ENTERED PROHIBITED AIRSPACE AT P56.

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD BY WASHINGTON APCH TO TRANSITION FROM V308 TO GO DIRECT NOTTINGHAM VOR, THEN ATC CORRECTED HIMSELF AND PUT US ON A VECTOR OF 270 DEGS, WE DID SO. APPROX 5-6 MI E OF DCA, WASHINGTON APCH ASKED US IF WE COULD IDENT THE ANACOSTIA RIVER. WE RESPONDED YES, THEN ATC ASKED IF WE COULD SEE THE ARPT (DCA). WE RESPONDED YES. ATC ASKED US TO KEEP UP OUR SPD FOR JET TFC. WE SAID THAT WE WOULD (+200 KTS). THEN THEY (ATC) CLRED US FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 21 AND XFERRED US TO DCA TWR. WE CALLED THE TWR AT APPROX 4-5 MI E OF ARPT, THEN THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND RWY 21. AT THAT POINT THE PF STARTED TO LOSE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY DUE TO SETTING SUN GLARE AND HAZE FROM FOREST FIRE IN S NEW JERSEY. ONLY A FEW SECONDS PASSED BY WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY, AND STARTED A TURN TOWARD THE RWY. AT THAT POINT THE TWR TOLD US TO START AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO (L) 150 DEG HDG. WE WERE EITHER IN THE P56 AREA OR ABOUT TO ENTER IT. WE IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A TURN TO 150 DEGS WHICH PUT US RIGHT OVER THE UNITED STATES CAPITAL BUILDING. IN ONLY A FEW SECONDS WE WERE RE-ESTABLISHED WITH THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 21. SO WE TURNED TO THE RWY AND WERE CLRED AGAIN TO LAND. AT THAT POINT WE MADE A NORMAL AND ROUTINE LNDG.

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.