Narrative:

Left ttn on an IFR flight plan to dca (reagan). Was cleared to 8000 ft. Phl approach xferred me to baltimore approach who asked where I was going to land and several subsequent controllers asked the same question and I kept telling them dca. After passing balance, I was told to descend to 6000 ft. Before getting to 6000 ft, I was told to go to 3000 ft and before reaching 3000 ft I was told to go to 2000 ft. This occurred after crossing balance at which time I was told, 'direct dca.' this occurred within about 10 mi of dca, so I had to make a steep descent, but was then told to maintain 150 KTS which was impossible to comply with in order to get to 2000 ft. Had dca in sight and was just to the right of the anacostia river, but to the left 9 (south) of P56 when approach told me to get over the river and continue in. (I had the commercial charts 10-4A and 10-4C in front of me which I studied the night before and that morning.) then they suddenly vectored me south and back east again when the airport was directly ahead, either because I was too high or conflicting traffic (they never gave a reason). After turning east for a short period they assigned a heading of 360 degrees. On this heading I was going towards the washington monument and the capitol. Commercial chart 10-4C shows these in P56. So I immediately turned west. This course was north of the anacostia river but, seemed south of P56. I could see the washington monument and capitol out the right side of the airplane as I passed to the south of them. Approach called and said I should be on a 360 degree heading and that my westerly heading was taking me through P56. To the contrary, I appeared to be south of the monument and capitol although it was possible that I nicked the southern border of P56. Then I was given a southerly heading when the airport was directly ahead 2 or 3 mi. Was then vectored east again (away from airport) over the anacostia river. Then they wanted me to go north and back west and stay over the river. It is difficult to turn a baron 180 degrees and stay over the anacostia river. Finally told 'cleared to land and go over to tower 119.1.' at that time I was only about 3 mi out from dca. Tower told me to round out my approach since there was an airliner landing runway 19. When told to head inbound, I was just about abeam of the airliner. I was concerned because runway 22 and runway 19 intersected about 3000 ft from the approach end of runway 22 and didn't want to have an near midair collision or get involved in wake turbulence, so I dragged it in over the water to land short and only used about 2000 ft and the airliner also stopped short of the intersection. I could have violated the southern border of P56, but I don't feel I did since I could see the washington monument and capitol off to my right and I had commercial chart 10-4C in front of me the entire time which helped me to visualize P56. I could have been the problem because I am not really familiar with the area. I think it would have helped if washington approach had communicated to me what they were trying to do, but in defense of them they were real busy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH B55 PLT PENETRATED CORNER OF P56 PROHIBITED AREA AFTER VECTORS JUST OUTSIDE THE AREA FOR LNDG AT DCA. RPTR BELIEVED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO PREVENT THAT BY NOT FOLLOWING THE HDG ASSIGNED BY ATC.

Narrative: LEFT TTN ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO DCA (REAGAN). WAS CLRED TO 8000 FT. PHL APCH XFERRED ME TO BALTIMORE APCH WHO ASKED WHERE I WAS GOING TO LAND AND SEVERAL SUBSEQUENT CTLRS ASKED THE SAME QUESTION AND I KEPT TELLING THEM DCA. AFTER PASSING BAL, I WAS TOLD TO DSND TO 6000 FT. BEFORE GETTING TO 6000 FT, I WAS TOLD TO GO TO 3000 FT AND BEFORE REACHING 3000 FT I WAS TOLD TO GO TO 2000 FT. THIS OCCURRED AFTER XING BAL AT WHICH TIME I WAS TOLD, 'DIRECT DCA.' THIS OCCURRED WITHIN ABOUT 10 MI OF DCA, SO I HAD TO MAKE A STEEP DSCNT, BUT WAS THEN TOLD TO MAINTAIN 150 KTS WHICH WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLY WITH IN ORDER TO GET TO 2000 FT. HAD DCA IN SIGHT AND WAS JUST TO THE R OF THE ANACOSTIA RIVER, BUT TO THE L 9 (S) OF P56 WHEN APCH TOLD ME TO GET OVER THE RIVER AND CONTINUE IN. (I HAD THE COMMERCIAL CHARTS 10-4A AND 10-4C IN FRONT OF ME WHICH I STUDIED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THAT MORNING.) THEN THEY SUDDENLY VECTORED ME S AND BACK E AGAIN WHEN THE ARPT WAS DIRECTLY AHEAD, EITHER BECAUSE I WAS TOO HIGH OR CONFLICTING TFC (THEY NEVER GAVE A REASON). AFTER TURNING E FOR A SHORT PERIOD THEY ASSIGNED A HDG OF 360 DEGS. ON THIS HDG I WAS GOING TOWARDS THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT AND THE CAPITOL. COMMERCIAL CHART 10-4C SHOWS THESE IN P56. SO I IMMEDIATELY TURNED W. THIS COURSE WAS N OF THE ANACOSTIA RIVER BUT, SEEMED S OF P56. I COULD SEE THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT AND CAPITOL OUT THE R SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AS I PASSED TO THE S OF THEM. APCH CALLED AND SAID I SHOULD BE ON A 360 DEG HDG AND THAT MY WESTERLY HDG WAS TAKING ME THROUGH P56. TO THE CONTRARY, I APPEARED TO BE S OF THE MONUMENT AND CAPITOL ALTHOUGH IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT I NICKED THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF P56. THEN I WAS GIVEN A SOUTHERLY HDG WHEN THE ARPT WAS DIRECTLY AHEAD 2 OR 3 MI. WAS THEN VECTORED E AGAIN (AWAY FROM ARPT) OVER THE ANACOSTIA RIVER. THEN THEY WANTED ME TO GO N AND BACK W AND STAY OVER THE RIVER. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TURN A BARON 180 DEGS AND STAY OVER THE ANACOSTIA RIVER. FINALLY TOLD 'CLRED TO LAND AND GO OVER TO TWR 119.1.' AT THAT TIME I WAS ONLY ABOUT 3 MI OUT FROM DCA. TWR TOLD ME TO ROUND OUT MY APCH SINCE THERE WAS AN AIRLINER LNDG RWY 19. WHEN TOLD TO HEAD INBOUND, I WAS JUST ABOUT ABEAM OF THE AIRLINER. I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE RWY 22 AND RWY 19 INTERSECTED ABOUT 3000 FT FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 22 AND DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE AN NMAC OR GET INVOLVED IN WAKE TURB, SO I DRAGGED IT IN OVER THE WATER TO LAND SHORT AND ONLY USED ABOUT 2000 FT AND THE AIRLINER ALSO STOPPED SHORT OF THE INTXN. I COULD HAVE VIOLATED THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF P56, BUT I DON'T FEEL I DID SINCE I COULD SEE THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT AND CAPITOL OFF TO MY R AND I HAD COMMERCIAL CHART 10-4C IN FRONT OF ME THE ENTIRE TIME WHICH HELPED ME TO VISUALIZE P56. I COULD HAVE BEEN THE PROB BECAUSE I AM NOT REALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. I THINK IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IF WASHINGTON APCH HAD COMMUNICATED TO ME WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO, BUT IN DEFENSE OF THEM THEY WERE REAL BUSY.

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.