Narrative:

While on irons 4 arrival to dca, the captain and I noticed ATC controller had a very heavy accent which made him difficult to understand. Also, it sounded as if he was overly busy and possibly preoccupied with an air carrier Y flight ahead of us. Upon crossing the dca VOR, I asked the captain to check with the controller as to when he wanted us to start our left turn. The captain tried 2, possibly 3 times with extreme determination to get a left turn. The controller's responses were unintelligible due to his heavy accent. The controller finally communicated 'turn left 230 degrees.' I did so at once! The rest of the flight went as normal, completed with an lda DME runway 19 approach. The landing was normal and we taxied I with no unusual comments from ATC. On mar/sun/02, the captain called me at home and advised ATC alleged we penetrated P56. I did not believe we did so. However, I have no way of determining exactly where P56 is. It is not depicted on my navigation display and it was dark and I am not totally familiar with the dca area! In the future, this problem can be solved by adding a heading to the irons 4 arrival after passing the dca VOR! Supplemental information from acn 540451: we were approaching dca from the south on the irons 4 arrival. WX was clear. We were cleared direct dca VOR. Dca was utilizing localizer 19 approachs. We were anticipating a turn to the west for vector to the final approach course. The ATC controller spoke with a heavy accent. An instruction was issued to make a turn to heading 270 degrees, however, the call sign was unintelligible. We asked the controller 3 times to confirm the vector was for us. We were within 2 mi of dca VOR at 10000 ft with a significant tailwind. In our turn on the vector, ATC alleges we penetrated prohibited airspace P56. We at no time knowingly transgressed P56. Contributing factors: 1) controller nonstandard use of english language, or speech impediment. 2) ATC controller late in issuing vector instructions. 3) high ground speed due to TAS/tailwind that made wide ground track on vector.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW ENCOUNTERED AN APCH CTLR WITH SUCH A HVY FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACCENT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND HIM. THE ACFT MAY HAVE PENETRATED PROHIBITED AIRSPACE AS A RESULT.

Narrative: WHILE ON IRONS 4 ARR TO DCA, THE CAPT AND I NOTICED ATC CTLR HAD A VERY HVY ACCENT WHICH MADE HIM DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. ALSO, IT SOUNDED AS IF HE WAS OVERLY BUSY AND POSSIBLY PREOCCUPIED WITH AN ACR Y FLT AHEAD OF US. UPON XING THE DCA VOR, I ASKED THE CAPT TO CHK WITH THE CTLR AS TO WHEN HE WANTED US TO START OUR L TURN. THE CAPT TRIED 2, POSSIBLY 3 TIMES WITH EXTREME DETERMINATION TO GET A L TURN. THE CTLR'S RESPONSES WERE UNINTELLIGIBLE DUE TO HIS HVY ACCENT. THE CTLR FINALLY COMMUNICATED 'TURN L 230 DEGS.' I DID SO AT ONCE! THE REST OF THE FLT WENT AS NORMAL, COMPLETED WITH AN LDA DME RWY 19 APCH. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL AND WE TAXIED I WITH NO UNUSUAL COMMENTS FROM ATC. ON MAR/SUN/02, THE CAPT CALLED ME AT HOME AND ADVISED ATC ALLEGED WE PENETRATED P56. I DID NOT BELIEVE WE DID SO. HOWEVER, I HAVE NO WAY OF DETERMINING EXACTLY WHERE P56 IS. IT IS NOT DEPICTED ON MY NAV DISPLAY AND IT WAS DARK AND I AM NOT TOTALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE DCA AREA! IN THE FUTURE, THIS PROB CAN BE SOLVED BY ADDING A HDG TO THE IRONS 4 ARR AFTER PASSING THE DCA VOR! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 540451: WE WERE APCHING DCA FROM THE S ON THE IRONS 4 ARR. WX WAS CLR. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT DCA VOR. DCA WAS UTILIZING LOC 19 APCHS. WE WERE ANTICIPATING A TURN TO THE W FOR VECTOR TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. THE ATC CTLR SPOKE WITH A HVY ACCENT. AN INSTRUCTION WAS ISSUED TO MAKE A TURN TO HDG 270 DEGS, HOWEVER, THE CALL SIGN WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE. WE ASKED THE CTLR 3 TIMES TO CONFIRM THE VECTOR WAS FOR US. WE WERE WITHIN 2 MI OF DCA VOR AT 10000 FT WITH A SIGNIFICANT TAILWIND. IN OUR TURN ON THE VECTOR, ATC ALLEGES WE PENETRATED PROHIBITED AIRSPACE P56. WE AT NO TIME KNOWINGLY TRANSGRESSED P56. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CTLR NONSTANDARD USE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE, OR SPEECH IMPEDIMENT. 2) ATC CTLR LATE IN ISSUING VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS. 3) HIGH GND SPD DUE TO TAS/TAILWIND THAT MADE WIDE GND TRACK ON VECTOR.

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.