Narrative:

40 DME west of iad airport, arrival descending from 15000 ft, we were given handoff from washington center to pct approach. Called twice, but no reply. Switched back to washington to verify frequency and tried again. Pct approach replied this time and vectored us for an arrival to dulles runway 1L. I asked if there was any chance of giving the password and continued to our destination, but was told we had already had two chances. The two 'no-replies' from them, I suppose were our 'two chances'. Both co-pilot and myself have flown into dca several times over the past year or so without incident. Apparently bulletin changed the controling agency to give the ATIS-password of the day from washington approach to pct approach. Crew complied with all instructions. Landed dulles runway 1L. We were directed to a safe area and met by federal authorities who asked to see the two air marshals and myself to verify there was no security threat. After this, we taxied to the gate, re-filed, refueled and flew to dca. I was given a phone number to call, but no one knew who I was supposed to talk with at the phone number given. Later, we called to dulles and they indicated that I did not need to talk to anyone else at the FAA regarding the incident. Supplemental information from acn 576592: were all set for the approach for the ILS into dca. When instructed to contact 'pct approach' I looked at the captain and said 'did he say pct approach?' after flying into national dozens of times, we were used to contacting dulles approach without password prior to contacting national approach with password. The captain said 'pct is the old name for dulles approach.' without hesitation or password, I attempted to check in with pct approach twice and received no reply. I went back to washington center frequency and told him there was no response on the frequency given. Center gave us another frequency. On initial call up on this frequency, pct approach replied, air carrier X, I gave you two chances - new destination iad.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN F100 FLT CREW BOUND FOR DCA IS DIRECTED TO LAND AT IAD FOR A SECURITY CHK AFTER BEING UNABLE TO CONTACT PCT APCH WITH THE CORRECT PASSWORD.

Narrative: 40 DME W OF IAD ARPT, ARR DESCENDING FROM 15000 FT, WE WERE GIVEN HANDOFF FROM WASHINGTON CTR TO PCT APCH. CALLED TWICE, BUT NO REPLY. SWITCHED BACK TO WASHINGTON TO VERIFY FREQUENCY AND TRIED AGAIN. PCT APCH REPLIED THIS TIME AND VECTORED US FOR AN ARR TO DULLES RWY 1L. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY CHANCE OF GIVING THE PASSWORD AND CONTINUED TO OUR DEST, BUT WAS TOLD WE HAD ALREADY HAD TWO CHANCES. THE TWO 'NO-REPLIES' FROM THEM, I SUPPOSE WERE OUR 'TWO CHANCES'. BOTH CO-PLT AND MYSELF HAVE FLOWN INTO DCA SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO WITHOUT INCIDENT. APPARENTLY BULLETIN CHANGED THE CTLING AGENCY TO GIVE THE ATIS-PASSWORD OF THE DAY FROM WASHINGTON APCH TO PCT APCH. CREW COMPLIED WITH ALL INSTRUCTIONS. LANDED DULLES RWY 1L. WE WERE DIRECTED TO A SAFE AREA AND MET BY FEDERAL AUTHORITIES WHO ASKED TO SEE THE TWO AIR MARSHALS AND MYSELF TO VERIFY THERE WAS NO SECURITY THREAT. AFTER THIS, WE TAXIED TO THE GATE, RE-FILED, REFUELED AND FLEW TO DCA. I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL, BUT NO ONE KNEW WHO I WAS SUPPOSED TO TALK WITH AT THE PHONE NUMBER GIVEN. LATER, WE CALLED TO DULLES AND THEY INDICATED THAT I DID NOT NEED TO TALK TO ANYONE ELSE AT THE FAA REGARDING THE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 576592: WERE ALL SET FOR THE APCH FOR THE ILS INTO DCA. WHEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT 'PCT APCH' I LOOKED AT THE CAPT AND SAID 'DID HE SAY PCT APCH?' AFTER FLYING INTO NATIONAL DOZENS OF TIMES, WE WERE USED TO CONTACTING DULLES APCH WITHOUT PASSWORD PRIOR TO CONTACTING NATIONAL APCH WITH PASSWORD. THE CAPT SAID 'PCT IS THE OLD NAME FOR DULLES APCH.' WITHOUT HESITATION OR PASSWORD, I ATTEMPTED TO CHK IN WITH PCT APCH TWICE AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. I WENT BACK TO WASHINGTON CTR FREQUENCY AND TOLD HIM THERE WAS NO RESPONSE ON THE FREQUENCY GIVEN. CTR GAVE US ANOTHER FREQUENCY. ON INITIAL CALL UP ON THIS FREQUENCY, PCT APCH REPLIED, ACR X, I GAVE YOU TWO CHANCES - NEW DEST IAD.

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.