B757-200 crew may have penetrated P56 while flying the 'river visual' approach into dca.

Attributes
ACN	582993
Time
Date	200305
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils other localizer
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : charted visual approach : instrument non precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9200 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	582993
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure FAA Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared for river visual to dca runway 19. Captain was flying the aircraft. We were expecting the localizer to runway 19 as stated by the ATIS. Approach controller switched to river visual on our short base (not much time to set up and brief for river visual). I tuned the VOR radial and the captain hand-flew to track it inbound. I was giving the captain the step-down altitudes at his request. At 3-4 DME, I told captain to follow river and continue 3 degrees descent. We both turned our focus to runway 19 for descent and alignment for landing. I looked down at river and noticed we were over the east bank, and I stated this to captain. He corrected back over river. I do not know if we penetrated the P-56 prohibited area's western edge. (It was close.) with more notice from ATC, we would have been better prepared for this unusual approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW MAY HAVE PENETRATED P56 WHILE FLYING THE 'RIVER VISUAL' APCH INTO DCA.

Narrative: CLRED FOR RIVER VISUAL TO DCA RWY 19. CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. WE WERE EXPECTING THE LOC TO RWY 19 AS STATED BY THE ATIS. APCH CTLR SWITCHED TO RIVER VISUAL ON OUR SHORT BASE (NOT MUCH TIME TO SET UP AND BRIEF FOR RIVER VISUAL). I TUNED THE VOR RADIAL AND THE CAPT HAND-FLEW TO TRACK IT INBOUND. I WAS GIVING THE CAPT THE STEP-DOWN ALTS AT HIS REQUEST. AT 3-4 DME, I TOLD CAPT TO FOLLOW RIVER AND CONTINUE 3 DEGS DSCNT. WE BOTH TURNED OUR FOCUS TO RWY 19 FOR DSCNT AND ALIGNMENT FOR LNDG. I LOOKED DOWN AT RIVER AND NOTICED WE WERE OVER THE E BANK, AND I STATED THIS TO CAPT. HE CORRECTED BACK OVER RIVER. I DO NOT KNOW IF WE PENETRATED THE P-56 PROHIBITED AREA'S WESTERN EDGE. (IT WAS CLOSE.) WITH MORE NOTICE FROM ATC, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER PREPARED FOR THIS UNUSUAL APCH.

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.