Narrative:

Flight should not be a B737-300 due to XB00 curfew into dca. Here's what happened: an hour prior to departure, I called dispatch for a dca briefing. It was routine and I mentioned to dispatcher XB00 curfew, and he said we wouldn't be that delayed! As flight boarded, washington issued ground stop to all dca, iad, and bwi inbound flts. Anyway, when we finally got airborne, our ETA to dca was XB05. Dispatch informed, and our first of many notes read, 'if you're not working approach by (time), plan on going to iad.' I wrote back asking for clarification and apparent conflict with company's 10-7A page. Anyway, after useful ATC shortcuts, our ETA became XA55, and we continued to dca. When handed off to potomac approach, we were slowed to 210 KTS, then 170 KTS and vectored for holding. We were just about to divert to iad when told by potomac approach, 'air carrier X, if you're worried about the dca curfew, tower has told us not to worry about it due to inbound WX delays.' so, we pressed on. On final approach, we got a flurry of messages from dispatch. We were unable to read them until after landing. The messages said, 'I'm told the penalty is $10000. The tower doesn't care about the curfew. I suggest we amend your destination to iad. Please acknowledge.' in conclusion, this flight put me in the uncomfortable position of following the 10-7 page, following ATC position, and dispatch wanting me to make last min decision to divert. I cannot be reading ACARS messages on final approach. Change flight to an airbus, or change the 10-7B page. While waiting for gate after landing, I did notice a B737-500 and a B737 landing!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW WAS QUESTIONED BY THE ACR DISPATCHER ABOUT LNDG PAST THE CURFEW TIME. PCT CTLRS TOLD THE CREW NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE CURFEW TIME SINCE THEY (ATC AND ACR'S) HAD WX DELAYS. B737 HAVE A NOISE ABATEMENT RESTR PAST THAT CERTAIN HR.

Narrative: FLT SHOULD NOT BE A B737-300 DUE TO XB00 CURFEW INTO DCA. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED: AN HR PRIOR TO DEP, I CALLED DISPATCH FOR A DCA BRIEFING. IT WAS ROUTINE AND I MENTIONED TO DISPATCHER XB00 CURFEW, AND HE SAID WE WOULDN'T BE THAT DELAYED! AS FLT BOARDED, WASHINGTON ISSUED GND STOP TO ALL DCA, IAD, AND BWI INBOUND FLTS. ANYWAY, WHEN WE FINALLY GOT AIRBORNE, OUR ETA TO DCA WAS XB05. DISPATCH INFORMED, AND OUR FIRST OF MANY NOTES READ, 'IF YOU'RE NOT WORKING APCH BY (TIME), PLAN ON GOING TO IAD.' I WROTE BACK ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION AND APPARENT CONFLICT WITH COMPANY'S 10-7A PAGE. ANYWAY, AFTER USEFUL ATC SHORTCUTS, OUR ETA BECAME XA55, AND WE CONTINUED TO DCA. WHEN HANDED OFF TO POTOMAC APCH, WE WERE SLOWED TO 210 KTS, THEN 170 KTS AND VECTORED FOR HOLDING. WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO DIVERT TO IAD WHEN TOLD BY POTOMAC APCH, 'ACR X, IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE DCA CURFEW, TWR HAS TOLD US NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT DUE TO INBOUND WX DELAYS.' SO, WE PRESSED ON. ON FINAL APCH, WE GOT A FLURRY OF MESSAGES FROM DISPATCH. WE WERE UNABLE TO READ THEM UNTIL AFTER LNDG. THE MESSAGES SAID, 'I'M TOLD THE PENALTY IS $10000. THE TWR DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE CURFEW. I SUGGEST WE AMEND YOUR DEST TO IAD. PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE.' IN CONCLUSION, THIS FLT PUT ME IN THE UNCOMFORTABLE POS OF FOLLOWING THE 10-7 PAGE, FOLLOWING ATC POS, AND DISPATCH WANTING ME TO MAKE LAST MIN DECISION TO DIVERT. I CANNOT BE READING ACARS MESSAGES ON FINAL APCH. CHANGE FLT TO AN AIRBUS, OR CHANGE THE 10-7B PAGE. WHILE WAITING FOR GATE AFTER LNDG, I DID NOTICE A B737-500 AND A B737 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.