Narrative:

On descent; about 100 NM west of dca; just before XA00; the center controller (either ZID or ZDC) told us to contact approach. Neither the first officer nor I heard the word 'potomac' in this transmission. When I checked on with approach control; I did not provide the code word. The confidential security procedures for dca contain a caution that the 'code word must 'only' be used with potomac approach control.' we did not know we were talking to potomac approach. The new controller was very difficult to hear due to low volume. The first officer and I both commented to each other that he was hard to hear. We both had to turn our volumes up significantly in order to hear him. I called approach back and said 'your transmission is very weak.' we thought that he was having radio problems or his microphone was too far from his mouth or he was speaking softly. A couple of mins later; he said 'say again your initial transmission.' still not aware we were talking to potomac approach and suspecting he was having radio difficulties; I repeated my first transmission; again without the code word. It was shortly after this point; when the controller gave us a vector to iad (dulles) that I realized the reason for the 'say again your initial transmission' query. I then provided the proper code word and stated our strong request to proceed to our original destination of washington national. He said the decision had already been made and it was over his head. I don't recall if he used the words 'potomac approach' and due to the low volume initially; we may not have heard it. The flight then proceeded to iad without incident. The first officer did a superb job during the diversion of updating the new airport; getting ATIS; setting up the approach; handling the radio; etc; while I informed our flight attendants; passenger; and company of the divert. I was not at liberty to provide the full reason for the divert to our passenger and was rather shocked when at least 1/2 dozen of them (upon leaving the plane) asked if we had forgotten the 'password.' upon arrival at iad; we were directed to a holding area (as a suspect aircraft) and the local police told us to have the 2 fam's come to the 1L door. Now they and their seat locations were compromised. After the police released us; we taxied to a stand and took on fuel and paperwork for the flight to dca. I asked the dispatcher for the new code word in case we were delayed; but I had not been issued yet. I realized that the ATC controllers are not familiar with what phrase rings the bell in our pilot minds and triggers us to say the code word because on takeoff from dulles were told to 'contact departure' (not 'potomac' departure; just departure). Even though he didn't say 'potomac' I included the code word to prevent a quick trip back to dulles and stated 'you didn't say 'potomac!'' in order to prevent inconveniencing our paying passenger (who are flying to and spending money in our nation's capitol) like this again; I suggest that all adjacent center controllers be made aware of the importance of enunciating clearly that you are being handed off to potomac approach control. Also; ensure that potomac approach control uses its proper name in all xmissions (including departure out of iad) and especially when requesting 'say again initial transmission.' better yet; consideration should be given to eliminating these procedures altogether apparently; the general public is aware of these requirements and a terrorist could find a way around them also.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 CREW FAILED TO PROVIDE A CODE WORD TO POTOMAC APCH CTL UPON CHK IN INTO DCA AND WERE DIVERTED TO IAD.

Narrative: ON DSCNT; ABOUT 100 NM W OF DCA; JUST BEFORE XA00; THE CTR CTLR (EITHER ZID OR ZDC) TOLD US TO CONTACT APCH. NEITHER THE FO NOR I HEARD THE WORD 'POTOMAC' IN THIS XMISSION. WHEN I CHKED ON WITH APCH CTL; I DID NOT PROVIDE THE CODE WORD. THE CONFIDENTIAL SECURITY PROCS FOR DCA CONTAIN A CAUTION THAT THE 'CODE WORD MUST 'ONLY' BE USED WITH POTOMAC APCH CTL.' WE DID NOT KNOW WE WERE TALKING TO POTOMAC APCH. THE NEW CTLR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO HEAR DUE TO LOW VOLUME. THE FO AND I BOTH COMMENTED TO EACH OTHER THAT HE WAS HARD TO HEAR. WE BOTH HAD TO TURN OUR VOLUMES UP SIGNIFICANTLY IN ORDER TO HEAR HIM. I CALLED APCH BACK AND SAID 'YOUR XMISSION IS VERY WEAK.' WE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS HAVING RADIO PROBS OR HIS MIKE WAS TOO FAR FROM HIS MOUTH OR HE WAS SPEAKING SOFTLY. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER; HE SAID 'SAY AGAIN YOUR INITIAL XMISSION.' STILL NOT AWARE WE WERE TALKING TO POTOMAC APCH AND SUSPECTING HE WAS HAVING RADIO DIFFICULTIES; I REPEATED MY FIRST XMISSION; AGAIN WITHOUT THE CODE WORD. IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER THIS POINT; WHEN THE CTLR GAVE US A VECTOR TO IAD (DULLES) THAT I REALIZED THE REASON FOR THE 'SAY AGAIN YOUR INITIAL XMISSION' QUERY. I THEN PROVIDED THE PROPER CODE WORD AND STATED OUR STRONG REQUEST TO PROCEED TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST OF WASHINGTON NATIONAL. HE SAID THE DECISION HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE AND IT WAS OVER HIS HEAD. I DON'T RECALL IF HE USED THE WORDS 'POTOMAC APCH' AND DUE TO THE LOW VOLUME INITIALLY; WE MAY NOT HAVE HEARD IT. THE FLT THEN PROCEEDED TO IAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FO DID A SUPERB JOB DURING THE DIVERSION OF UPDATING THE NEW ARPT; GETTING ATIS; SETTING UP THE APCH; HANDLING THE RADIO; ETC; WHILE I INFORMED OUR FLT ATTENDANTS; PAX; AND COMPANY OF THE DIVERT. I WAS NOT AT LIBERTY TO PROVIDE THE FULL REASON FOR THE DIVERT TO OUR PAX AND WAS RATHER SHOCKED WHEN AT LEAST 1/2 DOZEN OF THEM (UPON LEAVING THE PLANE) ASKED IF WE HAD FORGOTTEN THE 'PASSWORD.' UPON ARR AT IAD; WE WERE DIRECTED TO A HOLDING AREA (AS A SUSPECT ACFT) AND THE LCL POLICE TOLD US TO HAVE THE 2 FAM'S COME TO THE 1L DOOR. NOW THEY AND THEIR SEAT LOCATIONS WERE COMPROMISED. AFTER THE POLICE RELEASED US; WE TAXIED TO A STAND AND TOOK ON FUEL AND PAPERWORK FOR THE FLT TO DCA. I ASKED THE DISPATCHER FOR THE NEW CODE WORD IN CASE WE WERE DELAYED; BUT I HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED YET. I REALIZED THAT THE ATC CTLRS ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT PHRASE RINGS THE BELL IN OUR PLT MINDS AND TRIGGERS US TO SAY THE CODE WORD BECAUSE ON TKOF FROM DULLES WERE TOLD TO 'CONTACT DEP' (NOT 'POTOMAC' DEP; JUST DEP). EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T SAY 'POTOMAC' I INCLUDED THE CODE WORD TO PREVENT A QUICK TRIP BACK TO DULLES AND STATED 'YOU DIDN'T SAY 'POTOMAC!'' IN ORDER TO PREVENT INCONVENIENCING OUR PAYING PAX (WHO ARE FLYING TO AND SPENDING MONEY IN OUR NATION'S CAPITOL) LIKE THIS AGAIN; I SUGGEST THAT ALL ADJACENT CTR CTLRS BE MADE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF ENUNCIATING CLRLY THAT YOU ARE BEING HANDED OFF TO POTOMAC APCH CTL. ALSO; ENSURE THAT POTOMAC APCH CTL USES ITS PROPER NAME IN ALL XMISSIONS (INCLUDING DEP OUT OF IAD) AND ESPECIALLY WHEN REQUESTING 'SAY AGAIN INITIAL XMISSION.' BETTER YET; CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ELIMINATING THESE PROCS ALTOGETHER APPARENTLY; THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS AWARE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS AND A TERRORIST COULD FIND A WAY AROUND THEM ALSO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.