A B737-300 approaching dca runway 19 was delayed for a flyby. During a tower directed GA the crew de...

Attributes
ACN	703005
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : charted visual approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4600
ASRS Report	703005
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 33 flight time total : 4000
ASRS Report	703006
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We were flying to dca and expecting the river visual to runway 19. At our arrival time; traffic was being delayed to accommodate a flyby at arlington. This delay used about 1000 pounds of our reserve. Once traffic was being cleared to dca; a priority departure was announced with some aircraft; ours included; being vectored to try and get us on the ground prior to the departure. We were cleared final and were passing 1800 ft on the arrival when we were told we would have to hold. We had reached our bingo and I told tower to send us to iad. They then directed us to climb and turn right; we did so and gained about 1500 ft. They then changed their mind and cleared us to continue the approach. We tried but were unable to get the aircraft down to allow a stabilized approach. We went around and I declared minimum fuel. They then cleared us to pull up for a right downwind to land runway 19. As we were turning; with varying vectors from tower; the inside downwind ended up placing us closer to the offset final than we should have been. When the first officer tried to make the turn from the inside downwind position; turning room was minimal and we overshot in the area of P-56. I later called the tower to ask about our ground track; they stated our overshoot was actually between the 'a' and 'B' areas of P-56; no intrusion occurred. I; as the captain; allowed the workload of both the flying first officer and myself to become too much in a critical phase of flight. The first officer was recently returned; while he is an excellent aviator; I should have elected to fly the leg as a reorientation or; should have been much more directive in the actual flying of the missed and reapproach. The aircraft was handled in a safe manner throughout; the ground track just wasn't what we would have preferred. No mention was made of either the flyby or the priority departure in the NOTAMS or ATIS. I admittedly felt pressure to get the airplane on the ground due to fuel. Fuel conservation is nice; but if the operation doesn't identify things like flybys and priority departures I'm thinking I'll be adding gas on my future dca legs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 APCHING DCA RWY 19 WAS DELAYED FOR A FLYBY. DURING A TWR DIRECTED GA THE CREW DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AND WAS RECLRED THE APCH ONLY TO GO NEAR P56 ON SHORT FINAL.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING TO DCA AND EXPECTING THE RIVER VISUAL TO RWY 19. AT OUR ARR TIME; TFC WAS BEING DELAYED TO ACCOMMODATE A FLYBY AT ARLINGTON. THIS DELAY USED ABOUT 1000 LBS OF OUR RESERVE. ONCE TFC WAS BEING CLRED TO DCA; A PRIORITY DEP WAS ANNOUNCED WITH SOME ACFT; OURS INCLUDED; BEING VECTORED TO TRY AND GET US ON THE GND PRIOR TO THE DEP. WE WERE CLRED FINAL AND WERE PASSING 1800 FT ON THE ARR WHEN WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD. WE HAD REACHED OUR BINGO AND I TOLD TWR TO SEND US TO IAD. THEY THEN DIRECTED US TO CLB AND TURN R; WE DID SO AND GAINED ABOUT 1500 FT. THEY THEN CHANGED THEIR MIND AND CLRED US TO CONTINUE THE APCH. WE TRIED BUT WERE UNABLE TO GET THE ACFT DOWN TO ALLOW A STABILIZED APCH. WE WENT AROUND AND I DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL. THEY THEN CLRED US TO PULL UP FOR A R DOWNWIND TO LAND RWY 19. AS WE WERE TURNING; WITH VARYING VECTORS FROM TWR; THE INSIDE DOWNWIND ENDED UP PLACING US CLOSER TO THE OFFSET FINAL THAN WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. WHEN THE FO TRIED TO MAKE THE TURN FROM THE INSIDE DOWNWIND POS; TURNING ROOM WAS MINIMAL AND WE OVERSHOT IN THE AREA OF P-56. I LATER CALLED THE TWR TO ASK ABOUT OUR GND TRACK; THEY STATED OUR OVERSHOOT WAS ACTUALLY BTWN THE 'A' AND 'B' AREAS OF P-56; NO INTRUSION OCCURRED. I; AS THE CAPT; ALLOWED THE WORKLOAD OF BOTH THE FLYING FO AND MYSELF TO BECOME TOO MUCH IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. THE FO WAS RECENTLY RETURNED; WHILE HE IS AN EXCELLENT AVIATOR; I SHOULD HAVE ELECTED TO FLY THE LEG AS A REORIENTATION OR; SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DIRECTIVE IN THE ACTUAL FLYING OF THE MISSED AND REAPPROACH. THE ACFT WAS HANDLED IN A SAFE MANNER THROUGHOUT; THE GND TRACK JUST WASN'T WHAT WE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF EITHER THE FLYBY OR THE PRIORITY DEP IN THE NOTAMS OR ATIS. I ADMITTEDLY FELT PRESSURE TO GET THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND DUE TO FUEL. FUEL CONSERVATION IS NICE; BUT IF THE OP DOESN'T IDENT THINGS LIKE FLYBYS AND PRIORITY DEPS I'M THINKING I'LL BE ADDING GAS ON MY FUTURE DCA LEGS.

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.

A B737-300 approaching dca runway 19 was delayed for a flyby. During a tower directed GA the crew declared minimum fuel and was reclred the approach only to go near P56 on short final.