Vectored into prohibited area.

Attributes
ACN	98579
Time
Date	198811
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 1510 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	98579
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

I was IFR inbound to national airport, washington, dc, I had one student in the front left seat and a student and an instructor in the back. We were in a twin small aircraft and the lesson involved crew coordination into a high-density airport. We had picked up ATIS information and were expecting the rosalind lda 18. We had no further clearance passing nottingham VOR and had difficulty getting through to ask for a vector. We were cleared down to 4000' and given a northwest vector. It was raining and the visibility was about 5 miles. ATC suddenly cleared us down to 1800' and said what sounded like, cleared for the river visual runway 21. We looked and saw the airport at 11 O'clock and about 2 miles. The airwaves were so busy that it was impossible to get on to ask for clarification. My student said that they had said, follow the river to runway 21 so we began to do that while trying to lose a lot of altitude in a very short time. ATC came back to us and said, level at 2000', fly a heading of 270, land runway 15. A few minutes later he asked what our heading was and we confirmed that it was 270'. Both my student and I were looking to our left trying to see the runway and set up for landing. I realized too late that we had been vectored into P-56. Once on the ground, ATC contacted me by phone and we discussed the incident. I explained that we were expecting an lda and we were never asked if we had the airport in sight before being clrd for the visual. He said he had handed us off to tower after clearing us for 21. None of us heard that so possibly he was stepped on. Finally, he admitted that it was their fault. He told me that FSDO would probably contact me and to tell them what I had told him. This is the third time that I've flown into dca with students and there is always some difficulty. Generally, they keep us too high to set up for a reasonable approach. To prevent this type of incident, I think it would help if ATC could give more advance notice on which runway to expect and confirm that the pilot has that runway in sight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VECTORED INTO PROHIBITED AREA.

Narrative: I WAS IFR INBOUND TO NATIONAL ARPT, WASHINGTON, DC, I HAD ONE STUDENT IN THE FRONT LEFT SEAT AND A STUDENT AND AN INSTRUCTOR IN THE BACK. WE WERE IN A TWIN SMA AND THE LESSON INVOLVED CREW COORDINATION INTO A HIGH-DENSITY ARPT. WE HAD PICKED UP ATIS INFORMATION AND WERE EXPECTING THE ROSALIND LDA 18. WE HAD NO FURTHER CLRNC PASSING NOTTINGHAM VOR AND HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING THROUGH TO ASK FOR A VECTOR. WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO 4000' AND GIVEN A NORTHWEST VECTOR. IT WAS RAINING AND THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 5 MILES. ATC SUDDENLY CLRED US DOWN TO 1800' AND SAID WHAT SOUNDED LIKE, CLRED FOR THE RIVER VISUAL RWY 21. WE LOOKED AND SAW THE ARPT AT 11 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 2 MILES. THE AIRWAVES WERE SO BUSY THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ON TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION. MY STUDENT SAID THAT THEY HAD SAID, FOLLOW THE RIVER TO RWY 21 SO WE BEGAN TO DO THAT WHILE TRYING TO LOSE A LOT OF ALTITUDE IN A VERY SHORT TIME. ATC CAME BACK TO US AND SAID, LEVEL AT 2000', FLY A HEADING OF 270, LAND RWY 15. A FEW MINUTES LATER HE ASKED WHAT OUR HEADING WAS AND WE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS 270'. BOTH MY STUDENT AND I WERE LOOKING TO OUR LEFT TRYING TO SEE THE RWY AND SET UP FOR LANDING. I REALIZED TOO LATE THAT WE HAD BEEN VECTORED INTO P-56. ONCE ON THE GND, ATC CONTACTED ME BY PHONE AND WE DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT. I EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE EXPECTING AN LDA AND WE WERE NEVER ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT BEFORE BEING CLRD FOR THE VISUAL. HE SAID HE HAD HANDED US OFF TO TWR AFTER CLEARING US FOR 21. NONE OF US HEARD THAT SO POSSIBLY HE WAS STEPPED ON. FINALLY, HE ADMITTED THAT IT WAS THEIR FAULT. HE TOLD ME THAT FSDO WOULD PROBABLY CONTACT ME AND TO TELL THEM WHAT I HAD TOLD HIM. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT I'VE FLOWN INTO DCA WITH STUDENTS AND THERE IS ALWAYS SOME DIFFICULTY. GENERALLY, THEY KEEP US TOO HIGH TO SET UP FOR A REASONABLE APPROACH. TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT, I THINK IT WOULD HELP IF ATC COULD GIVE MORE ADVANCE NOTICE ON WHICH RWY TO EXPECT AND CONFIRM THAT THE PLT HAS THAT RWY IN SIGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.