Narrative:

This one is pretty simple. I flew into washington national under an IFR flight plan west/O a reservation. Although there was no incident and the landing went smoothly (except for a sudden sidestep to another runway while on short final), it was pretty clean that the system was overloaded and the controllers harried, a condition no doubt caused in part by my sudden appearance west/O a reservation. The failure to obtain a reservation was a matter of ignorance. I knew that reservations were required at jfk, lga, O'hare, but for some reason did not know that one was necessary for national. I obviously did file an IFR flight plan due to conditions at my point of departure in vt, (0b7) and forecast en route WX but could have cancelled before entering the washington TCA since conditions had improved substantially. Unfortunately, however, I was unaware of the reservation requirement and nothing before the flight, during or at its culmination alerted me to it. It was not mentioned by the FSS specialist at the time I filed or by ATC anywhere along the way, nor was it noted in the commercial approach plates that I could see. There is no excuse obviously for my failure to check further and I realize neither the FSS or ATC had an obligation to remind me of the requirement. It seems, however, my kind of mistake might be prevented if all or some of the following measures were implemented. FSS not accept IFR flight plan with a destination where a reservation is required unless ascertaining at least orally whether the reservation has been obtained. The flight plan not be accepted by the system unless a reservation number is included or the flight plan system checks with the reservation computer system to confirm that the reservation has been obtained. In other words, the system should not accept IFR flight plans west/O reservation. The commercial chart plates should have a notation 'reservation required.' increased pilot education. I learned of the reservation requirment two days after my flight when I read an article in flying on national airport. I wish I'd picked up the magazine before the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Callback received from reporter after report worked. Reporter did not have anything to add to report. Reporter counseled by analyst re far 93.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ARRIOVS AT DCA ON IFR FLT PLAN WITHOUT A RESERVATION. COMPLAINS ABOT DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION AND LACK OF ADVISORY RE SAME WITH FSS WHEN FILING IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: THIS ONE IS PRETTY SIMPLE. I FLEW INTO WASHINGTON NATIONAL UNDER AN IFR FLT PLAN W/O A RESERVATION. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO INCIDENT AND THE LNDG WENT SMOOTHLY (EXCEPT FOR A SUDDEN SIDESTEP TO ANOTHER RWY WHILE ON SHORT FINAL), IT WAS PRETTY CLEAN THAT THE SYS WAS OVERLOADED AND THE CTLRS HARRIED, A CONDITION NO DOUBT CAUSED IN PART BY MY SUDDEN APPEARANCE W/O A RESERVATION. THE FAILURE TO OBTAIN A RESERVATION WAS A MATTER OF IGNORANCE. I KNEW THAT RESERVATIONS WERE REQUIRED AT JFK, LGA, O'HARE, BUT FOR SOME REASON DID NOT KNOW THAT ONE WAS NECESSARY FOR NATIONAL. I OBVIOUSLY DID FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN DUE TO CONDITIONS AT MY POINT OF DEP IN VT, (0B7) AND FORECAST ENRTE WX BUT COULD HAVE CANCELLED BEFORE ENTERING THE WASHINGTON TCA SINCE CONDITIONS HAD IMPROVED SUBSTANTIALLY. UNFORTUNATELY, HOWEVER, I WAS UNAWARE OF THE RESERVATION REQUIREMENT AND NOTHING BEFORE THE FLT, DURING OR AT ITS CULMINATION ALERTED ME TO IT. IT WAS NOT MENTIONED BY THE FSS SPECIALIST AT THE TIME I FILED OR BY ATC ANYWHERE ALONG THE WAY, NOR WAS IT NOTED IN THE COMMERCIAL APCH PLATES THAT I COULD SEE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE OBVIOUSLY FOR MY FAILURE TO CHK FURTHER AND I REALIZE NEITHER THE FSS OR ATC HAD AN OBLIGATION TO REMIND ME OF THE REQUIREMENT. IT SEEMS, HOWEVER, MY KIND OF MISTAKE MIGHT BE PREVENTED IF ALL OR SOME OF THE FOLLOWING MEASURES WERE IMPLEMENTED. FSS NOT ACCEPT IFR FLT PLAN WITH A DEST WHERE A RESERVATION IS REQUIRED UNLESS ASCERTAINING AT LEAST ORALLY WHETHER THE RESERVATION HAS BEEN OBTAINED. THE FLT PLAN NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE SYS UNLESS A RESERVATION NUMBER IS INCLUDED OR THE FLT PLAN SYS CHKS WITH THE RESERVATION COMPUTER SYS TO CONFIRM THAT THE RESERVATION HAS BEEN OBTAINED. IN OTHER WORDS, THE SYS SHOULD NOT ACCEPT IFR FLT PLANS W/O RESERVATION. THE COMMERCIAL CHART PLATES SHOULD HAVE A NOTATION 'RESERVATION REQUIRED.' INCREASED PLT EDUCATION. I LEARNED OF THE RESERVATION REQUIRMENT TWO DAYS AFTER MY FLT WHEN I READ AN ARTICLE IN FLYING ON NATIONAL ARPT. I WISH I'D PICKED UP THE MAGAZINE BEFORE THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK RECEIVED FROM RPTR AFTER RPT WORKED. RPTR DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO RPT. RPTR COUNSELED BY ANALYST RE FAR 93.

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.