An air carrier pilot mistakenly thinks that an small aircraft was in the dca class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	319087
Time
Date	199510
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	319087
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Turning on dca river visual 18 approach and descending from 4000 ft to 3000 ft, approach control called traffic crossing left to right and also called for right turn to intercept final approach. Descent stopped with RA at 3600 ft. We were unable to turn right which would have been into target which was not visual and was VFR. We circumnavigated to left and the river approach was intercepted with no further problems. Target at 3000 ft MSL. Believe problem to be VFR aircraft in IFR approach corridor with no contact with approach controller. Problem could be eased with more rigid procedures for VFR aircraft in high density areas.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT MISTAKENLY THINKS THAT AN SMA WAS IN THE DCA CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: TURNING ON DCA RIVER VISUAL 18 APCH AND DSNDING FROM 4000 FT TO 3000 FT, APCH CTL CALLED TFC XING L TO R AND ALSO CALLED FOR R TURN TO INTERCEPT FINAL APCH. DSCNT STOPPED WITH RA AT 3600 FT. WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN R WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN INTO TARGET WHICH WAS NOT VISUAL AND WAS VFR. WE CIRCUMNAVIGATED TO L AND THE RIVER APCH WAS INTERCEPTED WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. TARGET AT 3000 FT MSL. BELIEVE PROB TO BE VFR ACFT IN IFR APCH CORRIDOR WITH NO CONTACT WITH APCH CTLR. PROB COULD BE EASED WITH MORE RIGID PROCS FOR VFR ACFT IN HIGH DENSITY AREAS.

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.