Narrative:

I was flying and handling the radio while the first officer was making the descent announcement. We were inbound on the irons arrival approaching sammo intersection (dca 198/7) 210 KTS. As we approached sammo intersection, I was concerned we had not received a vector to fly after sammo or dca. I contacted center on our assigned frequency 132.77. The controller answered saying he just sat down and did not have us on his scope. 'Who were we and what was our location?' after this was established, my first officer took over the radio and we were given a frequency change to approach on 119.85. We called approach and the controller gave us an immediate right turn to 90 degrees and said we were about to penetrate P-56A. After completing the turn, we got a company SELCAL directing us to contact approach on 119.85, however it came too late as we were already talking to approach at this time. We were then vectored for the river visual approach to runway 18. The approach and landing were uneventful. After landing, I called washington approach and was told our aircraft had penetrated P-56A and that the circumstances surrounding our failed handoff from center to approach would be investigated. Supplemental information from acn 356620: we are very certain we never received a handoff from center to approach until we asked.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-300 PENETRATED A RESTR AREA DUE TO A POOR HDOF PROCS FROM ARTCC TO APCH DURING A STAR ARR.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AND HANDLING THE RADIO WHILE THE FO WAS MAKING THE DSCNT ANNOUNCEMENT. WE WERE INBOUND ON THE IRONS ARR APCHING SAMMO INTXN (DCA 198/7) 210 KTS. AS WE APCHED SAMMO INTXN, I WAS CONCERNED WE HAD NOT RECEIVED A VECTOR TO FLY AFTER SAMMO OR DCA. I CONTACTED CTR ON OUR ASSIGNED FREQ 132.77. THE CTLR ANSWERED SAYING HE JUST SAT DOWN AND DID NOT HAVE US ON HIS SCOPE. 'WHO WERE WE AND WHAT WAS OUR LOCATION?' AFTER THIS WAS ESTABLISHED, MY FO TOOK OVER THE RADIO AND WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO APCH ON 119.85. WE CALLED APCH AND THE CTLR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 90 DEGS AND SAID WE WERE ABOUT TO PENETRATE P-56A. AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN, WE GOT A COMPANY SELCAL DIRECTING US TO CONTACT APCH ON 119.85, HOWEVER IT CAME TOO LATE AS WE WERE ALREADY TALKING TO APCH AT THIS TIME. WE WERE THEN VECTORED FOR THE RIVER VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED WASHINGTON APCH AND WAS TOLD OUR ACFT HAD PENETRATED P-56A AND THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING OUR FAILED HDOF FROM CTR TO APCH WOULD BE INVESTIGATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 356620: WE ARE VERY CERTAIN WE NEVER RECEIVED A HDOF FROM CTR TO APCH UNTIL WE ASKED.

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.