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Captain of an airbus A319 almost wandered into the washington, dc, P56 prohibited airspace during a night visual to dca runway 19 due to disorientation in identing the river for guidance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 474711 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200006 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : dca.vor |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dca.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 474711 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 474619 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Night visual approach downstream over the river into dca. I had picked up the river visually descending through about 5000 ft, then idented (incorrectly) a different dark area on the ground as the river. My first officer had his head down completing the landing checklist. I noticed that my navigation display presentation did not match what I thought I was seeing outside. About the time I was beginning to question my position, dca approach called with the report that we were left of course and approaching the prohibited area (P56). Approach suggested a right turn which we accomplished immediately. I don't believe we entered P56, but we were close. Once we reacquired the river visually, the remainder of the approach was uneventful. While it's difficult to quantify such things, I suspect that fatigue might have been a factor. Our official duty day started at XA55, but I had been up since XI30 because I commuted into my crew base that same day.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF AN AIRBUS A319 ALMOST WANDERED INTO THE WASHINGTON, DC, P56 PROHIBITED AIRSPACE DURING A NIGHT VISUAL TO DCA RWY 19 DUE TO DISORIENTATION IN IDENTING THE RIVER FOR GUIDANCE.
Narrative: NIGHT VISUAL APCH DOWNSTREAM OVER THE RIVER INTO DCA. I HAD PICKED UP THE RIVER VISUALLY DSNDING THROUGH ABOUT 5000 FT, THEN IDENTED (INCORRECTLY) A DIFFERENT DARK AREA ON THE GND AS THE RIVER. MY FO HAD HIS HEAD DOWN COMPLETING THE LNDG CHKLIST. I NOTICED THAT MY NAV DISPLAY PRESENTATION DID NOT MATCH WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS SEEING OUTSIDE. ABOUT THE TIME I WAS BEGINNING TO QUESTION MY POS, DCA APCH CALLED WITH THE RPT THAT WE WERE L OF COURSE AND APCHING THE PROHIBITED AREA (P56). APCH SUGGESTED A R TURN WHICH WE ACCOMPLISHED IMMEDIATELY. I DON'T BELIEVE WE ENTERED P56, BUT WE WERE CLOSE. ONCE WE REACQUIRED THE RIVER VISUALLY, THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHILE IT'S DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY SUCH THINGS, I SUSPECT THAT FATIGUE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. OUR OFFICIAL DUTY DAY STARTED AT XA55, BUT I HAD BEEN UP SINCE XI30 BECAUSE I COMMUTED INTO MY CREW BASE THAT SAME DAY.
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.