Narrative:

I do not believe that any violation of P56 occurred, but the potential was there and the procedures really need to be revised. I was the PNF. We were told to expect the river visual to runway 19 in dca, and captain briefed it and we agreed we would use the rosslyn lda runway 19 approach as a backup. ATC gave us a sharp intercept to join the river sbound at approximately 10 DME and 3000 ft. Captain was using autoplt at the time and selected navigation mode so it would capture the lda signal and track it in. Due to the sharp angle, we overflew the course to the east approximately 1/4 scale deflection while still approximately 9 mi out. I informed captain that an immediate correction to get back over the river was necessary. He slowly began a turn. I became more insistent as the DME clicked down, as I have already made corrective training for violating this airspace and don't want to repeat the process. Captain thought that because we were over the potomac river in general, that we were ok if the lda was slightly off, and I briefly informed him that wasn't the case. By 5.9 DME, we were back on course over the middle of the river with the lda centered and continued the approach without incident. We debriefed about it on the ground and I told him the airspace was not depicted to scale and the river was tough to track with the precision required. Can we got a dca chart that is to scale with accurate airspace and DME on it to prevent violations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMJ 145 ACR PLT COMPLAINS ABOUT THE INCONGRUITIES AND DIFFICULTY OF STAYING OUT OF P56 AIRSPACE ON THE RIVER VISUAL RWY 19 BACKED UP BY THE ROSSLYN LDA RWY 19 APCH.

Narrative: I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY VIOLATION OF P56 OCCURRED, BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS THERE AND THE PROCS REALLY NEED TO BE REVISED. I WAS THE PNF. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT THE RIVER VISUAL TO RWY 19 IN DCA, AND CAPT BRIEFED IT AND WE AGREED WE WOULD USE THE ROSSLYN LDA RWY 19 APCH AS A BACKUP. ATC GAVE US A SHARP INTERCEPT TO JOIN THE RIVER SBOUND AT APPROX 10 DME AND 3000 FT. CAPT WAS USING AUTOPLT AT THE TIME AND SELECTED NAV MODE SO IT WOULD CAPTURE THE LDA SIGNAL AND TRACK IT IN. DUE TO THE SHARP ANGLE, WE OVERFLEW THE COURSE TO THE E APPROX 1/4 SCALE DEFLECTION WHILE STILL APPROX 9 MI OUT. I INFORMED CAPT THAT AN IMMEDIATE CORRECTION TO GET BACK OVER THE RIVER WAS NECESSARY. HE SLOWLY BEGAN A TURN. I BECAME MORE INSISTENT AS THE DME CLICKED DOWN, AS I HAVE ALREADY MADE CORRECTIVE TRAINING FOR VIOLATING THIS AIRSPACE AND DON'T WANT TO REPEAT THE PROCESS. CAPT THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE WE WERE OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER IN GENERAL, THAT WE WERE OK IF THE LDA WAS SLIGHTLY OFF, AND I BRIEFLY INFORMED HIM THAT WASN'T THE CASE. BY 5.9 DME, WE WERE BACK ON COURSE OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER WITH THE LDA CTRED AND CONTINUED THE APCH WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE DEBRIEFED ABOUT IT ON THE GND AND I TOLD HIM THE AIRSPACE WAS NOT DEPICTED TO SCALE AND THE RIVER WAS TOUGH TO TRACK WITH THE PRECISION REQUIRED. CAN WE GOT A DCA CHART THAT IS TO SCALE WITH ACCURATE AIRSPACE AND DME ON IT TO PREVENT VIOLATIONS.

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.