A320 makes an early turn during visual approach to dca.

Attributes
ACN	598773
Time
Date	200311
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : dca.vor
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : bucko
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	598773
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Arriving into dca on the bucko arrival, we had poor radio reception from potomac approach and heard 'after aml direct dca.' at 9 DME 270 degree radial dca I noticed we had passed the shaki intersection 14 DME from dca where a turn to 180 degrees is required if on the bucko arrival. I had the first officer ask potomac approach if they wanted us to turn for a vector downwind for runway 1 at dca. The controller was busy. We asked 3 times with no reply. I proceeded to turn south as all arrs were doing rather than fly over the airport and toward the restr areas. Potomac approach then answered our query for a heading and said they saw that I had turned downwind and that normally potomac turns aircraft downwind at the dca/270 degree radial/7 DME position. I turned too soon without an ATC clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 MAKES AN EARLY TURN DURING VISUAL APCH TO DCA.

Narrative: ARRIVING INTO DCA ON THE BUCKO ARR, WE HAD POOR RADIO RECEPTION FROM POTOMAC APCH AND HEARD 'AFTER AML DIRECT DCA.' AT 9 DME 270 DEG RADIAL DCA I NOTICED WE HAD PASSED THE SHAKI INTXN 14 DME FROM DCA WHERE A TURN TO 180 DEGS IS REQUIRED IF ON THE BUCKO ARR. I HAD THE FO ASK POTOMAC APCH IF THEY WANTED US TO TURN FOR A VECTOR DOWNWIND FOR RWY 1 AT DCA. THE CTLR WAS BUSY. WE ASKED 3 TIMES WITH NO REPLY. I PROCEEDED TO TURN S AS ALL ARRS WERE DOING RATHER THAN FLY OVER THE ARPT AND TOWARD THE RESTR AREAS. POTOMAC APCH THEN ANSWERED OUR QUERY FOR A HEADING AND SAID THEY SAW THAT I HAD TURNED DOWNWIND AND THAT NORMALLY POTOMAC TURNS ACFT DOWNWIND AT THE DCA/270 DEG RADIAL/7 DME POS. I TURNED TOO SOON WITHOUT AN ATC CLRNC.

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.