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

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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.