A B737-300 FLC EXPERIENCES AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE BY ENTERING P56 N OF DCA; DC.

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THIS RPT IS IN REF TO FLT FROM ALB TO DCA ON DEC/XA/99 AND THE POSSIBLE PENETRATION OF PROHIBITED AREA P56 IN THE WASHINGTON; DC; AREA. I WAS THE FO AND PF FOR THE FLT. THIS WAS THE 4TH LEG OF A 5 LEG TRIP. ON THE FINAL SEGMENT WE WERE CLRED FROM OVER BWI TO DCA AT AN ASSIGNED AIRSPD OF 280 KIAS AND 12000 FT. THE WX TOPS WERE RAGGED AT 12000 FT WITH SMALL BUILDUPS THAT WERE TURBULENT WHEN PENETRATED. AFTER DEPARTING THE BWI VOR; I PENETRATED 2 SMALL BUILDUPS DURING WHICH WE EXPERIENCED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB. RATHER THAN GO THROUGH A 3RD BUILDUP; I ASKED FOR A DEV TO THE R FOR WX. THIS REQUEST WAS RELAYED BY THE CAPT TO ATC. ATC STATED THAT THE R DEV WAS APPROVED AND TO LET THEM KNOW WHEN WE COULD TURN BACK TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS. WE STATED THAT WE COULD TURN TO 180 DEGS THEN; AS THIS WAS ALSO A GOOD COURSE TO DEVIATE AROUND THE WX. THE CTLR STATED THAT WE COULD NOT TURN L DUE TO RESTR AIRSPACE AT THAT TIME. I DEVIATED APPROX 10-15 DEGS R OF COURSE TO AVOID THE WX. ABOUT THAT TIME THE CTLR ASKED HOW LONG IT WOULD BE BEFORE WE COULD TURN TO 180 DEGS. THE CAPT STATED 'APPROX 30 SECONDS BECAUSE OF THE WX.' I MADE THE TURN TO 180 DEGS WHEN REQUESTED. AT SOME POINT; ATC CLRED US FOR DSCNT FROM 12000 FT TO 6000 FT. I BEGAN THE DSCNT AND ENTERED INST CONDITIONS. AS WE APCHED 10000 FT; THE CAPT MADE THE PA ANNOUNCEMENT AND THEN WE HEARD THE APCH HAD BEEN CHANGED FROM THE ILS 1 TO THE MOUNT VERNON VISUAL. AS WE PREPARED FOR THE APCH; I REALIZED THAT MY AIRSPD WAS STILL AT 280 KIAS DSNDING THROUGH 10000 FT. I QUICKLY DEPLOYED THE SPD BRAKE TO REDUCE THE SPD AND RATE OF DSCNT. WE WERE STILL BEING BOUNCED AROUND FROM THE REMAINS OF A FRONTAL PASSAGE. ATC THEN REQUESTED THE DSCNT BE STOPPED AT 8000 FT AND A R TURN TO 360 DEGS. THE CTLR ASKED OUR HDG AS THE ACFT WAS GOING THROUGH 250 DEGS. HE THEN ASKED AGAIN AND THE CAPT STATED '260 DEGS.' THE CTLR SAID TO CONTINUE THE TURN TO 360 DEGS. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY REF TO WHAT THE SUDDEN CHANGES IN ALT AND HDG WERE IN REF TO. WE RECEIVED SEVERAL MORE VECTORS AND WERE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER CTLR. INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL DOWNWIND TO E OF DCA; WE WERE VECTORED TO THE W OF DCA. I BELIEVE THAT WE BROKE OUT AT APPROX 3000 FT. WE WERE TURNED ON FINAL OUTSIDE OF THE 5.6 MI ARC FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 1. OVER THE WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE; WE WERE ASKED TO LAND ON RWY 33. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT REQUEST AND THAT WE WOULD CHANGE THE FLAP SETTING TO 40 DEGS. ALTHOUGH THE WINDS WERE GUSTY; AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. THE CAPT WAS REQUESTED TO CONTACT WASHINGTON TRACON WHEN WE PARKED AT THE GATE. WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS REQUEST WAS IN REF TO OTHER THAN BEING SLIGHTLY FAST DESCENDING THROUGH 10000 FT. I PREPARED FOR THE 5TH LEG OF THE TRIP WHICH DEPARTED 30 MINS LATER WITH A DIFFERENT CAPT. JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK; THE PREVIOUS CAPT BRIEFED ME ON THE POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE P56 AIRSPACE. OF INTEREST ON THE NEXT LEG OF THIS TRIP; THE FLT PLAN MADE REF TO MODERATE TURB IN THE WASHINGTON AREA. ON CLBOUT; ACFT THAT WERE BEING VECTORED AT 10000-11000 FT WERE REQUESTING DIFFERENT ALTS AND DEVS DUE TO MODERATE TURB CONDITIONS.