2000-03 · NASA ASRS report 465481
ASTRA JET CREW WAS GIVEN POOR HANDLING BY DCA TRACON.
DEPARTED IAD RADAR VECTORS TO DCA; ASSIGNED ALT 3000 FT MSL. ALL WENT WELL -- ALL CHKLISTS COMPLETED -- UNTIL APCH CTLR HANDED US OFF TO FINAL CTLR. NEW CTLR DIDN'T KNOW WHO WE WERE; HAD US CHANGE XPONDER CODE; COULDN'T LOCATE US. WE WERE HEADED DIRECTLY TO DCA AT 3000 FT AND AT 5.7 MI I TOLD HIM OUR LOCATION; DEST AND ALT. HE IMMEDIATELY HANDED US OFF TO THE FINAL CTLR ON 119.85. CONSIDERING HIS QUICK HDOF AND OUR CERTAINTY THAT NO ONE; INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT; LIKES FLY-OVERS ON THE WHITE HOUSE; WE STARTED A TURN TO THE S. WE WERE ON A S HDG 1-2 MI W OF DCA WHEN WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO CONTACT APCH CTL ON 119.85. THEY TURNED US W AND VECTORED US FOR THE MOUNT VERNON APCH AND AN UNEVENTFUL FINISH. I (THE FO) DIALED 118.85 INSTEAD OF 119.85. I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE ERROR. I ALSO ERRED IN ANTICIPATING THE CTLR WHO RESPONDED; TO BE THE CORRECT CTLR AND FAILED TO RECOGNIZE HE WAS NOT. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE CAPT. WE AGREED THAT; NO MATTER THE WORKLOAD; WE SHOULD BOTH BE MORE WATCHFUL AND TAKE GREAT CARE WHEN CHANGING COM FREQS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING REALLY BAD IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN FLYING YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE MOMENT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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