Air carrier on river visual approach at dca lands on runway 15 instead of runway 18.

Attributes
ACN	158059
Time
Date	199009
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 6735 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	158059
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After making a normal visibility approach and landing on runway 18 at dca, we discovered we had actually landed on runway 15. Not until we began taxiing did we realize the mixup. Contributing factors were lack of crew familiarity with dca, not a common airport for our type aircraft large transport/widebody transport, fairly new to us. Washington approach control delayed our descent and caused us to make an unusually rapid descent to the airport. Runway lights and VASI (for runway 15) were clearly in view and close to our airport alignment. 30 KT right quartering headwind from 3000' to 1000' AGL required a crab approach to maintain runway alignment. No ILS or localizer available for runway 18 to assist in alignment. Runway 18 lights not visible from our position. River visibility approach requires detailed chart reference especially difficult at night. Tower controller made no comment regarding our approach and landing on runway 15. Even after landing nothing was said about it, only taxi instructions were issued.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON RIVER VISUAL APCH AT DCA LANDS ON RWY 15 INSTEAD OF RWY 18.

Narrative: AFTER MAKING A NORMAL VIS APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 18 AT DCA, WE DISCOVERED WE HAD ACTUALLY LANDED ON RWY 15. NOT UNTIL WE BEGAN TAXIING DID WE REALIZE THE MIXUP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LACK OF CREW FAMILIARITY WITH DCA, NOT A COMMON ARPT FOR OUR TYPE ACFT LGT/WDB, FAIRLY NEW TO US. WASHINGTON APCH CTL DELAYED OUR DSNT AND CAUSED US TO MAKE AN UNUSUALLY RAPID DSNT TO THE ARPT. RWY LIGHTS AND VASI (FOR RWY 15) WERE CLRLY IN VIEW AND CLOSE TO OUR ARPT ALIGNMENT. 30 KT R QUARTERING HEADWIND FROM 3000' TO 1000' AGL REQUIRED A CRAB APCH TO MAINTAIN RWY ALIGNMENT. NO ILS OR LOC AVAILABLE FOR RWY 18 TO ASSIST IN ALIGNMENT. RWY 18 LIGHTS NOT VISIBLE FROM OUR POS. RIVER VIS APCH REQUIRES DETAILED CHART REFERENCE ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT. TWR CTLR MADE NO COMMENT REGARDING OUR APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 15. EVEN AFTER LNDG NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT IT, ONLY TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED.

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.