Narrative:

Flight had been cleared for river visibility approach to runway 18 at dca. First officer was flying the approach and everything was fine until the point at which the aircraft is no longer lined up with runway 15 and is on a close in modified base to runway 18 and is still following the river. I had full confidence in the first officer as he had landed at dca several times. It was my second approach to dca. At some point on the last part of the approach, it became apparent he was overshooting the centerline to runway 17 when in fact he was looking at runway 21--a commuter runway. At the moment I started to say something, the tower came on and said, 'cleared to land runway 21.' at that moment, at that position and altitude, it seemed to be the best solution compared to trying to maneuver back to 18 or initiating a go around in a very noise sensitive area, especially when our go around path might take us over a prohibited area. Also, at the time I was of the opinion that runway 21 was in our company's list of approved runways for landing, and it was not until after the flight terminated at the gate, and I had a chance to check that I found out that I was wrong in my assumption and that runway 21 was not an approved runway. The landing was uneventful and neither excess braking nor excess reverse thrust was necessary to make a normal turnoff with plenty of runway remaining.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH LNDG BY ACR ADVANCED COCKPIT MLG.

Narrative: FLT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR RIVER VIS APCH TO RWY 18 AT DCA. F/O WAS FLYING THE APCH AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL THE POINT AT WHICH THE ACFT IS NO LONGER LINED UP WITH RWY 15 AND IS ON A CLOSE IN MODIFIED BASE TO RWY 18 AND IS STILL FOLLOWING THE RIVER. I HAD FULL CONFIDENCE IN THE F/O AS HE HAD LANDED AT DCA SEVERAL TIMES. IT WAS MY SECOND APCH TO DCA. AT SOME POINT ON THE LAST PART OF THE APCH, IT BECAME APPARENT HE WAS OVERSHOOTING THE CENTERLINE TO RWY 17 WHEN IN FACT HE WAS LOOKING AT RWY 21--A COMMUTER RWY. AT THE MOMENT I STARTED TO SAY SOMETHING, THE TWR CAME ON AND SAID, 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 21.' AT THAT MOMENT, AT THAT POS AND ALT, IT SEEMED TO BE THE BEST SOLUTION COMPARED TO TRYING TO MANEUVER BACK TO 18 OR INITIATING A GAR IN A VERY NOISE SENSITIVE AREA, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR GAR PATH MIGHT TAKE US OVER A PROHIBITED AREA. ALSO, AT THE TIME I WAS OF THE OPINION THAT RWY 21 WAS IN OUR COMPANY'S LIST OF APPROVED RWYS FOR LNDG, AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER THE FLT TERMINATED AT THE GATE, AND I HAD A CHANCE TO CHK THAT I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS WRONG IN MY ASSUMPTION AND THAT RWY 21 WAS NOT AN APPROVED RWY. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND NEITHER EXCESS BRAKING NOR EXCESS REVERSE THRUST WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE A NORMAL TURNOFF WITH PLENTY OF RWY REMAINING.

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.