Narrative:

I have been flying this route for 3 1/2 yrs. We came from the south (austin, tx) and favor runway 35R so we can get on the ground and to the gate faster. Both my first officer and I were stressed out due to changing working condition at the company. We were angry at the company in fact. As we approached the abilene area we made our first blunder. We listened to ATIS together and announced that runway 17R was the landing runway. All we must have heard was right runway because I remember saying and thinking, 'good, straight in.' we were later 'cleared visual approach 17R.' I was flying and heading straight for 35R thinking still 'great, straight in.' my first officer was in the same oblivious state I was in. The tower cleared us to land 17R and I was still headed for 35R. At this point, ATC could have snapped me out of it by specifying a left or right downwind. I put the gear down at about 4 mi final for 35R. Finally, on about 1 1/2 mi final, I saw 35R painted on the runway and realized my mistake. I started a climb and about 5 seconds later the tower called 'say intentions.' I said, 'making a left downwind for 17R.' for the first time on that approach, I understood what I was reading back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LTT COMMUTER ON VISUAL APCH TO ABI ALIGNED WITH WRONG RWY BUT CAUGHT ERROR AT LAST MOMENT AND MADE A TFC PATTERN TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY AND LNDG.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN FLYING THIS RTE FOR 3 1/2 YRS. WE CAME FROM THE S (AUSTIN, TX) AND FAVOR RWY 35R SO WE CAN GET ON THE GND AND TO THE GATE FASTER. BOTH MY FO AND I WERE STRESSED OUT DUE TO CHANGING WORKING CONDITION AT THE COMPANY. WE WERE ANGRY AT THE COMPANY IN FACT. AS WE APCHED THE ABILENE AREA WE MADE OUR FIRST BLUNDER. WE LISTENED TO ATIS TOGETHER AND ANNOUNCED THAT RWY 17R WAS THE LNDG RWY. ALL WE MUST HAVE HEARD WAS R RWY BECAUSE I REMEMBER SAYING AND THINKING, 'GOOD, STRAIGHT IN.' WE WERE LATER 'CLRED VISUAL APCH 17R.' I WAS FLYING AND HDG STRAIGHT FOR 35R THINKING STILL 'GREAT, STRAIGHT IN.' MY FO WAS IN THE SAME OBLIVIOUS STATE I WAS IN. THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND 17R AND I WAS STILL HEADED FOR 35R. AT THIS POINT, ATC COULD HAVE SNAPPED ME OUT OF IT BY SPECIFYING A L OR R DOWNWIND. I PUT THE GEAR DOWN AT ABOUT 4 MI FINAL FOR 35R. FINALLY, ON ABOUT 1 1/2 MI FINAL, I SAW 35R PAINTED ON THE RWY AND REALIZED MY MISTAKE. I STARTED A CLB AND ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER THE TWR CALLED 'SAY INTENTIONS.' I SAID, 'MAKING A L DOWNWIND FOR 17R.' FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THAT APCH, I UNDERSTOOD WHAT I WAS READING BACK.

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.