Wrong runway approach landing by small transport jet.

Attributes
ACN	209611
Time
Date	199205
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi tower : bwi
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 142 flight time total : 855 flight time type : 201
ASRS Report	209611
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While descending into bwi airport, a chain of events occurred which precluded me from taking forceful action to correct a dangerous situation. ATC issued landing instructions and winds to me on approach to the airport from the southwest, as follows: enter left downwind for visual 15L. Winds 170 at 10. I questioned ATC as to pattern instructions due to our location being southwest 4 mi from the airport and already on a right base for 15L. ATC replied by saying, 'oh yes make right traffic for 15L and contact tower.' I asked my captain if he was familiar with the airport and he replied, 'I have been flying here for over 20 yrs.' satisfied that he knew the airport, I told him right base for 15L. I questioned our line up on runway 10 right base and he said, 'I got it,' and called tower himself in a forceful and confident way. When turning final the localizer did not center, and the runway looked longer than it should have, giving a sure doubt that this was the wrong runway. Asking the captain again in a more direct way, 'are you sure this is runway 15L?' he replied, 'look at our heading it is 150 degrees.' with a raised voice and he asked me to call his speeds and altitude. (Due to the right crosswind we were crabbed almost to a heading of 150 degrees.) by the time I could see the numbers we had already begun our flare and we were committed. The captain would not have made a go around at this time. In my opinion the captain should have considered the questions I asked even though he was very busy with the approach. Being the first officer I am a backup and should have taken more control but I was unsure myself, of the airport and felt my captain would know the airport after flying there for over 20 yrs. While on final, I was now sure of the mistake in runways but it would have been a struggle to gain the control of the aircraft because, to the captain there was no apparent harm. The tower told us that we had landed on the wrong runway after we had turned clear. The captain was surprised that he had made this error and that the runway was not 15L. Nothing more was said as we taxied in.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH LNDG BY SMT JET.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING INTO BWI ARPT, A CHAIN OF EVENTS OCCURRED WHICH PRECLUDED ME FROM TAKING FORCEFUL ACTION TO CORRECT A DANGEROUS SITUATION. ATC ISSUED LNDG INSTRUCTIONS AND WINDS TO ME ON APCH TO THE ARPT FROM THE SW, AS FOLLOWS: ENTER L DOWNWIND FOR VISUAL 15L. WINDS 170 AT 10. I QUESTIONED ATC AS TO PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS DUE TO OUR LOCATION BEING SW 4 MI FROM THE ARPT AND ALREADY ON A R BASE FOR 15L. ATC REPLIED BY SAYING, 'OH YES MAKE R TFC FOR 15L AND CONTACT TWR.' I ASKED MY CAPT IF HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND HE REPLIED, 'I HAVE BEEN FLYING HERE FOR OVER 20 YRS.' SATISFIED THAT HE KNEW THE ARPT, I TOLD HIM R BASE FOR 15L. I QUESTIONED OUR LINE UP ON RWY 10 R BASE AND HE SAID, 'I GOT IT,' AND CALLED TWR HIMSELF IN A FORCEFUL AND CONFIDENT WAY. WHEN TURNING FINAL THE LOC DID NOT CTR, AND THE RWY LOOKED LONGER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE, GIVING A SURE DOUBT THAT THIS WAS THE WRONG RWY. ASKING THE CAPT AGAIN IN A MORE DIRECT WAY, 'ARE YOU SURE THIS IS RWY 15L?' HE REPLIED, 'LOOK AT OUR HDG IT IS 150 DEGS.' WITH A RAISED VOICE AND HE ASKED ME TO CALL HIS SPDS AND ALT. (DUE TO THE R XWIND WE WERE CRABBED ALMOST TO A HDG OF 150 DEGS.) BY THE TIME I COULD SEE THE NUMBERS WE HAD ALREADY BEGUN OUR FLARE AND WE WERE COMMITTED. THE CAPT WOULD NOT HAVE MADE A GAR AT THIS TIME. IN MY OPINION THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THE QUESTIONS I ASKED EVEN THOUGH HE WAS VERY BUSY WITH THE APCH. BEING THE FO I AM A BACKUP AND SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE CTL BUT I WAS UNSURE MYSELF, OF THE ARPT AND FELT MY CAPT WOULD KNOW THE ARPT AFTER FLYING THERE FOR OVER 20 YRS. WHILE ON FINAL, I WAS NOW SURE OF THE MISTAKE IN RWYS BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A STRUGGLE TO GAIN THE CTL OF THE ACFT BECAUSE, TO THE CAPT THERE WAS NO APPARENT HARM. THE TWR TOLD US THAT WE HAD LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY AFTER WE HAD TURNED CLR. THE CAPT WAS SURPRISED THAT HE HAD MADE THIS ERROR AND THAT THE RWY WAS NOT 15L. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID AS WE TAXIED IN.

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.