Narrative:

We were cleared for a night river visual to runway 18 at dca. I visually misjudged the location of the airport down the river, until the first officer pointed it out much closer than I thought. As a result, I closed on the aircraft in front of me as he slowed for final approach. Radio traffic became very congested as we approached short final, and we questioned each other, if we had received landing clearance, and doubted the tower's ability to get a word in edgewise before we were committed. The first officer asked again quickly 'landing clearance!' as we passed over the lead-in lights, but the aircraft in front of us called clear of the runway, and the tower cleared the aircraft behind us to land as we crossed the threshold. I thought they must have mistaken our call sign and meant to clear us instead. A split second decision to land, or go around, was made in favor of landing. As we touched down, the tower sounded concerned about the spacing on the aircraft behind us, and asked us to make the high speed exit onto runway 21 and taxiway D to the ramp. I was busy decelerating and identing runway 21, and was not sure of taxiway D location. I was also concerned about causing a go around if I did not exit quickly. We were still hurried as we turned onto the high speed exit to runway 21, and a quick cockpit discussion about taxiway D location led to a 135 degree right turn. It was difficult to differentiate the paved area from the taxiway between the blue lights in the dark. We had already passed taxiway D and tower advised a 180 degree turn and exit on taxiway C. I transformed a routine VFR night approach and landing into a hurried, rapid sequence of events, and confusion by misjudging the airport distance, and crowding the aircraft ahead of me. The requirement for 2 quick turns in the dark at high speed led to the after landing confusion and possible encroachment onto a paved non movement area. I should have continued straight ahead on runway 21 to taxiway C instead of trying to comply with the tower's taxiway D suggestion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG LANDS WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC DURING A NIGHT VFR APCH AND SUBSEQUENTLY TAXIED ON AN ARPT NON MOVEMENT AREA.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A NIGHT RIVER VISUAL TO RWY 18 AT DCA. I VISUALLY MISJUDGED THE LOCATION OF THE ARPT DOWN THE RIVER, UNTIL THE FO POINTED IT OUT MUCH CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT. AS A RESULT, I CLOSED ON THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME AS HE SLOWED FOR FINAL APCH. RADIO TFC BECAME VERY CONGESTED AS WE APCHED SHORT FINAL, AND WE QUESTIONED EACH OTHER, IF WE HAD RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC, AND DOUBTED THE TWR'S ABILITY TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE BEFORE WE WERE COMMITTED. THE FO ASKED AGAIN QUICKLY 'LNDG CLRNC!' AS WE PASSED OVER THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS, BUT THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US CALLED CLR OF THE RWY, AND THE TWR CLRED THE ACFT BEHIND US TO LAND AS WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD. I THOUGHT THEY MUST HAVE MISTAKEN OUR CALL SIGN AND MEANT TO CLR US INSTEAD. A SPLIT SECOND DECISION TO LAND, OR GAR, WAS MADE IN FAVOR OF LNDG. AS WE TOUCHED DOWN, THE TWR SOUNDED CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPACING ON THE ACFT BEHIND US, AND ASKED US TO MAKE THE HIGH SPD EXIT ONTO RWY 21 AND TXWY D TO THE RAMP. I WAS BUSY DECELERATING AND IDENTING RWY 21, AND WAS NOT SURE OF TXWY D LOCATION. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT CAUSING A GAR IF I DID NOT EXIT QUICKLY. WE WERE STILL HURRIED AS WE TURNED ONTO THE HIGH SPD EXIT TO RWY 21, AND A QUICK COCKPIT DISCUSSION ABOUT TXWY D LOCATION LED TO A 135 DEG R TURN. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DIFFERENTIATE THE PAVED AREA FROM THE TXWY BTWN THE BLUE LIGHTS IN THE DARK. WE HAD ALREADY PASSED TXWY D AND TWR ADVISED A 180 DEG TURN AND EXIT ON TXWY C. I TRANSFORMED A ROUTINE VFR NIGHT APCH AND LNDG INTO A HURRIED, RAPID SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, AND CONFUSION BY MISJUDGING THE ARPT DISTANCE, AND CROWDING THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME. THE REQUIREMENT FOR 2 QUICK TURNS IN THE DARK AT HIGH SPD LED TO THE AFTER LNDG CONFUSION AND POSSIBLE ENCROACHMENT ONTO A PAVED NON MOVEMENT AREA. I SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON RWY 21 TO TXWY C INSTEAD OF TRYING TO COMPLY WITH THE TWR'S TXWY D SUGGESTION.

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.