Narrative:

Cleared rosslyn lda runway 18 at dca. First officer flying. Captain and first officer relatively new to dca and seat position. Both had flown runway 18 river visual before, but not the lda at night in marginal WX. WX was much worse than what ATIS was calling for. On lga GS at 3.5 DME, leveled at 1100 ft. First officer did not pick up airport immediately. Captain and so called airport in sight, continue visually. Called for left turn. First officer commenced a shallow left turn and mistakenly sighted runway 15 as runway 18 called for a larger left turn to get over the river and advised first officer that he was heading for runway 15 vice runway 18 at which time he corrected over the river and sighted the correct runway and the VASI for runway 18. Normal visual approach followed. Human performance considerations: entire sight picture and comfort level changed due to WX and night conditions. Did not have familiar visual cues and both pilots were relatively new. Approach was well briefed and flown. The lda is a marginal approach in good WX. Instinctively at 3.5 DME when you sight the aerodrome you want to turn towards the airport vice making a left turn of 50- 60 degrees away from the airport to follow a river. Approaching minimums, I advised first officer that if he was uncomfortable at any time then we would simply execute a published missed approach. Unfortunately, my comment may have prepared him mentally for a missed approach first (which was at 3.5 DME fly direct dca VOR) vice the visual approach over the river. This may have accounted for the initial shallow left turn just past the missed approach point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 MOMENTARILY ALIGNS WITH RWY 15 VERSUS RWY 18 ON LGA APCH. CAPT CORRECTS THE FLYING FO AND APCH CONTINUED TO CORRECT RWY.

Narrative: CLRED ROSSLYN LDA RWY 18 AT DCA. FO FLYING. CAPT AND FO RELATIVELY NEW TO DCA AND SEAT POS. BOTH HAD FLOWN RWY 18 RIVER VISUAL BEFORE, BUT NOT THE LDA AT NIGHT IN MARGINAL WX. WX WAS MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT ATIS WAS CALLING FOR. ON LGA GS AT 3.5 DME, LEVELED AT 1100 FT. FO DID NOT PICK UP ARPT IMMEDIATELY. CAPT AND SO CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT, CONTINUE VISUALLY. CALLED FOR L TURN. FO COMMENCED A SHALLOW L TURN AND MISTAKENLY SIGHTED RWY 15 AS RWY 18 CALLED FOR A LARGER L TURN TO GET OVER THE RIVER AND ADVISED FO THAT HE WAS HDG FOR RWY 15 VICE RWY 18 AT WHICH TIME HE CORRECTED OVER THE RIVER AND SIGHTED THE CORRECT RWY AND THE VASI FOR RWY 18. NORMAL VISUAL APCH FOLLOWED. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: ENTIRE SIGHT PICTURE AND COMFORT LEVEL CHANGED DUE TO WX AND NIGHT CONDITIONS. DID NOT HAVE FAMILIAR VISUAL CUES AND BOTH PLTS WERE RELATIVELY NEW. APCH WAS WELL BRIEFED AND FLOWN. THE LDA IS A MARGINAL APCH IN GOOD WX. INSTINCTIVELY AT 3.5 DME WHEN YOU SIGHT THE AERODROME YOU WANT TO TURN TOWARDS THE ARPT VICE MAKING A L TURN OF 50- 60 DEGS AWAY FROM THE ARPT TO FOLLOW A RIVER. APCHING MINIMUMS, I ADVISED FO THAT IF HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AT ANY TIME THEN WE WOULD SIMPLY EXECUTE A PUBLISHED MISSED APCH. UNFORTUNATELY, MY COMMENT MAY HAVE PREPARED HIM MENTALLY FOR A MISSED APCH FIRST (WHICH WAS AT 3.5 DME FLY DIRECT DCA VOR) VICE THE VISUAL APCH OVER THE RIVER. THIS MAY HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR THE INITIAL SHALLOW L TURN JUST PAST THE MISSED APCH POINT.

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.