Narrative:

Told to call tower after landing at iad. Crew was northbound on the transition at iad to land south. Approach instructed us to expect runway 19L. On the transition until about 8-10 mi north of the field, approach cleared us to a northwest heading and descent to 1700 ft. Soon after a 210 degree heading and cleared for the approach followed. Crew confirmed airport in sight and lined up for runway 19L. Approach assigned 128.42 for tower. Crew complied but advised tower that we were lined up for runway 19L, tower 120.10, not runway 19R. Tower instructed us to 120.10. Signing onto 120.10 tower notified heavy was in position and hold but would not be on takeoff roll yet. By this time GS was coming in thus crew elected, with tower clearance, to s-turn at approach speed. An uneventful landing and exit at first high-speed taxi resulted. Apparently approach intended aircraft to land on runway 19R. Visibility was good but due to the summer time haze, 'low altitude' and turn to final while looking for traffic workload and saturated frequency may have caused crew to miss a possible runway 19R assignment. Crew briefing after block-in recalled that tower did not command a go around nor did we accept a sidestep to runway 19R due to the threshold distance to runway 19R and estimated bank angle required. If crew did perhaps miss instructions to intercept runway 19R and if a traffic separation issue did occur on runway 19L then tower would have most definitely called for a go around which was not the case. Lessons learned. Do not, even on base leg, count on receiving a clearance for any particular runway. Contributing factor was the order of the aviate, navigation, communicate cadence. This order left communication last during the turn to 210 degree heading. If approach did issue a runway 19R clearance then workload during this time may have distracted crew from radio.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC OF A JS41 MAKES THE APCH TO RWY 19L WHEN TWR EXPECTED THEM ON RWY 19R AT IAD, VA.

Narrative: TOLD TO CALL TWR AFTER LNDG AT IAD. CREW WAS NBOUND ON THE TRANSITION AT IAD TO LAND S. APCH INSTRUCTED US TO EXPECT RWY 19L. ON THE TRANSITION UNTIL ABOUT 8-10 MI N OF THE FIELD, APCH CLRED US TO A NW HEADING AND DSCNT TO 1700 FT. SOON AFTER A 210 DEG HDG AND CLRED FOR THE APCH FOLLOWED. CREW CONFIRMED ARPT IN SIGHT AND LINED UP FOR RWY 19L. APCH ASSIGNED 128.42 FOR TWR. CREW COMPLIED BUT ADVISED TWR THAT WE WERE LINED UP FOR RWY 19L, TWR 120.10, NOT RWY 19R. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO 120.10. SIGNING ONTO 120.10 TWR NOTIFIED HVY WAS IN POS AND HOLD BUT WOULD NOT BE ON TKOF ROLL YET. BY THIS TIME GS WAS COMING IN THUS CREW ELECTED, WITH TWR CLRNC, TO S-TURN AT APCH SPD. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND EXIT AT FIRST HIGH-SPD TAXI RESULTED. APPARENTLY APCH INTENDED ACFT TO LAND ON RWY 19R. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD BUT DUE TO THE SUMMER TIME HAZE, 'LOW ALT' AND TURN TO FINAL WHILE LOOKING FOR TFC WORKLOAD AND SATURATED FREQ MAY HAVE CAUSED CREW TO MISS A POSSIBLE RWY 19R ASSIGNMENT. CREW BRIEFING AFTER BLOCK-IN RECALLED THAT TWR DID NOT COMMAND A GAR NOR DID WE ACCEPT A SIDESTEP TO RWY 19R DUE TO THE THRESHOLD DISTANCE TO RWY 19R AND ESTIMATED BANK ANGLE REQUIRED. IF CREW DID PERHAPS MISS INSTRUCTIONS TO INTERCEPT RWY 19R AND IF A TFC SEPARATION ISSUE DID OCCUR ON RWY 19L THEN TWR WOULD HAVE MOST DEFINITELY CALLED FOR A GAR WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE. LESSONS LEARNED. DO NOT, EVEN ON BASE LEG, COUNT ON RECEIVING A CLRNC FOR ANY PARTICULAR RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE ORDER OF THE AVIATE, NAV, COMMUNICATE CADENCE. THIS ORDER LEFT COM LAST DURING THE TURN TO 210 DEG HDG. IF APCH DID ISSUE A RWY 19R CLRNC THEN WORKLOAD DURING THIS TIME MAY HAVE DISTRACTED CREW FROM RADIO.

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.