Narrative:

We were cleared for a visual approach to runway 16R at sea. The first officer was flying. We mistakenly lined up on taxiway C (an old runway). We did not recognize the error until approximately 500 ft AGL and too late to correct back to the runway. An uneventful go around and subsequent approach and landing were accomplished. Even though there were no violations or safety issues, there were some insidious contributing factors worth noting and learning from. The first officer had manually selected the localizer frequency, but left his switch navigation, so, he thus appearing to be on course. I waited until on final to switch from sea VOR to the localizer. Did not xchk the alignment. We had 2 TCASII alerts on final -- 1 right at 1000 ft, and the second shortly after. 1 aircraft was less than 2 NM away and about 700 ft below, the other had no information. My attention went to the TCASII scope and to visually looking for these 2 aircraft. While the WX was VMC, in retrospect, may have partially obscured runway 16R. Taxiway C, an old runway, is concrete and is much brighter/easier to see than runway 16R. Even with the untimely distrs, following the company procedures and technologies could have prevented this. Since taxiway C can appear to be a runway, maybe sea should paint yellow X's on the approach end, as many other airports have done with their old runways. It might be beneficial to pass on this pilot error to other company pilots. Supplemental information from acn 570791: I had manually entered the correct ILS frequency for runway 16R, but failed to switch from navigation to VOR/ILS after being cleared for the bay visual. Why? I have no idea. My usual technique is to check and rechk on base to final. The scud deck partially obscured the approach end of the runways 16. The late afternoon sun added shadowing, giving me an initial impression that the old concrete runway (taxiway C) was runway 16R. I don't feel that I was complacent, but I allowed distrs to affect procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW LNDG RWY 16R AT SEA MISTAKENLY LINED UP WITH TXWY C BELIEVING IT WAS RWY 16R.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16R AT SEA. THE FO WAS FLYING. WE MISTAKENLY LINED UP ON TXWY C (AN OLD RWY). WE DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE ERROR UNTIL APPROX 500 FT AGL AND TOO LATE TO CORRECT BACK TO THE RWY. AN UNEVENTFUL GAR AND SUBSEQUENT APCH AND LNDG WERE ACCOMPLISHED. EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO VIOLATIONS OR SAFETY ISSUES, THERE WERE SOME INSIDIOUS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WORTH NOTING AND LEARNING FROM. THE FO HAD MANUALLY SELECTED THE LOC FREQ, BUT LEFT HIS SWITCH NAV, SO, HE THUS APPEARING TO BE ON COURSE. I WAITED UNTIL ON FINAL TO SWITCH FROM SEA VOR TO THE LOCALIZER. DID NOT XCHK THE ALIGNMENT. WE HAD 2 TCASII ALERTS ON FINAL -- 1 RIGHT AT 1000 FT, AND THE SECOND SHORTLY AFTER. 1 ACFT WAS LESS THAN 2 NM AWAY AND ABOUT 700 FT BELOW, THE OTHER HAD NO INFO. MY ATTN WENT TO THE TCASII SCOPE AND TO VISUALLY LOOKING FOR THESE 2 ACFT. WHILE THE WX WAS VMC, IN RETROSPECT, MAY HAVE PARTIALLY OBSCURED RWY 16R. TXWY C, AN OLD RWY, IS CONCRETE AND IS MUCH BRIGHTER/EASIER TO SEE THAN RWY 16R. EVEN WITH THE UNTIMELY DISTRS, FOLLOWING THE COMPANY PROCS AND TECHNOLOGIES COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. SINCE TXWY C CAN APPEAR TO BE A RWY, MAYBE SEA SHOULD PAINT YELLOW X'S ON THE APCH END, AS MANY OTHER ARPTS HAVE DONE WITH THEIR OLD RWYS. IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL TO PASS ON THIS PLT ERROR TO OTHER COMPANY PLTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 570791: I HAD MANUALLY ENTERED THE CORRECT ILS FREQ FOR RWY 16R, BUT FAILED TO SWITCH FROM NAV TO VOR/ILS AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE BAY VISUAL. WHY? I HAVE NO IDEA. MY USUAL TECHNIQUE IS TO CHK AND RECHK ON BASE TO FINAL. THE SCUD DECK PARTIALLY OBSCURED THE APCH END OF THE RWYS 16. THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN ADDED SHADOWING, GIVING ME AN INITIAL IMPRESSION THAT THE OLD CONCRETE RWY (TXWY C) WAS RWY 16R. I DON'T FEEL THAT I WAS COMPLACENT, BUT I ALLOWED DISTRS TO AFFECT PROC.

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.