Narrative:

We were cleared for the river visual 19 approach into dca. As I was flying the approach, my main focus was avoiding the P56 prohibited airspace. While avoiding that, we had what we thought was the correct runway in sight. We were switched to tower frequency. Upon checking on with tower, we were cleared to land in runway 19. I lined up for the runway, and continued the visual approach and landed. As we taxied off the runway, we were told to cross runway 19 and contact ground control. At that point we realized that we had landed on runway 15 instead of runway 19. Ground control cleared us to taxi to the gate and asked if we knew what happened on landing. I told him we did. The controller then told me it was no problem. My captain asked the controller if we needed to contact anyone, and the controller said no. After reviewing the situation, I have determined 3 contributing factors to my mistake. First, both my captain and I were unfamiliar with the airport having never been there before. Second, we were so focused in not violating the prohibited airspace that it distraction us somewhat from choosing the correct runway. Finally, I did not back up the visual approach with an instrument. Had I set in the LOA 19 approach, I probably would have realized my mistake prior to landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E145 ON VISUAL APCH LANDS ON WRONG RWY AT DCA.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE RIVER VISUAL 19 APCH INTO DCA. AS I WAS FLYING THE APCH, MY MAIN FOCUS WAS AVOIDING THE P56 PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. WHILE AVOIDING THAT, WE HAD WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE CORRECT RWY IN SIGHT. WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. UPON CHKING ON WITH TWR, WE WERE CLRED TO LAND IN RWY 19. I LINED UP FOR THE RWY, AND CONTINUED THE VISUAL APCH AND LANDED. AS WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY, WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS RWY 19 AND CONTACT GND CTL. AT THAT POINT WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD LANDED ON RWY 15 INSTEAD OF RWY 19. GND CTL CLRED US TO TAXI TO THE GATE AND ASKED IF WE KNEW WHAT HAPPENED ON LNDG. I TOLD HIM WE DID. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME IT WAS NO PROB. MY CAPT ASKED THE CTLR IF WE NEEDED TO CONTACT ANYONE, AND THE CTLR SAID NO. AFTER REVIEWING THE SIT, I HAVE DETERMINED 3 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO MY MISTAKE. FIRST, BOTH MY CAPT AND I WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT HAVING NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. SECOND, WE WERE SO FOCUSED IN NOT VIOLATING THE PROHIBITED AIRSPACE THAT IT DISTR US SOMEWHAT FROM CHOOSING THE CORRECT RWY. FINALLY, I DID NOT BACK UP THE VISUAL APCH WITH AN INST. HAD I SET IN THE LOA 19 APCH, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE REALIZED MY MISTAKE PRIOR TO LNDG.

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.