Narrative:

Captain had never been to austin. Approach cleared us to 2000' about 15 mi out, so it was harder to see the airport. We were approaching from the northeast and cleared for a visual to 13R. Captain tuned the 13R localizer and commenced descent on what he thought was G/south for 13R. Unfortunately he was lined up for 17. Lights of the VASI and runway on 17 were very bright and the airport is in the center of the city with many bright lights around, making it difficult to see runway lights of 13R. I told him several time he was too low and lined up for 17. He became confused with the situation and tower called to say we appeared to be lined up for 17. I took the airplane and landed on 13R. We were at about 700' and 2 mi out when we maneuvered for landing on 13R. Tower operator said we weren't the first that night to line up on 17 as the VASI lights on 17 were too bright and uncontrollable and leading pilots astray. Captain intercepted false G/south because he was outside of G/south usable area and correlated it with bright lights of runway straight ahead due to his unfamiliarity with the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WRONG RWY APCH DUE TO CAPT UNFAMILIARITY WITH ARPT AND DIFFICULTY DISCERNING THE PROPER RWY BECAUSE OF CONBINATION OF CITY AND ARPT LIGHTING.

Narrative: CAPT HAD NEVER BEEN TO AUSTIN. APCH CLRED US TO 2000' ABOUT 15 MI OUT, SO IT WAS HARDER TO SEE THE ARPT. WE WERE APCHING FROM THE NE AND CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO 13R. CAPT TUNED THE 13R LOC AND COMMENCED DSCNT ON WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS G/S FOR 13R. UNFORTUNATELY HE WAS LINED UP FOR 17. LIGHTS OF THE VASI AND RWY ON 17 WERE VERY BRIGHT AND THE ARPT IS IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY WITH MANY BRIGHT LIGHTS AROUND, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE RWY LIGHTS OF 13R. I TOLD HIM SEVERAL TIME HE WAS TOO LOW AND LINED UP FOR 17. HE BECAME CONFUSED WITH THE SITUATION AND TWR CALLED TO SAY WE APPEARED TO BE LINED UP FOR 17. I TOOK THE AIRPLANE AND LANDED ON 13R. WE WERE AT ABOUT 700' AND 2 MI OUT WHEN WE MANEUVERED FOR LNDG ON 13R. TWR OPERATOR SAID WE WEREN'T THE FIRST THAT NIGHT TO LINE UP ON 17 AS THE VASI LIGHTS ON 17 WERE TOO BRIGHT AND UNCONTROLLABLE AND LEADING PLTS ASTRAY. CAPT INTERCEPTED FALSE G/S BECAUSE HE WAS OUTSIDE OF G/S USABLE AREA AND CORRELATED IT WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS OF RWY STRAIGHT AHEAD DUE TO HIS UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.