CAPT OF ACR MLG LANDS WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC DURING A NIGHT VFR APCH AND SUBSEQUENTLY TAXIED ON AN ARPT NON MOVEMENT AREA.

Narrative

WE WERE CLRED FOR A NIGHT RIVER VISUAL TO RWY 18 AT DCA. I VISUALLY MISJUDGED THE LOCATION OF THE ARPT DOWN THE RIVER; UNTIL THE FO POINTED IT OUT MUCH CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT. AS A RESULT; I CLOSED ON THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME AS HE SLOWED FOR FINAL APCH. RADIO TFC BECAME VERY CONGESTED AS WE APCHED SHORT FINAL; AND WE QUESTIONED EACH OTHER; IF WE HAD RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC; AND DOUBTED THE TWR'S ABILITY TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE BEFORE WE WERE COMMITTED. THE FO ASKED AGAIN QUICKLY 'LNDG CLRNC!' AS WE PASSED OVER THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS; BUT THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US CALLED CLR OF THE RWY; AND THE TWR CLRED THE ACFT BEHIND US TO LAND AS WE CROSSED THE THRESHOLD. I THOUGHT THEY MUST HAVE MISTAKEN OUR CALL SIGN AND MEANT TO CLR US INSTEAD. A SPLIT SECOND DECISION TO LAND; OR GAR; WAS MADE IN FAVOR OF LNDG. AS WE TOUCHED DOWN; THE TWR SOUNDED CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPACING ON THE ACFT BEHIND US; AND ASKED US TO MAKE THE HIGH SPD EXIT ONTO RWY 21 AND TXWY D TO THE RAMP. I WAS BUSY DECELERATING AND IDENTING RWY 21; AND WAS NOT SURE OF TXWY D LOCATION. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT CAUSING A GAR IF I DID NOT EXIT QUICKLY. WE WERE STILL HURRIED AS WE TURNED ONTO THE HIGH SPD EXIT TO RWY 21; AND A QUICK COCKPIT DISCUSSION ABOUT TXWY D LOCATION LED TO A 135 DEG R TURN. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DIFFERENTIATE THE PAVED AREA FROM THE TXWY BTWN THE BLUE LIGHTS IN THE DARK. WE HAD ALREADY PASSED TXWY D AND TWR ADVISED A 180 DEG TURN AND EXIT ON TXWY C. I TRANSFORMED A ROUTINE VFR NIGHT APCH AND LNDG INTO A HURRIED; RAPID SEQUENCE OF EVENTS; AND CONFUSION BY MISJUDGING THE ARPT DISTANCE; AND CROWDING THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME. THE REQUIREMENT FOR 2 QUICK TURNS IN THE DARK AT HIGH SPD LED TO THE AFTER LNDG CONFUSION AND POSSIBLE ENCROACHMENT ONTO A PAVED NON MOVEMENT AREA. I SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON RWY 21 TO TXWY C INSTEAD OF TRYING TO COMPLY WITH THE TWR'S TXWY D SUGGESTION.