A B737-200 FLC WAS INCORRECTLY GIVEN A VISUAL APCH. ACFT HAD TO GO AROUND DUE TO ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL.

Narrative

CAPT WAS PF. WE WERE TOLD BY IAD APCH TO DEPART BARIN (ON COATT 3 ARR) ON A HDG OF 005 DEGS FOR THE ILS TO RWY 19L. ON DOWNWIND AT 4000 FT; 210 KTS; WE WERE TURNED OVER TO FINAL CTLR. HE THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R. THE FO VERIFIED THE CLRNC BY STATING 'CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R.' I CONFIGURED THE ACFT FOR LNDG ON BASE LEG AND DID THE CHKLISTS. I REMEMBER XING RWY 19L CTRLINE ABOUT 10 MI OUT ON A HDG OF 270 DEGS; FLAPS 25 DEGS; SLOWING TO 150 KTS. FO THEN POINTED OUT THERE WAS AN ACFT BELOW US AND OUT TO OUR L FRONT. IT WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 19R. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED PWR TO STOP DSCNT AND MADE A NORMAL 25 DEG BANK TURN TO THE R (NW). AT NO TIME WERE WE CLOSE TO THE OTHER ACFT. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE AT LEAST 1000-1500 FT BELOW US AND AT LEAST 1/2 - 3/4 MI AWAY TO OUR L AND BELOW. THE TCASII DID COME ON AFTER I HAD ALREADY MADE MY TURN AND DSCNT. THE ALERT SAID 'MONITOR VERT SPD' THEN IMMEDIATELY WENT AWAY. THE OTHER JET MADE NO TURNS; BUT CONTINUED ON FINAL APCH FOR RWY 19R. THE FINAL CTLR TOLD US IF WE STILL HAD IAD APCH IN SIGHT THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL FOR RWY 19L. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CONTACT IAD TWR AND LAND; WHICH WE DID. FACTORS: 1) I TALKED TO IAD APCH SUPVR. HE SAID THEY WERE WRONG IN GIVING US A VISUAL APCH CLRNC TO RWY 19R. THE TAPES WERE REVIEWED. WE FOLLOWED ATC INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCS CORRECTLY. THEY WERE IN THE WRONG AND WE WERE CORRECT AND WITHOUT FAULT IN THE INCIDENT. 2) APCH WAS IN PROCESS OF TURNING APCH AROUND FROM LNDG ON RWY 19 TO LNDG ON RWY 1. THE OTHER ACFT AND US WERE THE LAST 2 ACFT TO LAND ON RWY 19. THERE WAS CONFUSION BY THE CTLRS ON HANDLING OUR ACFT AND OTHER ACFT.