B737 LINES UP TO LAND ON TXWY INSTEAD OF RWY WHEN ENCOUNTERING POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO GLARE; A 20 KT XWIND AND ENDURING A 7 PT 5 HR FLT.

Narrative

ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 16R AT SEA; I REALIZED THAT WE WERE LINED UP FOR TXWY C. I EXECUTED A SIDESTEP MANEUVER FOR RWY 16R AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO ONE BUT MYSELF CAUGHT THE MISTAKE; (COPLT OR A B757 CAPT ON JUMP SEAT). ALSO; WE WERE IN TRAIL OF A B757 WHO DID A GAR IN FRONT OF US. HE DID NOT SAY WHY OR WHAT HAPPENED. WINDSHEAR HAD BEEN RPTED AS WELL AS A 20 KT R XWIND. WE ASSUME THE B757 AHEAD OF US MADE THE SAME ERROR WE DID. THE REASON IT OCCURRED WAS BECAUSE OF THE INTENSE GLARE FROM THE SUN WHERE THE TXWY C WAS CLRLY VISIBLE AND THE OTHER LNDG SURFACES WERE NOT ABLE TO BE SEEN. THE VISUAL PICTURE PRESENTED DUE TO A LCL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION WAS VERY CONVINCING AND FOOLED AT LEAST 3 PLTS AND MAYBE THE B757 PLTS IN FRONT OF US. WE WERE TIRED; AS IT WAS ABOUT XA30 BODY TIME GET UP FOR ME AND COPLT. WE WERE ON WEST COAST BODY TIME; YET HAD AN EARLY MORNING DEP ON THE EAST COAST -- 7 1/2 HR FLT TIME FOR THE DAY. A GAR WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AN APPROPRIATE CHOICE AS WELL AS AN ILS APCH DUE TO THE EXTREME GLARE ENCOUNTERED. HOWEVER; A VISUAL APCH HAD BEEN ACCEPTED PRIOR TO ENCOUNTERING THE STRANGE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION. IF RWY LIGHTS WERE ON BRIGHT; IT MAY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. THE TWR ASKED US IF THAT WOULD HELP BECAUSE OF OUR MANEUVER AND THE FACT THAT THE B757 WENT AROUND.