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.

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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.