Landing wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	118382
Time
Date	198907
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : osh
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 508 flight time type : 458
ASRS Report	118382
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : runway non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flying to osh for the annual air show using VOR for navigation. Somewhere north of watertown, wi, I lost my radio. I could see on the sectional that I could fly east and pick up double highway 41 leading north to oshkosh. At the time the loss of the radio didn't seem so bad. I knew they were letting planes west/O radios land there. I found 41 and turned north. When I thought I was near ripon, wi, I turned west hoping to join the line of traffic into osh. I could not find ripon! It was extremely hazy and with the possibility of dozens of planes flying about in the haze I was getting very nervous. After groping fruitlessly for 45 mins in the haze I had the additional worry of getting low on fuel. Suddenly out of the haze wittman field appeared. What a relief! I was positioned for a straight in final on runway 9, so I began my descent. Oh no! Seconds before T/D I saw 2 planes on final for wy 27. In retrospect I can see how I let my fear of a head-on with another plane in the haze and worry about low fuel cloud my judgement. I should have circled the field to determine which runway was in use. I bought a hand-held radio at osh and flew home using it. I'll never fly again west/O it. If I'd had it prior to landing at osh the incident would never have happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG WRONG RWY.

Narrative: FLYING TO OSH FOR THE ANNUAL AIR SHOW USING VOR FOR NAV. SOMEWHERE N OF WATERTOWN, WI, I LOST MY RADIO. I COULD SEE ON THE SECTIONAL THAT I COULD FLY E AND PICK UP DOUBLE HWY 41 LEADING N TO OSHKOSH. AT THE TIME THE LOSS OF THE RADIO DIDN'T SEEM SO BAD. I KNEW THEY WERE LETTING PLANES W/O RADIOS LAND THERE. I FOUND 41 AND TURNED N. WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS NEAR RIPON, WI, I TURNED W HOPING TO JOIN THE LINE OF TFC INTO OSH. I COULD NOT FIND RIPON! IT WAS EXTREMELY HAZY AND WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF DOZENS OF PLANES FLYING ABOUT IN THE HAZE I WAS GETTING VERY NERVOUS. AFTER GROPING FRUITLESSLY FOR 45 MINS IN THE HAZE I HAD THE ADDITIONAL WORRY OF GETTING LOW ON FUEL. SUDDENLY OUT OF THE HAZE WITTMAN FIELD APPEARED. WHAT A RELIEF! I WAS POSITIONED FOR A STRAIGHT IN FINAL ON RWY 9, SO I BEGAN MY DSCNT. OH NO! SECS BEFORE T/D I SAW 2 PLANES ON FINAL FOR WY 27. IN RETROSPECT I CAN SEE HOW I LET MY FEAR OF A HEAD-ON WITH ANOTHER PLANE IN THE HAZE AND WORRY ABOUT LOW FUEL CLOUD MY JUDGEMENT. I SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED THE FIELD TO DETERMINE WHICH RWY WAS IN USE. I BOUGHT A HAND-HELD RADIO AT OSH AND FLEW HOME USING IT. I'LL NEVER FLY AGAIN W/O IT. IF I'D HAD IT PRIOR TO LNDG AT OSH THE INCIDENT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED.

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.