Narrative:

About 3500' heading 240 degree approximately 8 DME were instructed to 'turn left 180 degree maintain 2100' until established, cleared VOR 16L/right approach.' after rollout (240 degree) were instructed to contact tower, my first officer (flying pilot) also requested 'gear horn, flaps 10 degree...'. By the time I contacted tower (sea) we were past 'parkk' about 5 mi out and still IMC. Tower advised I was 'cleared to land 16L/right'. We 'broke out' maybe 1 mi from end of runway, aligned with runway 16L. I called field, we both noted an aircraft on takeoff roll on the runway! By short final the airplane was clear and we were cleared to land. After landing tower asked why we landed 16L when originally cleared to land 16R!? Tower requested we contact them by phone. My phone conversation revealed I may have been cleared to land 16R! Due to the following sequence of events, I had committed to land or go missed approach on 16L. 1) sea approach cleared me for approach when I was still high (3500') and in close (8 mi from runway). 2) my first officer was flying pilot. I was very busy, giving him progressive instructions on approach, configuring the airplane while doing the 'before landing' check, monitoring speeds, altitudes, runway lights, and working radios (approach and tower frequencys). 3) we 'broke out' inside the 'parkk' marker with a mi, or so aligned with runway 16L. There was no room/altitude to safely sidestep to 16R. My plan, had the departing airplane not cleared, was a missed approach. Note: on the approach while IMC, tower cleared us to land runway 16R. I acknowledged because I understood I was cleared for landing. Not having either runway in sight, was I wrong accepting a landing clearance?! Or, since VOR 16L/right approach is to either runway, is it legal for tower to depart aircraft off either runway until I have the field in sight!? For instance, had I not been able to get below the overcast and be 'in position for landing' and executed the published missed approach, no doubt there would have been a conflict with me and the previous departed aircraft! Don't remember which runway I was finally cleared to land on!? I do remember, when field came in sight, there was only one safe choice, landing 16L or a missed approach. My ending conversation with tower supervisor led me to believe no enforcement action would follow, only that we all need to be extra careful when using the VOR approach to 16L/right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TURBOPROP CAPT LANDED ON 6L INSTEAD OF 6R AS CLEARED DUE TO WORKLOAD DISTRACTION AND MISUNDERSTANDING OF LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: ABOUT 3500' HDG 240 DEG APPROX 8 DME WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'TURN LEFT 180 DEG MAINTAIN 2100' UNTIL ESTABLISHED, CLRED VOR 16L/R APCH.' AFTER ROLLOUT (240 DEG) WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR, MY F/O (FLYING PLT) ALSO REQUESTED 'GEAR HORN, FLAPS 10 DEG...'. BY THE TIME I CONTACTED TWR (SEA) WE WERE PAST 'PARKK' ABOUT 5 MI OUT AND STILL IMC. TWR ADVISED I WAS 'CLRED TO LAND 16L/R'. WE 'BROKE OUT' MAYBE 1 MI FROM END OF RWY, ALIGNED WITH RWY 16L. I CALLED FIELD, WE BOTH NOTED AN ACFT ON TKOF ROLL ON THE RWY! BY SHORT FINAL THE AIRPLANE WAS CLEAR AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. AFTER LNDG TWR ASKED WHY WE LANDED 16L WHEN ORIGINALLY CLRED TO LAND 16R!? TWR REQUESTED WE CONTACT THEM BY PHONE. MY PHONE CONVERSATION REVEALED I MAY HAVE BEEN CLRED TO LAND 16R! DUE TO THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, I HAD COMMITTED TO LAND OR GO MISSED APCH ON 16L. 1) SEA APCH CLRED ME FOR APCH WHEN I WAS STILL HIGH (3500') AND IN CLOSE (8 MI FROM RWY). 2) MY F/O WAS FLYING PLT. I WAS VERY BUSY, GIVING HIM PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS ON APCH, CONFIGURING THE AIRPLANE WHILE DOING THE 'BEFORE LNDG' CHECK, MONITORING SPEEDS, ALTS, RWY LIGHTS, AND WORKING RADIOS (APCH AND TWR FREQS). 3) WE 'BROKE OUT' INSIDE THE 'PARKK' MARKER WITH A MI, OR SO ALIGNED WITH RWY 16L. THERE WAS NO ROOM/ALT TO SAFELY SIDESTEP TO 16R. MY PLAN, HAD THE DEPARTING AIRPLANE NOT CLRED, WAS A MISSED APCH. NOTE: ON THE APCH WHILE IMC, TWR CLRED US TO LAND RWY 16R. I ACKNOWLEDGED BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD I WAS CLRED FOR LNDG. NOT HAVING EITHER RWY IN SIGHT, WAS I WRONG ACCEPTING A LNDG CLRNC?! OR, SINCE VOR 16L/R APCH IS TO EITHER RWY, IS IT LEGAL FOR TWR TO DEPART ACFT OFF EITHER RWY UNTIL I HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT!? FOR INSTANCE, HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET BELOW THE OVERCAST AND BE 'IN POSITION FOR LNDG' AND EXECUTED THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH, NO DOUBT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT WITH ME AND THE PREVIOUS DEPARTED ACFT! DON'T REMEMBER WHICH RWY I WAS FINALLY CLRED TO LAND ON!? I DO REMEMBER, WHEN FIELD CAME IN SIGHT, THERE WAS ONLY ONE SAFE CHOICE, LNDG 16L OR A MISSED APCH. MY ENDING CONVERSATION WITH TWR SUPVR LED ME TO BELIEVE NO ENFORCEMENT ACTION WOULD FOLLOW, ONLY THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL WHEN USING THE VOR APCH TO 16L/R.

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.