Landing on taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	133146
Time
Date	199001
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc
State Reference	UT
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, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 31 flight time total : 1492 flight time type : 1006
ASRS Report	133146
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
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:

Problem: inadvertent landing on taxiway parallel to the runway I intended to land on. Contributing factors: really none important. Overcast sky giving low contrast, but 10 mi visibility. I was in the pattern and extended downwind a little by the tower and lost visibility contact with the runway. Then, while on base, I saw what I thought was the runway I had lost and didn't realize the error until I had touched down. No conflicting traffic on the taxiway; no harm done except to my ego. Corrective action: I shall discuss this with an instrument and shall also pay much more attention to airport diagrams as they relate to my flight path. Finally, I shall look for positive runway identify from the #'south. Human performance considerations: I have considered carefully what I may have done that could lead to such an error, and believe that I have placed too much emphasis in practice of INS procedures relative to visibility. I almost always file IFR on trips and on local flts I frequently request practice approachs when arriving. Thus, usually I am lined up with a runway far out, and identify of it is not a problem. I have thus not put as much emphasis as I should on the VFR environment and clues.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG ON TXWY.

Narrative: PROB: INADVERTENT LNDG ON TXWY PARALLEL TO THE RWY I INTENDED TO LAND ON. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: REALLY NONE IMPORTANT. OVCST SKY GIVING LOW CONTRAST, BUT 10 MI VISIBILITY. I WAS IN THE PATTERN AND EXTENDED DOWNWIND A LITTLE BY THE TWR AND LOST VIS CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THEN, WHILE ON BASE, I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY I HAD LOST AND DIDN'T REALIZE THE ERROR UNTIL I HAD TOUCHED DOWN. NO CONFLICTING TFC ON THE TXWY; NO HARM DONE EXCEPT TO MY EGO. CORRECTIVE ACTION: I SHALL DISCUSS THIS WITH AN INSTR AND SHALL ALSO PAY MUCH MORE ATTN TO ARPT DIAGRAMS AS THEY RELATE TO MY FLT PATH. FINALLY, I SHALL LOOK FOR POSITIVE RWY IDENT FROM THE #'S. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: I HAVE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY WHAT I MAY HAVE DONE THAT COULD LEAD TO SUCH AN ERROR, AND BELIEVE THAT I HAVE PLACED TOO MUCH EMPHASIS IN PRACTICE OF INS PROCS RELATIVE TO VIS. I ALMOST ALWAYS FILE IFR ON TRIPS AND ON LCL FLTS I FREQUENTLY REQUEST PRACTICE APCHS WHEN ARRIVING. THUS, USUALLY I AM LINED UP WITH A RWY FAR OUT, AND IDENT OF IT IS NOT A PROB. I HAVE THUS NOT PUT AS MUCH EMPHASIS AS I SHOULD ON THE VFR ENVIRONMENT AND CLUES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.