Atx-small transport wrong runway landing at mia at night from radar vectors to visual approach.

Attributes
ACN	137506
Time
Date	199002
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : den
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	137506
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was inbound to mia from fxe, on radar vectors (unsure of altitude at this time). I was approximately 5 mi from the airport and was 'expecting a visibility to 9L', but could not locate the runway visually. I finally saw 9L and accepted a 'visibility approach' and was given a frequency change from 'approach control' to 'tower' (I was also about to fly through the centerline southbound when I located the runway, so I made a steep left turn toward 9L. This caused my approach plates to fall on the floor and apparently precessed my dg which I didn't realize yet. I bent over to pick up my approach plates, and upon looking up again saw that I was lined up with what I thought was 9L, but was actually 12. I looked at my dg which read 95 degree and began to get suspicious, that something wasn't right, but I couldn't figure out what it was, I was well inside the FAF at this time IAS 120 KTS. I began trying to contact the tower with negative results. This distracted my attention long enough to 'seal my fate'. I tried 4 times unsuccessfully to contact the tower, twice switching radios. I was on a 1/2 mi-1 mi final, about to break off the approach, when I transmitted 'mia tower, am I cleared to land on 9L?' he replied, 'cleared to land.' very soon after, I T/D and realized again, something was wrong, I looked at the dg which still said 95 degree, however the compass read 120 degree. About that time, what sounded to be another controller (not the original tower voice) said, 'do you know you are on runway 12?' I replied that I didn't know I had landed on '12' until 'right now'. Factors: I had been flying since xx:oo that day, mostly hard IFR. I 'always' set the localizer frequency when landing, but didn't this day. Distrs: a) bending over to pick up approach plates, B) trouble contacting tower. Failure to check dg accuracy on final approach. In the future, when an approach falls apart, as this one did, I will request vectors for another approach and abandon the first. No steep turns to final!!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX-SMT WRONG RWY LNDG AT MIA AT NIGHT FROM RADAR VECTORS TO VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: I WAS INBND TO MIA FROM FXE, ON RADAR VECTORS (UNSURE OF ALT AT THIS TIME). I WAS APPROX 5 MI FROM THE ARPT AND WAS 'EXPECTING A VIS TO 9L', BUT COULD NOT LOCATE THE RWY VISUALLY. I FINALLY SAW 9L AND ACCEPTED A 'VIS APCH' AND WAS GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE FROM 'APCH CTL' TO 'TWR' (I WAS ALSO ABOUT TO FLY THROUGH THE CENTERLINE SBND WHEN I LOCATED THE RWY, SO I MADE A STEEP L TURN TOWARD 9L. THIS CAUSED MY APCH PLATES TO FALL ON THE FLOOR AND APPARENTLY PRECESSED MY DG WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE YET. I BENT OVER TO PICK UP MY APCH PLATES, AND UPON LOOKING UP AGAIN SAW THAT I WAS LINED UP WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 9L, BUT WAS ACTUALLY 12. I LOOKED AT MY DG WHICH READ 95 DEG AND BEGAN TO GET SUSPICIOUS, THAT SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT, BUT I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IT WAS, I WAS WELL INSIDE THE FAF AT THIS TIME IAS 120 KTS. I BEGAN TRYING TO CONTACT THE TWR WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. THIS DISTRACTED MY ATTN LONG ENOUGH TO 'SEAL MY FATE'. I TRIED 4 TIMES UNSUCCESSFULLY TO CONTACT THE TWR, TWICE SWITCHING RADIOS. I WAS ON A 1/2 MI-1 MI FINAL, ABOUT TO BREAK OFF THE APCH, WHEN I XMITTED 'MIA TWR, AM I CLRED TO LAND ON 9L?' HE REPLIED, 'CLRED TO LAND.' VERY SOON AFTER, I T/D AND REALIZED AGAIN, SOMETHING WAS WRONG, I LOOKED AT THE DG WHICH STILL SAID 95 DEG, HOWEVER THE COMPASS READ 120 DEG. ABOUT THAT TIME, WHAT SOUNDED TO BE ANOTHER CTLR (NOT THE ORIGINAL TWR VOICE) SAID, 'DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE ON RWY 12?' I REPLIED THAT I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD LANDED ON '12' UNTIL 'RIGHT NOW'. FACTORS: I HAD BEEN FLYING SINCE XX:OO THAT DAY, MOSTLY HARD IFR. I 'ALWAYS' SET THE LOC FREQ WHEN LNDG, BUT DIDN'T THIS DAY. DISTRS: A) BENDING OVER TO PICK UP APCH PLATES, B) TROUBLE CONTACTING TWR. FAILURE TO CHK DG ACCURACY ON FINAL APCH. IN THE FUTURE, WHEN AN APCH FALLS APART, AS THIS ONE DID, I WILL REQUEST VECTORS FOR ANOTHER APCH AND ABANDON THE FIRST. NO STEEP TURNS TO FINAL!!

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.