Narrative:

I was holding in position on runway 22L, and was cleared for takeoff and instructed to make closed right traffic to 22L for touch and go's. At this time I am not positive it was 22L that I was cleared for closed traffic to, but assume it was. While on right downwind I was told to make a short approach due to another aircraft on final. I immediately started my turn to base and rushed through my prelndg check while looking for the other aircraft. I did not see the other aircraft but continued to look all through my turn to base and final. I felt rushed through my prelndg check but completed it while on short final. On the flare to land it dawned on me that I had lined up on and was landing on 22R, but since the controller didn't say anything during my approach, I had second thoughts about what I thought my original instructions were. At that instant I touched down and then proceeded to take off. As I was climbing out I was relieved no one was hollering and screaming at me. I figured I was supposed to land on 22R after all. Then another pilot holding at 22L told the tower that I had landed on 22R. After what seemed like a long pause the tower told me to make left traffic for 22L and advised me I had landed on 22R. I acknowledged 'left traffic for 22L,' and continued 2 more lndgs west/O incident. To my knowledge no other aircraft had to deviate, wait, go around, or in any way was adversely affected by this situation. I feel that a number of factors contributed to this mistake and submit them not as an excuse, but hopefully to prevent them happening again. 1) runway 22R is twice as long and wind as 22L, and therefore stands out more. 22L looks more like a taxiway in size. 2) I had recently made quite a few approachs and lndgs on 22R during INS training. 3) making right traffic to 22L required me to cross the departure end and approach end of 22R. 4) a combination of being rushed during the prelndg check, checking for other traffic, the larger size and visibility of 22R, an established habit pattern and a somewhat illogical right traffic to a left runway combined to lead to the mistake of landing on the runway runway--if indeed it was the wrong runway. To prevent this mistake I should have asked for an extended downwind to allow me time to do my prelndg check and locate the other aircraft on final. Also, I should have gone around and requested clearance confirmation the instant I began to doubt my original clearance instead of assuming that the tower was watching out for me. Over the last few yrs I have heard and read so many horror stories about the FAA '0 tolerance' for mistakes I thought it best for me to keep quiet and hope nothing comes of this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DOING TOUCH AND GO'S AT CONTROLLED ARPT WITH PARALLEL RWYS MAKES LNDG ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative: I WAS HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 22L, AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND INSTRUCTED TO MAKE CLOSED RIGHT TFC TO 22L FOR TOUCH AND GO'S. AT THIS TIME I AM NOT POSITIVE IT WAS 22L THAT I WAS CLRED FOR CLOSED TFC TO, BUT ASSUME IT WAS. WHILE ON RIGHT DOWNWIND I WAS TOLD TO MAKE A SHORT APCH DUE TO ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED MY TURN TO BASE AND RUSHED THROUGH MY PRELNDG CHK WHILE LOOKING FOR THE OTHER ACFT. I DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT BUT CONTINUED TO LOOK ALL THROUGH MY TURN TO BASE AND FINAL. I FELT RUSHED THROUGH MY PRELNDG CHK BUT COMPLETED IT WHILE ON SHORT FINAL. ON THE FLARE TO LAND IT DAWNED ON ME THAT I HAD LINED UP ON AND WAS LNDG ON 22R, BUT SINCE THE CTLR DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING DURING MY APCH, I HAD SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT I THOUGHT MY ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS WERE. AT THAT INSTANT I TOUCHED DOWN AND THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF. AS I WAS CLBING OUT I WAS RELIEVED NO ONE WAS HOLLERING AND SCREAMING AT ME. I FIGURED I WAS SUPPOSED TO LAND ON 22R AFTER ALL. THEN ANOTHER PLT HOLDING AT 22L TOLD THE TWR THAT I HAD LANDED ON 22R. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE A LONG PAUSE THE TWR TOLD ME TO MAKE LEFT TFC FOR 22L AND ADVISED ME I HAD LANDED ON 22R. I ACKNOWLEDGED 'LEFT TFC FOR 22L,' AND CONTINUED 2 MORE LNDGS W/O INCIDENT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO OTHER ACFT HAD TO DEVIATE, WAIT, GO AROUND, OR IN ANY WAY WAS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THIS SITUATION. I FEEL THAT A NUMBER OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS MISTAKE AND SUBMIT THEM NOT AS AN EXCUSE, BUT HOPEFULLY TO PREVENT THEM HAPPENING AGAIN. 1) RWY 22R IS TWICE AS LONG AND WIND AS 22L, AND THEREFORE STANDS OUT MORE. 22L LOOKS MORE LIKE A TXWY IN SIZE. 2) I HAD RECENTLY MADE QUITE A FEW APCHS AND LNDGS ON 22R DURING INS TRNING. 3) MAKING RIGHT TFC TO 22L REQUIRED ME TO CROSS THE DEP END AND APCH END OF 22R. 4) A COMBINATION OF BEING RUSHED DURING THE PRELNDG CHK, CHKING FOR OTHER TFC, THE LARGER SIZE AND VISIBILITY OF 22R, AN ESTABLISHED HABIT PATTERN AND A SOMEWHAT ILLOGICAL RIGHT TFC TO A LEFT RWY COMBINED TO LEAD TO THE MISTAKE OF LNDG ON THE RWY RWY--IF INDEED IT WAS THE WRONG RWY. TO PREVENT THIS MISTAKE I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO ALLOW ME TIME TO DO MY PRELNDG CHK AND LOCATE THE OTHER ACFT ON FINAL. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND AND REQUESTED CLRNC CONFIRMATION THE INSTANT I BEGAN TO DOUBT MY ORIGINAL CLRNC INSTEAD OF ASSUMING THAT THE TWR WAS WATCHING OUT FOR ME. OVER THE LAST FEW YRS I HAVE HEARD AND READ SO MANY HORROR STORIES ABOUT THE FAA '0 TOLERANCE' FOR MISTAKES I THOUGHT IT BEST FOR ME TO KEEP QUIET AND HOPE NOTHING COMES OF THIS INCIDENT.

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.