Narrative:

When landing at hsv I was cleared to land on runway 18L but inadvertently landed on the taxiway for runway 18R. When I first saw the airport from several mi out, I could only see runway 18R and the taxiway, which to me appeared to be 2 parallel runways. This was the first time I had landed at an airport with parallel runways and the perspective looked right to me; at no time did I see the other runway and taxiway. I approached the airport on a heading of 160 degree initially and was given vectors to fly 130 degree and then 90 degree for spacing. Then was told to turn toward airport and land. I don't recall any heading given. When getting closer to the runway I expected to get final clearance to land but did not so tried to call the tower 3 separate times with no response from tower. I continued with my landing since I had been cleared earlier to land. After landing and rolling out I tried again to contact the tower with no response. Then I heard them say an airplane had just landed on 18R taxiway and they didn't know what his intentions were. I tried calling them again and this time they heard me and said this was the first radio message they had gotten from me. Just prior to getting them on the radio I switched from communication 1 to communication 2. However, I had been talking to them earlier on communication 1 with no problem. I think this distraction with the radio was part of the problem with me not recognizing the 18R taxiway as I got in closer to the airport. My trip was originally planned to pick up my son at courtland but, due to unexpected problems we had to change plans shortly before leaving and go to hsv. I studied the airport directory for radio frequencys, runway headings, length and widths, tpa, and etc, but apparently did not study the plan layout close enough. Also although I could get no response from the tower and could hear them as they were talking to other pilots. In retrospect, I don't understand why I was not visible on the radar screen in the control tower and contacted that and or someone was in the wrong area for landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter does not know what happened to his radio during his approach to hsv. It has performed normally since the incident. So far he has not heard from the FAA but was told by the controller in hsv tower that they would have to report the incident so it can be assumed that an investigation will take place.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LNDG AT UNFAMILIAR ARPT MISIDENTIFIES TXWY AS RWY AND LANDS ON SAME.

Narrative: WHEN LNDG AT HSV I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 18L BUT INADVERTENTLY LANDED ON THE TXWY FOR RWY 18R. WHEN I FIRST SAW THE ARPT FROM SEVERAL MI OUT, I COULD ONLY SEE RWY 18R AND THE TXWY, WHICH TO ME APPEARED TO BE 2 PARALLEL RWYS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD LANDED AT AN ARPT WITH PARALLEL RWYS AND THE PERSPECTIVE LOOKED RIGHT TO ME; AT NO TIME DID I SEE THE OTHER RWY AND TXWY. I APCHED THE ARPT ON A HDG OF 160 DEG INITIALLY AND WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO FLY 130 DEG AND THEN 90 DEG FOR SPACING. THEN WAS TOLD TO TURN TOWARD ARPT AND LAND. I DON'T RECALL ANY HDG GIVEN. WHEN GETTING CLOSER TO THE RWY I EXPECTED TO GET FINAL CLRNC TO LAND BUT DID NOT SO TRIED TO CALL THE TWR 3 SEPARATE TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE FROM TWR. I CONTINUED WITH MY LNDG SINCE I HAD BEEN CLRED EARLIER TO LAND. AFTER LNDG AND ROLLING OUT I TRIED AGAIN TO CONTACT THE TWR WITH NO RESPONSE. THEN I HEARD THEM SAY AN AIRPLANE HAD JUST LANDED ON 18R TXWY AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HIS INTENTIONS WERE. I TRIED CALLING THEM AGAIN AND THIS TIME THEY HEARD ME AND SAID THIS WAS THE FIRST RADIO MESSAGE THEY HAD GOTTEN FROM ME. JUST PRIOR TO GETTING THEM ON THE RADIO I SWITCHED FROM COM 1 TO COM 2. HOWEVER, I HAD BEEN TALKING TO THEM EARLIER ON COM 1 WITH NO PROB. I THINK THIS DISTR WITH THE RADIO WAS PART OF THE PROB WITH ME NOT RECOGNIZING THE 18R TXWY AS I GOT IN CLOSER TO THE ARPT. MY TRIP WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO PICK UP MY SON AT COURTLAND BUT, DUE TO UNEXPECTED PROBS WE HAD TO CHANGE PLANS SHORTLY BEFORE LEAVING AND GO TO HSV. I STUDIED THE ARPT DIRECTORY FOR RADIO FREQS, RWY HDGS, LENGTH AND WIDTHS, TPA, AND ETC, BUT APPARENTLY DID NOT STUDY THE PLAN LAYOUT CLOSE ENOUGH. ALSO ALTHOUGH I COULD GET NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR AND COULD HEAR THEM AS THEY WERE TALKING TO OTHER PLTS. IN RETROSPECT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS NOT VISIBLE ON THE RADAR SCREEN IN THE CTL TWR AND CONTACTED THAT AND OR SOMEONE WAS IN THE WRONG AREA FOR LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS RADIO DURING HIS APCH TO HSV. IT HAS PERFORMED NORMALLY SINCE THE INCIDENT. SO FAR HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA BUT WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR IN HSV TWR THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO RPT THE INCIDENT SO IT CAN BE ASSUMED THAT AN INVESTIGATION WILL TAKE PLACE.

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.