Narrative:

I was returning to apa from a x-country trip. I listened to the ATIS, then called the tower and reported my position (approximately 10 mi west) and was directed to enter a right base for runway 17L, and to report crossing I-25. Since the wind had been somewhat of a tailwind flying from laramie, my expectation was to land to the north. The instructions to approach 17L reinforced this, as 35L-17R was the closest runway. I was thinking 17L, but flew a left base for 35L. Upon crossing I-25, I called, 'crossing I-25 for the left.' the controller replied she did not have contact and asked for a position report. I reported I was on final for 17L. She asked my exact location. I replied I was over lincoln ave. She directed me to immediately turn right, I was approaching the wrong runway. I turned and entered a left pattern for 17L and landed west/O incident. My expectations led me to do what I anticipated, and not what I was directed to do. I have found it useful in the past to look at a chart when approaching an airport to orient myself to the proper runway. I also seem to reverse directions when flying, a sort of 'directional dyslexia.' I will exercise greater caution, and reconfirm runway and runway direction in the future. Approaching the departure end of a runway the wrong way is not an experience I want to repeat. Fatigue and hurrying could also have contributed. I was stuck in laramie the previous night returning from nevada, and was anxious to get home and to work. Also, I had not slept a full night, since we awoke early to get an early start. The directional problem stated earlier manifests itself only in the air, I have no such problem on the ground. I have on several occasions stated a position of 'so many mi north' when it was south, said I was northbound when flying south, etc. It requires a high degree of diligence on my part to overcome this. I normally pause and rethink my position, direction, request, etc, before broadcasting. I also look at the chart to confirm runway location and direction. I was lulled into complacency returning to my home base. I now realize I must maintain the same diligence whether I am flying in new or familiar territory. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter has made no further check on whether or not he has a psychological disability of some sort that would account for what he termed a 'directional dyslexia.' he reiterated that it occurred frequently when he was flying, but never on the ground. He has no trouble when looking at a chart or diagram, but does reverse directional cues when he has to deal with them as a/north's. Advised reporter to check with his own doctor to seek reference to appropriate practitioner who might be able to diagnose clinically and work out a remedy for the condition if it turns out to be a real one. Pointed out to reporter that his present technique of double-checking all directional cues before flight response is sound as far as it goes, but might break down in an emergency situation when quick response, not time for double-checking, is called for. Reporter responded affirmatively to suggestion. No FAA follow-up action in this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ON APCH SETS UP FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY FROM THAT FOR WHICH CLEARED AND SAYS THAT DIRECTIONAL REVERSAL IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM IN HIS FLYING.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO APA FROM A X-COUNTRY TRIP. I LISTENED TO THE ATIS, THEN CALLED THE TWR AND RPTED MY POS (APPROX 10 MI W) AND WAS DIRECTED TO ENTER A RIGHT BASE FOR RWY 17L, AND TO RPT XING I-25. SINCE THE WIND HAD BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A TAILWIND FLYING FROM LARAMIE, MY EXPECTATION WAS TO LAND TO THE N. THE INSTRUCTIONS TO APCH 17L REINFORCED THIS, AS 35L-17R WAS THE CLOSEST RWY. I WAS THINKING 17L, BUT FLEW A LEFT BASE FOR 35L. UPON XING I-25, I CALLED, 'XING I-25 FOR THE LEFT.' THE CTLR REPLIED SHE DID NOT HAVE CONTACT AND ASKED FOR A POS RPT. I RPTED I WAS ON FINAL FOR 17L. SHE ASKED MY EXACT LOCATION. I REPLIED I WAS OVER LINCOLN AVE. SHE DIRECTED ME TO IMMEDIATELY TURN RIGHT, I WAS APCHING THE WRONG RWY. I TURNED AND ENTERED A LEFT PATTERN FOR 17L AND LANDED W/O INCIDENT. MY EXPECTATIONS LED ME TO DO WHAT I ANTICIPATED, AND NOT WHAT I WAS DIRECTED TO DO. I HAVE FOUND IT USEFUL IN THE PAST TO LOOK AT A CHART WHEN APCHING AN ARPT TO ORIENT MYSELF TO THE PROPER RWY. I ALSO SEEM TO REVERSE DIRECTIONS WHEN FLYING, A SORT OF 'DIRECTIONAL DYSLEXIA.' I WILL EXERCISE GREATER CAUTION, AND RECONFIRM RWY AND RWY DIRECTION IN THE FUTURE. APCHING THE DEP END OF A RWY THE WRONG WAY IS NOT AN EXPERIENCE I WANT TO REPEAT. FATIGUE AND HURRYING COULD ALSO HAVE CONTRIBUTED. I WAS STUCK IN LARAMIE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT RETURNING FROM NEVADA, AND WAS ANXIOUS TO GET HOME AND TO WORK. ALSO, I HAD NOT SLEPT A FULL NIGHT, SINCE WE AWOKE EARLY TO GET AN EARLY START. THE DIRECTIONAL PROB STATED EARLIER MANIFESTS ITSELF ONLY IN THE AIR, I HAVE NO SUCH PROB ON THE GND. I HAVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS STATED A POS OF 'SO MANY MI N' WHEN IT WAS S, SAID I WAS NBND WHEN FLYING S, ETC. IT REQUIRES A HIGH DEGREE OF DILIGENCE ON MY PART TO OVERCOME THIS. I NORMALLY PAUSE AND RETHINK MY POS, DIRECTION, REQUEST, ETC, BEFORE BROADCASTING. I ALSO LOOK AT THE CHART TO CONFIRM RWY LOCATION AND DIRECTION. I WAS LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY RETURNING TO MY HOME BASE. I NOW REALIZE I MUST MAINTAIN THE SAME DILIGENCE WHETHER I AM FLYING IN NEW OR FAMILIAR TERRITORY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAS MADE NO FURTHER CHK ON WHETHER OR NOT HE HAS A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISABILITY OF SOME SORT THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR WHAT HE TERMED A 'DIRECTIONAL DYSLEXIA.' HE REITERATED THAT IT OCCURRED FREQUENTLY WHEN HE WAS FLYING, BUT NEVER ON THE GND. HE HAS NO TROUBLE WHEN LOOKING AT A CHART OR DIAGRAM, BUT DOES REVERSE DIRECTIONAL CUES WHEN HE HAS TO DEAL WITH THEM AS A/N'S. ADVISED RPTR TO CHK WITH HIS OWN DOCTOR TO SEEK REF TO APPROPRIATE PRACTITIONER WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE CLINICALLY AND WORK OUT A REMEDY FOR THE CONDITION IF IT TURNS OUT TO BE A REAL ONE. POINTED OUT TO RPTR THAT HIS PRESENT TECHNIQUE OF DOUBLE-CHKING ALL DIRECTIONAL CUES BEFORE FLT RESPONSE IS SOUND AS FAR AS IT GOES, BUT MIGHT BREAK DOWN IN AN EMER SITUATION WHEN QUICK RESPONSE, NOT TIME FOR DOUBLE-CHKING, IS CALLED FOR. RPTR RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY TO SUGGESTION. NO FAA FOLLOW-UP ACTION IN 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.