Narrative:

Planned for my favorite runway 31C since the wind was 3210 according to ATIS. I was handed to chicago approach in the usual manner, approach gave me a 070 vector instead of proceed RNAV direct which I had hoped for. The 070 vector from that point makes it very difficult to see mdw's poorly located beacon. After waiting far too long for the descent order, I asked approach for lower, as I started descent I picked up the beacon, called airport in sight and was handed to mdw tower, who cleared me for the visual to ry 22L. This came as a shock as I was on track eastbound which would take me about 2 mi south of the airport on the left downwind for runway 31C which I had mentally planned. I was too close, too high, and too fast because I had erroneously waited too long for the approach controller to initiate descent. The second shock was I couldn't understand why this tower controller was asking me to land with a right 090 crosswind. I thought about this for a few seconds and thought since I had heard no traffic, there was no reason I couldn't have 31C as I had planned. I then asked for and received clearance to land on runway 31C. I thought about this for a few seconds, still trying to figure out where the trap was concealed in this project, tuned and checked ATIS again and verified that it indeed did say wind 320 at 10. As I was coming up on the southeast corner of the airport it dawned upon me that he had probably transposed the wind. I said 'say the wind.' he stated 230 at 10 which solved the mystery. I then asked for and received clearance to land 22L. I was still eastbound 2 or 3 mi south of the airport coming up on the centerline of 04R and I thought I have let this very simple problem screw up my whole approach, now I am about to miss the runway. With that I cut the power, banked sharply to recapture 04L which in my mind was 22L, putting down the gear and full flaps so as not to lose the target. Between griping to myself about having to land on the crummier of the parallels and the skill required to maintain the landing target (which was not being enhanced by the 10 KT tailwind) kept me busy until on rollout the gravity of the situation hit me. Then I couldn't figure out why the tower controller wasn't pouncing on me so as I was coming to a stop I said 'how's that for being asleep', he replied, 'not too bad, taxi to parking?' I strive to never make a controller lose face or confront them. I get the big picture by listening intelligently to ATC communications for my safety. I outsmarted myself this time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEN HIS PLANNED APCH AND LNDG ARE NOT FORTHCOMING, RPTR GETS CONFUSED AND LANDS DOWNWIND.

Narrative: PLANNED FOR MY FAVORITE RWY 31C SINCE THE WIND WAS 3210 ACCORDING TO ATIS. I WAS HANDED TO CHICAGO APCH IN THE USUAL MANNER, APCH GAVE ME A 070 VECTOR INSTEAD OF PROCEED RNAV DIRECT WHICH I HAD HOPED FOR. THE 070 VECTOR FROM THAT POINT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE MDW'S POORLY LOCATED BEACON. AFTER WAITING FAR TOO LONG FOR THE DSCNT ORDER, I ASKED APCH FOR LOWER, AS I STARTED DSCNT I PICKED UP THE BEACON, CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS HANDED TO MDW TWR, WHO CLRED ME FOR THE VISUAL TO RY 22L. THIS CAME AS A SHOCK AS I WAS ON TRACK EBOUND WHICH WOULD TAKE ME ABOUT 2 MI S OF THE ARPT ON THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31C WHICH I HAD MENTALLY PLANNED. I WAS TOO CLOSE, TOO HIGH, AND TOO FAST BECAUSE I HAD ERRONEOUSLY WAITED TOO LONG FOR THE APCH CTLR TO INITIATE DSCNT. THE SECOND SHOCK WAS I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS TWR CTLR WAS ASKING ME TO LAND WITH A R 090 XWIND. I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THOUGHT SINCE I HAD HEARD NO TFC, THERE WAS NO REASON I COULDN'T HAVE 31C AS I HAD PLANNED. I THEN ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 31C. I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS FOR A FEW SECONDS, STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE TRAP WAS CONCEALED IN THIS PROJECT, TUNED AND CHKED ATIS AGAIN AND VERIFIED THAT IT INDEED DID SAY WIND 320 AT 10. AS I WAS COMING UP ON THE SE CORNER OF THE ARPT IT DAWNED UPON ME THAT HE HAD PROBABLY TRANSPOSED THE WIND. I SAID 'SAY THE WIND.' HE STATED 230 AT 10 WHICH SOLVED THE MYSTERY. I THEN ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND 22L. I WAS STILL EBOUND 2 OR 3 MI S OF THE ARPT COMING UP ON THE CENTERLINE OF 04R AND I THOUGHT I HAVE LET THIS VERY SIMPLE PROBLEM SCREW UP MY WHOLE APCH, NOW I AM ABOUT TO MISS THE RWY. WITH THAT I CUT THE PWR, BANKED SHARPLY TO RECAPTURE 04L WHICH IN MY MIND WAS 22L, PUTTING DOWN THE GEAR AND FULL FLAPS SO AS NOT TO LOSE THE TARGET. BTWN GRIPING TO MYSELF ABOUT HAVING TO LAND ON THE CRUMMIER OF THE PARALLELS AND THE SKILL REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE LNDG TARGET (WHICH WAS NOT BEING ENHANCED BY THE 10 KT TAILWIND) KEPT ME BUSY UNTIL ON ROLLOUT THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION HIT ME. THEN I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE TWR CTLR WASN'T POUNCING ON ME SO AS I WAS COMING TO A STOP I SAID 'HOW'S THAT FOR BEING ASLEEP', HE REPLIED, 'NOT TOO BAD, TAXI TO PARKING?' I STRIVE TO NEVER MAKE A CTLR LOSE FACE OR CONFRONT THEM. I GET THE BIG PICTURE BY LISTENING INTELLIGENTLY TO ATC COMS FOR MY SAFETY. I OUTSMARTED MYSELF THIS TIME.

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.