Narrative:

It was necessary to drive an hour to get to where the airplane is based at an early hour in the morning, so I didn't end up starting out as early as I should have to fully prepare the plane and keep on schedule. We got a late start, then the headwind was more than forecast. Our ETA was 20 mins later than the people who would be picking up my friends to take them to the meeting had been told. I only had one headset with me and one of the passengers wanted to situation up front and proceeded to ask lots of questions while in the air. We arrived in the waco area 20 mins late, a passenger asking questions, one ear of my headset on, the other off so I could hear my passengers questions, completing before landing checklists, and me worrying about getting these guys to their ride as soon as possible and making a perfect landing like they said the old man who used to bring them up there used to always do, so that they would use me again some time. At about 8 DME out at 4500 MSL I was cleared to enter a right base and for landing on runway 01. I was fully visual and looked out with the airport and what I thought to be the runway in sight and I entered a short right base and then final for the runway I assumed must be 01. When I was able to see the VASI that was where my attention went and I followed it all the way down obviously over concentrating on it. After I had stopped on the wrong runway 32 when I was cleared to land on 01. Nothing else was said of the matter from the tower to me. The traffic was either none or 1 other plane and there appeared to be no sign of any conflict to me. I was definitely at fault although I don't understand why a tower with radar would let me line up straight in for 8 mi out for the wrong runway without ever querying me. Better preplanning and an earlier start could have reduced the pressure that was on me during the approach phase of this flight. While on the approach my only other thoughts besides the VASI were the fastest way to the ramp to drop off the passengers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ALLOWS PAX DISTR, LANDS WRONG RWY.

Narrative: IT WAS NECESSARY TO DRIVE AN HOUR TO GET TO WHERE THE AIRPLANE IS BASED AT AN EARLY HOUR IN THE MORNING, SO I DIDN'T END UP STARTING OUT AS EARLY AS I SHOULD HAVE TO FULLY PREPARE THE PLANE AND KEEP ON SCHEDULE. WE GOT A LATE START, THEN THE HEADWIND WAS MORE THAN FORECAST. OUR ETA WAS 20 MINS LATER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE PICKING UP MY FRIENDS TO TAKE THEM TO THE MEETING HAD BEEN TOLD. I ONLY HAD ONE HEADSET WITH ME AND ONE OF THE PAXS WANTED TO SIT UP FRONT AND PROCEEDED TO ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS WHILE IN THE AIR. WE ARRIVED IN THE WACO AREA 20 MINS LATE, A PAX ASKING QUESTIONS, ONE EAR OF MY HEADSET ON, THE OTHER OFF SO I COULD HEAR MY PAXS QUESTIONS, COMPLETING BEFORE LNDG CHKLISTS, AND ME WORRYING ABOUT GETTING THESE GUYS TO THEIR RIDE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND MAKING A PERFECT LNDG LIKE THEY SAID THE OLD MAN WHO USED TO BRING THEM UP THERE USED TO ALWAYS DO, SO THAT THEY WOULD USE ME AGAIN SOME TIME. AT ABOUT 8 DME OUT AT 4500 MSL I WAS CLRED TO ENTER A R BASE AND FOR LNDG ON RWY 01. I WAS FULLY VISUAL AND LOOKED OUT WITH THE ARPT AND WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE THE RWY IN SIGHT AND I ENTERED A SHORT R BASE AND THEN FINAL FOR THE RWY I ASSUMED MUST BE 01. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE VASI THAT WAS WHERE MY ATTN WENT AND I FOLLOWED IT ALL THE WAY DOWN OBVIOUSLY OVER CONCENTRATING ON IT. AFTER I HAD STOPPED ON THE WRONG RWY 32 WHEN I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON 01. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID OF THE MATTER FROM THE TWR TO ME. THE TFC WAS EITHER NONE OR 1 OTHER PLANE AND THERE APPEARED TO BE NO SIGN OF ANY CONFLICT TO ME. I WAS DEFINITELY AT FAULT ALTHOUGH I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A TWR WITH RADAR WOULD LET ME LINE UP STRAIGHT IN FOR 8 MI OUT FOR THE WRONG RWY WITHOUT EVER QUERYING ME. BETTER PREPLANNING AND AN EARLIER START COULD HAVE REDUCED THE PRESSURE THAT WAS ON ME DURING THE APCH PHASE OF THIS FLT. WHILE ON THE APCH MY ONLY OTHER THOUGHTS BESIDES THE VASI WERE THE FASTEST WAY TO THE RAMP TO DROP OFF THE PAXS.

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.