Cap ferry flight for maintenance. Pilot lands on taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	199575
Time
Date	199201
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apa
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 810 flight time type : 1
ASRS Report	199575
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the PIC and sole person aboard a civil air patrol. The flight was a ferry flight from 3v5 to apa for maintenance. I proceeded through the denver TCA west of stapleton and then turned east toward apa. I reported cherry creek reservoir and was cleared to land on 17L. At this time all was well and I lined up on a strip of pavement. The landing was a near 10 when I noticed the yellow stripe. My heart throbbed as I, without thinking, went for the throttle. Realizing it was too late and by sheer luck the taxiway was clear I decided to apply brakes instead. I was requested to call the tower and I did immediately upon securing the aircraft. The tower operator asked if I knew what I did and I indicated that I did. I asked if he needed me to come to the tower or if he wanted my certificate number and he replied no, as long as you know about what you did and it won't happen again. We talked a little about airport familiarity which was actually irrelevant. I have been into many airports the first time and there is no excuse for a life threatening situation like this one. There are some reasons why this happened, the main one I will go into here. Attitude. I think the #1 cause of this potentially disastrous mistake was my complacent attitude. I have been to a few safety seminars and flight clinics and have found them to be boring and repetitious. They always talk about the same old things. One of the items I remember was attitude. They discussed the different type attitudes and situations that can occur. My position on this subject has always been 'yea I see what they are saying, but I know what I am doing, I learned to fly in a crowded TCA, had good instructors, landed at busy airport in adverse conditions...' looking back now, I am lucky that this was a cheap lesson. It's too bad it took a real 'slap in the face' to wake me up. As far as I know at this point corrective action will be handled by cap. This has been a real learning experience and I sincerely hope to make this bad incident into a not so bad one.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAP FERRY FLT FOR MAINT. PLT LANDS ON TAXIWAY.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC AND SOLE PERSON ABOARD A CIVIL AIR PATROL. THE FLT WAS A FERRY FLT FROM 3V5 TO APA FOR MAINT. I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE DENVER TCA W OF STAPLETON AND THEN TURNED E TOWARD APA. I RPTED CHERRY CREEK RESERVOIR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON 17L. AT THIS TIME ALL WAS WELL AND I LINED UP ON A STRIP OF PAVEMENT. THE LNDG WAS A NEAR 10 WHEN I NOTICED THE YELLOW STRIPE. MY HEART THROBBED AS I, WITHOUT THINKING, WENT FOR THE THROTTLE. REALIZING IT WAS TOO LATE AND BY SHEER LUCK THE TAXIWAY WAS CLR I DECIDED TO APPLY BRAKES INSTEAD. I WAS REQUESTED TO CALL THE TWR AND I DID IMMEDIATELY UPON SECURING THE ACFT. THE TWR OPERATOR ASKED IF I KNEW WHAT I DID AND I INDICATED THAT I DID. I ASKED IF HE NEEDED ME TO COME TO THE TWR OR IF HE WANTED MY CERTIFICATE NUMBER AND HE REPLIED NO, AS LONG AS YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU DID AND IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. WE TALKED A LITTLE ABOUT ARPT FAMILIARITY WHICH WAS ACTUALLY IRRELEVANT. I HAVE BEEN INTO MANY ARPTS THE FIRST TIME AND THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION LIKE THIS ONE. THERE ARE SOME REASONS WHY THIS HAPPENED, THE MAIN ONE I WILL GO INTO HERE. ATTITUDE. I THINK THE #1 CAUSE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS MISTAKE WAS MY COMPLACENT ATTITUDE. I HAVE BEEN TO A FEW SAFETY SEMINARS AND FLT CLINICS AND HAVE FOUND THEM TO BE BORING AND REPETITIOUS. THEY ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE SAME OLD THINGS. ONE OF THE ITEMS I REMEMBER WAS ATTITUDE. THEY DISCUSSED THE DIFFERENT TYPE ATTITUDES AND SITUATIONS THAT CAN OCCUR. MY POS ON THIS SUBJECT HAS ALWAYS BEEN 'YEA I SEE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, BUT I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING, I LEARNED TO FLY IN A CROWDED TCA, HAD GOOD INSTRUCTORS, LANDED AT BUSY ARPT IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS...' LOOKING BACK NOW, I AM LUCKY THAT THIS WAS A CHEAP LESSON. IT'S TOO BAD IT TOOK A REAL 'SLAP IN THE FACE' TO WAKE ME UP. AS FAR AS I KNOW AT THIS POINT CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE HANDLED BY CAP. THIS HAS BEEN A REAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND I SINCERELY HOPE TO MAKE THIS BAD INCIDENT INTO A NOT SO BAD ONE.

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.