Private plane lands on taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	200479
Time
Date	199201
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cpa airport : cps
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 31 flight time total : 196 flight time type : 47
ASRS Report	200479
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on the final approach for a full stop landing at st. Louis downtown parks airport's runway 30L after local solo training lt. The WX was clear VFR and time was XY30 pm local. I was #2 for landing at less than 2 mi final when the tower instructed me to switch to runway 30R and make one south turn to maintain spacing with another aircraft that was just about to land on 30R. I complied with the instructions and continued my approach to runway 30R. During my entire approach, I was faced with strong glare of the sun that was setting at my 11 O'clock position. As a result, I had trouble looking ahead of my aircraft even though I was wearing sunglasses. I fought the glare to maintain my focus on the pavement in front of the nose of the aircraft and guided it to the touchdown. Only then I realized that I did not land on runway 30R as intended but on taxiway B, which runs parallel to and between runway 30L and 30R. I think it must have been the sun's flare that caused me to be disoriented and to mistake a taxiway for a runway. I didn't know that I was landing on the wrong place until I touched down and saw yellow centerline of the taxiway in front of the aircraft. I think that if tried harder to avoid the direct sunlight, such as looking slightly to the side opposite to the sun or trying not to look at it in the first place, this incidence might have been avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLANE LANDS ON TAXIWAY.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE FINAL APCH FOR A FULL STOP LNDG AT ST. LOUIS DOWNTOWN PARKS ARPT'S RWY 30L AFTER LCL SOLO TRAINING LT. THE WX WAS CLR VFR AND TIME WAS XY30 PM LCL. I WAS #2 FOR LNDG AT LESS THAN 2 MI FINAL WHEN THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO SWITCH TO RWY 30R AND MAKE ONE S TURN TO MAINTAIN SPACING WITH ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS JUST ABOUT TO LAND ON 30R. I COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS AND CONTINUED MY APCH TO RWY 30R. DURING MY ENTIRE APCH, I WAS FACED WITH STRONG GLARE OF THE SUN THAT WAS SETTING AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS. AS A RESULT, I HAD TROUBLE LOOKING AHEAD OF MY ACFT EVEN THOUGH I WAS WEARING SUNGLASSES. I FOUGHT THE GLARE TO MAINTAIN MY FOCUS ON THE PAVEMENT IN FRONT OF THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AND GUIDED IT TO THE TOUCHDOWN. ONLY THEN I REALIZED THAT I DID NOT LAND ON RWY 30R AS INTENDED BUT ON TAXIWAY B, WHICH RUNS PARALLEL TO AND BTWN RWY 30L AND 30R. I THINK IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE SUN'S FLARE THAT CAUSED ME TO BE DISORIENTED AND TO MISTAKE A TAXIWAY FOR A RWY. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS LNDG ON THE WRONG PLACE UNTIL I TOUCHED DOWN AND SAW YELLOW CTRLINE OF THE TAXIWAY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. I THINK THAT IF TRIED HARDER TO AVOID THE DIRECT SUNLIGHT, SUCH AS LOOKING SLIGHTLY TO THE SIDE OPPOSITE TO THE SUN OR TRYING NOT TO LOOK AT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE, THIS INCIDENCE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.