Narrative:

I am a relatively new, part-time instructor at a busy flight school. Students are generally booked into 2 hour blocks, and there is emphasis, though not pressure, on maintaining schedule, especially when students are scheduled back-to-back. My normal hours are all day sunday and on-call several wknights. The wkend of this event, I had agreed to come out sat to do a biennial flight review, wound up with a second biennial flight review to give, and thus spent all sat morning flying. Sat winds were northerly and we used runway 34L. Sunday morning I had 3 students scheduled back-to-back. Winds were southerly, and we were using runway 16R. Just prior to my first takeoff, I taxied to the hold line, looked at the sign in the grass (which said runway 16R) and told the tower I was ready for departure on runway 34L. The controller cleared me for takeoff on runway 34L, caught himself and corrected the takeoff clearance to runway 16R. We had a friendly exchange of comments as I rolled onto the runway and I flew to the practice area. The mistake should have been a warning flag that I was locked in to the previous day and not thinking. On return from the lesson, I called the tower, got cleared to land on runway 16R while still several mi out, with no further requirement to report back to the tower. The controller did say there was traffic on short final, no factor, as he issued the landing clearance. To make a long story short, I automatically entered the pattern as I had been doing (the day before) and made a landing on the runway in the wrong direction. There was no other traffic in the pattern or on the runway and the controller either didn't notice or withheld comment until I taxied clear of the runway. At that time, he asked me if I was aware I had been cleared for 16R and had landed on 34L. When I answered in the affirmative, his next question (was I a student pilot?) added only minor embarrassment to the trainload I already had. In addition, I had set a terrible example to a student on his first instructional flight. The only good part was that no other aircraft were present on the runway or in the pattern. I keep constructing mental scenarios of what I would have done on short final if I had seen another airplane taking off straight at me with an active parallel runway close on my right, and they are all scary. I will be honest with the student, if I haven't scared him off, and use this as an object lesson. I am also going to slow down in the cockpit. I have realized from this that I was letting the schedule take control from the PIC, and the demands of instruction still come second to flying the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG RESULTS FROM COMPLETING A WRONG RWY APCH WHILE TRAINING IN PROGRESS.

Narrative: I AM A RELATIVELY NEW, PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR AT A BUSY FLT SCHOOL. STUDENTS ARE GENERALLY BOOKED INTO 2 HR BLOCKS, AND THERE IS EMPHASIS, THOUGH NOT PRESSURE, ON MAINTAINING SCHEDULE, ESPECIALLY WHEN STUDENTS ARE SCHEDULED BACK-TO-BACK. MY NORMAL HRS ARE ALL DAY SUNDAY AND ON-CALL SEVERAL WKNIGHTS. THE WKEND OF THIS EVENT, I HAD AGREED TO COME OUT SAT TO DO A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW, WOUND UP WITH A SECOND BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW TO GIVE, AND THUS SPENT ALL SAT MORNING FLYING. SAT WINDS WERE NORTHERLY AND WE USED RWY 34L. SUNDAY MORNING I HAD 3 STUDENTS SCHEDULED BACK-TO-BACK. WINDS WERE SOUTHERLY, AND WE WERE USING RWY 16R. JUST PRIOR TO MY FIRST TKOF, I TAXIED TO THE HOLD LINE, LOOKED AT THE SIGN IN THE GRASS (WHICH SAID RWY 16R) AND TOLD THE TWR I WAS READY FOR DEP ON RWY 34L. THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR TKOF ON RWY 34L, CAUGHT HIMSELF AND CORRECTED THE TKOF CLRNC TO RWY 16R. WE HAD A FRIENDLY EXCHANGE OF COMMENTS AS I ROLLED ONTO THE RWY AND I FLEW TO THE PRACTICE AREA. THE MISTAKE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING FLAG THAT I WAS LOCKED IN TO THE PREVIOUS DAY AND NOT THINKING. ON RETURN FROM THE LESSON, I CALLED THE TWR, GOT CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 16R WHILE STILL SEVERAL MI OUT, WITH NO FURTHER REQUIREMENT TO RPT BACK TO THE TWR. THE CTLR DID SAY THERE WAS TFC ON SHORT FINAL, NO FACTOR, AS HE ISSUED THE LNDG CLRNC. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED THE PATTERN AS I HAD BEEN DOING (THE DAY BEFORE) AND MADE A LNDG ON THE RWY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN OR ON THE RWY AND THE CTLR EITHER DIDN'T NOTICE OR WITHHELD COMMENT UNTIL I TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY. AT THAT TIME, HE ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR 16R AND HAD LANDED ON 34L. WHEN I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, HIS NEXT QUESTION (WAS I A STUDENT PLT?) ADDED ONLY MINOR EMBARRASSMENT TO THE TRAINLOAD I ALREADY HAD. IN ADDITION, I HAD SET A TERRIBLE EXAMPLE TO A STUDENT ON HIS FIRST INSTRUCTIONAL FLT. THE ONLY GOOD PART WAS THAT NO OTHER ACFT WERE PRESENT ON THE RWY OR IN THE PATTERN. I KEEP CONSTRUCTING MENTAL SCENARIOS OF WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE ON SHORT FINAL IF I HAD SEEN ANOTHER AIRPLANE TAKING OFF STRAIGHT AT ME WITH AN ACTIVE PARALLEL RWY CLOSE ON MY R, AND THEY ARE ALL SCARY. I WILL BE HONEST WITH THE STUDENT, IF I HAVEN'T SCARED HIM OFF, AND USE THIS AS AN OBJECT LESSON. I AM ALSO GOING TO SLOW DOWN IN THE COCKPIT. I HAVE REALIZED FROM THIS THAT I WAS LETTING THE SCHEDULE TAKE CTL FROM THE PIC, AND THE DEMANDS OF INSTRUCTION STILL COME SECOND TO FLYING THE AIRPLANE.

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.