Narrative:

I was acting as safety pilot for an IFR practice flight. We were cleared for the ILS 29R approach at sck by the approach controller and turned over to tower. About 2 mi from the runway the tower controller cleared us to land. Assuming the tower controller got it correct, she said '... Cleared to land 29L, traffic, an XXX, departing 29R.' I heard '...cleared to land 29R, traffic...departing 29L.' I believe the PF read back the clearance. The runway change did not register with me. The cpr pilot noticed us on short final and announced his intention to wait on us, at which point the tower controller admonished us that we were not cleared to land on runway 29R. We were at about 100 ft AGL when the tower told us we were landing on the wrong runway. The landing was uneventful. I believe the following contributed to the incursion. PF: did not recognize that the clearance to land was not for the runway he was approaching. Read back the clearance without thinking about it. Safety pilot: also did not recognize clearance was not for runway straight ahead. I did not take an active part in evaluating what I heard. Also, due to past experience, I have come to expect the word 'sidestep' to be a part of such a clearance, and was probably not prepared to hear the runway change without it. Tower controller: did not use the word 'sidestep' in the landing clearance, which would have caught my attention, and probably the pilot's. Every time I have been assigned a parallel runway, the word 'sidestep' was part of the new clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT IN AN SMA ACFT INADVERTENTLY LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY DURING A PRACTICE INST APCH.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS SAFETY PLT FOR AN IFR PRACTICE FLT. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS 29R APCH AT SCK BY THE APCH CTLR AND TURNED OVER TO TWR. ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE RWY THE TWR CTLR CLRED US TO LAND. ASSUMING THE TWR CTLR GOT IT CORRECT, SHE SAID '... CLRED TO LAND 29L, TFC, AN XXX, DEPARTING 29R.' I HEARD '...CLRED TO LAND 29R, TFC...DEPARTING 29L.' I BELIEVE THE PF READ BACK THE CLRNC. THE RWY CHANGE DID NOT REGISTER WITH ME. THE CPR PLT NOTICED US ON SHORT FINAL AND ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO WAIT ON US, AT WHICH POINT THE TWR CTLR ADMONISHED US THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 29R. WE WERE AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL WHEN THE TWR TOLD US WE WERE LNDG ON THE WRONG RWY. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCURSION. PF: DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE CLRNC TO LAND WAS NOT FOR THE RWY HE WAS APCHING. READ BACK THE CLRNC WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT. SAFETY PLT: ALSO DID NOT RECOGNIZE CLRNC WAS NOT FOR RWY STRAIGHT AHEAD. I DID NOT TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN EVALUATING WHAT I HEARD. ALSO, DUE TO PAST EXPERIENCE, I HAVE COME TO EXPECT THE WORD 'SIDESTEP' TO BE A PART OF SUCH A CLRNC, AND WAS PROBABLY NOT PREPARED TO HEAR THE RWY CHANGE WITHOUT IT. TWR CTLR: DID NOT USE THE WORD 'SIDESTEP' IN THE LNDG CLRNC, WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUGHT MY ATTN, AND PROBABLY THE PLT'S. EVERY TIME I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A PARALLEL RWY, THE WORD 'SIDESTEP' WAS PART OF THE NEW CLRNC.

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.