Narrative:

I am an instrument rated private pilot working on my commercial license. I have just recently been signed off in a complex airplane, the small aircraft, and have logged approximately 30 hours dual in that airplane. After a long day's work, I decided to take the small aircraft out to the local practice area to fine tune my lazy-8's, chandelles, steep descending spirals, and my precision lndgs. By the time we were ready to taxi, the sun was beginning to set. I realized that it might be dark when we head back. By the time I got out to the practice area it was already starting to get dark. After a few chandelles, followed by lazy-8's and a steep spiral, I called the approach control agency and obtained a clearance to return to sna airport. When approach control handed me to tower, the tower controller asked me to report downwind for runway 19R. So I entered at a 45 degree angle and made a call to tower to report in on downwind. The controller came back to me and he said to extend downwind and he'll call my base turn. I acknowledged and continued on the downwind leg. I flew a little high because I was waiting for tower to call my base turn. After an extended downwind, tower came back to me and said: 'turn base now and clear to land on runway 19L, repeat runway 19L.' I replied, 'cleared to land runway 19L.' I fully understood that the controller wanted me to switch from runway 19R to runway 19L. After I turned final, I realized that something was wrong because the sight picture looked different than what I had anticipated. At the time I couldn't figure out what exactly was wrong with the sight picture and I continued on the final descent. I saw the white VASI on the right for what I thought was for the right runway, but I couldn't locate the runway lights for the left. I decided that something was wrong and decided to do a go around. I then notified tower of the go around and retracted my gear followed by reducing flaps to '0' degrees. I flew the left pattern for the runway 19L and made a call to tower indicating that I'm on left downwind for runway 19L. Tower acknowledged and cleared me for landing. I flew a wider pattern due to the higher airspeed of the small aircraft and made my base turn. As I turn from base to final, again I realized that something looked different because the white VASI was clearly visible and yet I still couldn't locate the white runway lights for the left runway. It didn't occur to me that the white VASI on the right is actually for the left runway and not the right. I became confused and a little hesitant to do another go around. What I thought was the left runway was actually the taxiway. I saw the blue lights but in my mind I thought for sure that the white VASI was for the right runway and not the left. All through the final approach segment the taxiway (I thought runway) was clear and no other aircraft was on the ground. When I realized that I was about to land on the taxiway I thought I was committed and it would be too risky to do a go around so low to the ground. I knew that the taxiway was clear and so I landed on the taxiway. I made the call to the tower and apologized for my mistake. They gave me a phone number to call and I complied. I take full responsibility for my mistake. I was very fortunate that nobody got hurt. I should have used the same judgement as the first approach and did a go around and come back for another try. There were so many clues that told me that I was lined up with the taxiway and I just didn't realize soon enough to avoid this hazardous incident. I learned from this experience to do as many gars as necessary until I'm sure that a safe landing can be made.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LANDS ON TXWY AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I AM AN INST RATED PVT PLT WORKING ON MY COMMERCIAL LICENSE. I HAVE JUST RECENTLY BEEN SIGNED OFF IN A COMPLEX AIRPLANE, THE SMA, AND HAVE LOGGED APPROX 30 HRS DUAL IN THAT AIRPLANE. AFTER A LONG DAY'S WORK, I DECIDED TO TAKE THE SMA OUT TO THE LCL PRACTICE AREA TO FINE TUNE MY LAZY-8'S, CHANDELLES, STEEP DSNDING SPIRALS, AND MY PRECISION LNDGS. BY THE TIME WE WERE READY TO TAXI, THE SUN WAS BEGINNING TO SET. I REALIZED THAT IT MIGHT BE DARK WHEN WE HEAD BACK. BY THE TIME I GOT OUT TO THE PRACTICE AREA IT WAS ALREADY STARTING TO GET DARK. AFTER A FEW CHANDELLES, FOLLOWED BY LAZY-8'S AND A STEEP SPIRAL, I CALLED THE APCH CTL AGENCY AND OBTAINED A CLRNC TO RETURN TO SNA ARPT. WHEN APCH CTL HANDED ME TO TWR, THE TWR CTLR ASKED ME TO RPT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19R. SO I ENTERED AT A 45 DEG ANGLE AND MADE A CALL TO TWR TO RPT IN ON DOWNWIND. THE CTLR CAME BACK TO ME AND HE SAID TO EXTEND DOWNWIND AND HE'LL CALL MY BASE TURN. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONTINUED ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. I FLEW A LITTLE HIGH BECAUSE I WAS WAITING FOR TWR TO CALL MY BASE TURN. AFTER AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND, TWR CAME BACK TO ME AND SAID: 'TURN BASE NOW AND CLR TO LAND ON RWY 19L, REPEAT RWY 19L.' I REPLIED, 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 19L.' I FULLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CTLR WANTED ME TO SWITCH FROM RWY 19R TO RWY 19L. AFTER I TURNED FINAL, I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE THE SIGHT PICTURE LOOKED DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I HAD ANTICIPATED. AT THE TIME I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY WAS WRONG WITH THE SIGHT PICTURE AND I CONTINUED ON THE FINAL DSCNT. I SAW THE WHITE VASI ON THE R FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FOR THE R RWY, BUT I COULDN'T LOCATE THE RWY LIGHTS FOR THE L. I DECIDED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND DECIDED TO DO A GAR. I THEN NOTIFIED TWR OF THE GAR AND RETRACTED MY GEAR FOLLOWED BY REDUCING FLAPS TO '0' DEGS. I FLEW THE L PATTERN FOR THE RWY 19L AND MADE A CALL TO TWR INDICATING THAT I'M ON L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19L. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED AND CLRED ME FOR LNDG. I FLEW A WIDER PATTERN DUE TO THE HIGHER AIRSPD OF THE SMA AND MADE MY BASE TURN. AS I TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, AGAIN I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING LOOKED DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE WHITE VASI WAS CLRLY VISIBLE AND YET I STILL COULDN'T LOCATE THE WHITE RWY LIGHTS FOR THE L RWY. IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME THAT THE WHITE VASI ON THE R IS ACTUALLY FOR THE L RWY AND NOT THE R. I BECAME CONFUSED AND A LITTLE HESITANT TO DO ANOTHER GAR. WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE L RWY WAS ACTUALLY THE TXWY. I SAW THE BLUE LIGHTS BUT IN MY MIND I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT THE WHITE VASI WAS FOR THE R RWY AND NOT THE L. ALL THROUGH THE FINAL APCH SEGMENT THE TXWY (I THOUGHT RWY) WAS CLR AND NO OTHER ACFT WAS ON THE GND. WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS ABOUT TO LAND ON THE TXWY I THOUGHT I WAS COMMITTED AND IT WOULD BE TOO RISKY TO DO A GAR SO LOW TO THE GND. I KNEW THAT THE TXWY WAS CLR AND SO I LANDED ON THE TXWY. I MADE THE CALL TO THE TWR AND APOLOGIZED FOR MY MISTAKE. THEY GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AND I COMPLIED. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY MISTAKE. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT NOBODY GOT HURT. I SHOULD HAVE USED THE SAME JUDGEMENT AS THE FIRST APCH AND DID A GAR AND COME BACK FOR ANOTHER TRY. THERE WERE SO MANY CLUES THAT TOLD ME THAT I WAS LINED UP WITH THE TXWY AND I JUST DIDN'T REALIZE SOON ENOUGH TO AVOID THIS HAZARDOUS INCIDENT. I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE TO DO AS MANY GARS AS NECESSARY UNTIL I'M SURE THAT A SAFE LNDG CAN BE MADE.

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.