Narrative:

I was making an all cargo flight from sdf to bna in an small transport. It was IFR at nashville and the ATIS said that nashville was landing and departing runway 2L and that runway 2R and 2C were closed. I fly into nashville 4 times a week and typically land on runway 20R. After listening to the ATIS I got my approach plates out and turned to the ILS runway 20R approach (obviously out of habit). After receiving a vector off the airway, I began setting up for the runway 20R approach. I was too far out at the time to identify the locs but as I set the obs/CDI on the inbound course, I realized that it was pointing in the wrong direction and that I had the wrong approach plate opened. I said to myself: 'I have the wrong approach plate opened, I have the runway 20R approach open, but I need the reciprocal runway. I need runway 2R.' I then proceeded to set up for the runway 2R approach and as I got closer was even able to identify the localizer even though, as I mentioned earlier, that runway was closed. Approach control vectored me to final, cleared me for the runway 2L approach, and handed me off to the tower. It is important to know that at this time, in my mind, I knew what was supposed to be going on. I knew that I was supposed to be shooting the runway 2L approach but for some reason I grabbed the runway 2R plate. After calling the tower, that controller asked me if I was sure I was tracking the runway 2L localizer and said that he showed me 1/2 mi to the right of course and suggested a turn of 20 degrees to the left to reintercept. Seeing that my needles were perfectly centered, I immediately realized that something must be wrong and immediately leveled off. I then realized that I was on the runway 2R ILS and not the runway 2L. The controller then came back and said 'yeah, let's climb you back up to 3000 ft, turn you left to 290 degrees and revector you back to final.' I was revectored to final and landed uneventfully. Throughout this incident, there was no traffic conflict. There were 2 other aircraft behind me but this didn't effect them at all. After seeing the runway 20R approach plate in my hand and realizing that I needed the opposite runway's plate, I should have taken a second to think that the runway would then be runway 2L and not runway 2R. Seeing the runway 20R plate, the right stuck in my head and I immediately opened the book to runway 2R. I will take better care next time in making sure the approach numbers and letters match up with the approach being advertised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT CARGO ACFT MAKES APCH TO WRONG RWY.

Narrative: I WAS MAKING AN ALL CARGO FLT FROM SDF TO BNA IN AN SMT. IT WAS IFR AT NASHVILLE AND THE ATIS SAID THAT NASHVILLE WAS LNDG AND DEPARTING RWY 2L AND THAT RWY 2R AND 2C WERE CLOSED. I FLY INTO NASHVILLE 4 TIMES A WK AND TYPICALLY LAND ON RWY 20R. AFTER LISTENING TO THE ATIS I GOT MY APCH PLATES OUT AND TURNED TO THE ILS RWY 20R APCH (OBVIOUSLY OUT OF HABIT). AFTER RECEIVING A VECTOR OFF THE AIRWAY, I BEGAN SETTING UP FOR THE RWY 20R APCH. I WAS TOO FAR OUT AT THE TIME TO IDENT THE LOCS BUT AS I SET THE OBS/CDI ON THE INBOUND COURSE, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS POINTING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND THAT I HAD THE WRONG APCH PLATE OPENED. I SAID TO MYSELF: 'I HAVE THE WRONG APCH PLATE OPENED, I HAVE THE RWY 20R APCH OPEN, BUT I NEED THE RECIPROCAL RWY. I NEED RWY 2R.' I THEN PROCEEDED TO SET UP FOR THE RWY 2R APCH AND AS I GOT CLOSER WAS EVEN ABLE TO IDENT THE LOC EVEN THOUGH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT RWY WAS CLOSED. APCH CTL VECTORED ME TO FINAL, CLRED ME FOR THE RWY 2L APCH, AND HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT AT THIS TIME, IN MY MIND, I KNEW WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING ON. I KNEW THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SHOOTING THE RWY 2L APCH BUT FOR SOME REASON I GRABBED THE RWY 2R PLATE. AFTER CALLING THE TWR, THAT CTLR ASKED ME IF I WAS SURE I WAS TRACKING THE RWY 2L LOC AND SAID THAT HE SHOWED ME 1/2 MI TO THE R OF COURSE AND SUGGESTED A TURN OF 20 DEGS TO THE L TO REINTERCEPT. SEEING THAT MY NEEDLES WERE PERFECTLY CTRED, I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG AND IMMEDIATELY LEVELED OFF. I THEN REALIZED THAT I WAS ON THE RWY 2R ILS AND NOT THE RWY 2L. THE CTLR THEN CAME BACK AND SAID 'YEAH, LET'S CLB YOU BACK UP TO 3000 FT, TURN YOU L TO 290 DEGS AND REVECTOR YOU BACK TO FINAL.' I WAS REVECTORED TO FINAL AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THROUGHOUT THIS INCIDENT, THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT. THERE WERE 2 OTHER ACFT BEHIND ME BUT THIS DIDN'T EFFECT THEM AT ALL. AFTER SEEING THE RWY 20R APCH PLATE IN MY HAND AND REALIZING THAT I NEEDED THE OPPOSITE RWY'S PLATE, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A SECOND TO THINK THAT THE RWY WOULD THEN BE RWY 2L AND NOT RWY 2R. SEEING THE RWY 20R PLATE, THE R STUCK IN MY HEAD AND I IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE BOOK TO RWY 2R. I WILL TAKE BETTER CARE NEXT TIME IN MAKING SURE THE APCH NUMBERS AND LETTERS MATCH UP WITH THE APCH BEING ADVERTISED.

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.