Narrative:

On apr/xx/94, I flew from pauma valley ca (95L) to bullhead city, az. I got a flight briefing from flight service and called the bullhead city FBO to get local WX conditions. These were done at XA00 am PDT. I departed 95L about 1 hour later and got a VFR flight following from ZLA for the trip. After an uneventful flight of 1 hour, I reported in to the bullhead city tower controller when 15 mi southwest of the airport. The controller told me to proceed inbound and report when 5 mi from the airport. I acknowledged. When 5 mi away, I reported in. The controller was exceedingly busy and had a plane flying in the wrong direction in the pattern. The controller told me to fly away from the airport and call back in 10-15 mins, I acknowledged and proceeded south. 10 mins later I called the controller again and reported 15 mi south of the airport. He thanked me for my cooperation and patience and directed me to proceed to the airport for a straight in approach and to report when 5 mi from the airport. I acknowledged and turned north. When 5 mi south of the airport I reported in. The controller cleared me to land on runway 34. I continued on. While I was proceeding toward the airport the controller was talking to another plane on left downwind turning to left base for 34. The controller told him he was #2 for landing behind a bonanza (me). The other pilot did not see me and said he was looking for me. As I was coming to short final, 1 mi, the other pilot, now on left base, still said he did not see me. I was splitting my concentration between landing and looking occasionally for the other plane. When on short final the controller again cleared me to land, but said he did not have me visually. When I was about 25 ft off the runway I saw that there was an X on the runway. I realized it was closed. I had to make a quick decision on whether to go around or to land. I considered that it would be much safer to land, as there was adequate seemingly good runway ahead of me. It was hot, 100 degree F and the pattern had been very congested and confused. I made a normal landing and reported to the tower controller that I had landed on the wrong runway (the one I landed on was parallel to runway 34 and about 100 yds from it). He directed me to stay with the plane until airport personnel came to assist, I did so. There was no damage to the plane and no injuries. I had consulted both the current version (3 march 94-28 apr 94) of the airport facility directory for southwest united states (a government flight information directory) and the 1994 edition of AOPA's aviation USA directory. Neither made any mention of an abandoned runway at bullhead city. Another pilot said he once got lined up on the abandoned runway at bullhead city but he realized in time and changed course to land on 34. There was no mention of the abandoned runway given to me in NOTAMS received during my preflight briefing through the 1-800-WX- brief (san diego FSS?).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG ON CLOSED RWY TXWY. OLD, LONG TIME SIT AT ARPT SO NO NOTAMS NOT ISSUED.

Narrative: ON APR/XX/94, I FLEW FROM PAUMA VALLEY CA (95L) TO BULLHEAD CITY, AZ. I GOT A FLT BRIEFING FROM FLT SVC AND CALLED THE BULLHEAD CITY FBO TO GET LCL WX CONDITIONS. THESE WERE DONE AT XA00 AM PDT. I DEPARTED 95L ABOUT 1 HR LATER AND GOT A VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM ZLA FOR THE TRIP. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT OF 1 HR, I RPTED IN TO THE BULLHEAD CITY TWR CTLR WHEN 15 MI SW OF THE ARPT. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO PROCEED INBOUND AND RPT WHEN 5 MI FROM THE ARPT. I ACKNOWLEDGED. WHEN 5 MI AWAY, I RPTED IN. THE CTLR WAS EXCEEDINGLY BUSY AND HAD A PLANE FLYING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION IN THE PATTERN. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO FLY AWAY FROM THE ARPT AND CALL BACK IN 10-15 MINS, I ACKNOWLEDGED AND PROCEEDED S. 10 MINS LATER I CALLED THE CTLR AGAIN AND RPTED 15 MI S OF THE ARPT. HE THANKED ME FOR MY COOPERATION AND PATIENCE AND DIRECTED ME TO PROCEED TO THE ARPT FOR A STRAIGHT IN APCH AND TO RPT WHEN 5 MI FROM THE ARPT. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND TURNED N. WHEN 5 MI S OF THE ARPT I RPTED IN. THE CTLR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 34. I CONTINUED ON. WHILE I WAS PROCEEDING TOWARD THE ARPT THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER PLANE ON L DOWNWIND TURNING TO L BASE FOR 34. THE CTLR TOLD HIM HE WAS #2 FOR LNDG BEHIND A BONANZA (ME). THE OTHER PLT DID NOT SEE ME AND SAID HE WAS LOOKING FOR ME. AS I WAS COMING TO SHORT FINAL, 1 MI, THE OTHER PLT, NOW ON L BASE, STILL SAID HE DID NOT SEE ME. I WAS SPLITTING MY CONCENTRATION BTWN LNDG AND LOOKING OCCASIONALLY FOR THE OTHER PLANE. WHEN ON SHORT FINAL THE CTLR AGAIN CLRED ME TO LAND, BUT SAID HE DID NOT HAVE ME VISUALLY. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 25 FT OFF THE RWY I SAW THAT THERE WAS AN X ON THE RWY. I REALIZED IT WAS CLOSED. I HAD TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION ON WHETHER TO GAR OR TO LAND. I CONSIDERED THAT IT WOULD BE MUCH SAFER TO LAND, AS THERE WAS ADEQUATE SEEMINGLY GOOD RWY AHEAD OF ME. IT WAS HOT, 100 DEG F AND THE PATTERN HAD BEEN VERY CONGESTED AND CONFUSED. I MADE A NORMAL LNDG AND RPTED TO THE TWR CTLR THAT I HAD LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY (THE ONE I LANDED ON WAS PARALLEL TO RWY 34 AND ABOUT 100 YDS FROM IT). HE DIRECTED ME TO STAY WITH THE PLANE UNTIL ARPT PERSONNEL CAME TO ASSIST, I DID SO. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE AND NO INJURIES. I HAD CONSULTED BOTH THE CURRENT VERSION (3 MARCH 94-28 APR 94) OF THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY FOR SW UNITED STATES (A GOV FLT INFO DIRECTORY) AND THE 1994 EDITION OF AOPA'S AVIATION USA DIRECTORY. NEITHER MADE ANY MENTION OF AN ABANDONED RWY AT BULLHEAD CITY. ANOTHER PLT SAID HE ONCE GOT LINED UP ON THE ABANDONED RWY AT BULLHEAD CITY BUT HE REALIZED IN TIME AND CHANGED COURSE TO LAND ON 34. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE ABANDONED RWY GIVEN TO ME IN NOTAMS RECEIVED DURING MY PREFLT BRIEFING THROUGH THE 1-800-WX- BRIEF (SAN DIEGO FSS?).

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.