Private pilot of small aircraft sel lands on taxiway due to gusty xwinds.

Attributes
ACN	274669
Time
Date	199406
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 1990 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	274669
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon return of a flight from southern california to vgt, the wind, as it often does, was very strong from the southwest -- 20-22 KTS, varying from 160-220 degrees. On my first contact with the tower, they cleared me to land on runway 12, but as I got closer to the airport, the wind was favoring runway 25. The tower cleared me to land on runway 25, but while setting up for it (the tower was giving me continual updates on the wind) the wind was now favoring runway 12. From the tower's description of the wind, it was 180-220 degrees at 22 KTS, and at this time, with a passenger in great discomfort, I decided to land on taxiway C which was old runway 22. Although I have made many crosswind lndgs at vgt, some at night when only runway 28 was lighted, I decided that taxiway C (runway 22) was the best course of action considering the wind excursions and my passenger. Of course the tower could not clear me to land on a taxiway (I did not think that this was an emergency) and advised me that I would be doing so at my own risk. In retrospect maybe I should have gone to the las airport which has a runway 19 or continued to make approachs to runways 12 and 25 until the wind steadied long enough to make a safe landing. I'm not sure whether my action was appropriate or not considering the situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF SMA SEL LANDS ON TXWY DUE TO GUSTY XWINDS.

Narrative: UPON RETURN OF A FLT FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO VGT, THE WIND, AS IT OFTEN DOES, WAS VERY STRONG FROM THE SW -- 20-22 KTS, VARYING FROM 160-220 DEGS. ON MY FIRST CONTACT WITH THE TWR, THEY CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 12, BUT AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE ARPT, THE WIND WAS FAVORING RWY 25. THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 25, BUT WHILE SETTING UP FOR IT (THE TWR WAS GIVING ME CONTINUAL UPDATES ON THE WIND) THE WIND WAS NOW FAVORING RWY 12. FROM THE TWR'S DESCRIPTION OF THE WIND, IT WAS 180-220 DEGS AT 22 KTS, AND AT THIS TIME, WITH A PAX IN GREAT DISCOMFORT, I DECIDED TO LAND ON TXWY C WHICH WAS OLD RWY 22. ALTHOUGH I HAVE MADE MANY XWIND LNDGS AT VGT, SOME AT NIGHT WHEN ONLY RWY 28 WAS LIGHTED, I DECIDED THAT TXWY C (RWY 22) WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION CONSIDERING THE WIND EXCURSIONS AND MY PAX. OF COURSE THE TWR COULD NOT CLR ME TO LAND ON A TXWY (I DID NOT THINK THAT THIS WAS AN EMER) AND ADVISED ME THAT I WOULD BE DOING SO AT MY OWN RISK. IN RETROSPECT MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE LAS ARPT WHICH HAS A RWY 19 OR CONTINUED TO MAKE APCHS TO RWYS 12 AND 25 UNTIL THE WIND STEADIED LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER MY ACTION WAS APPROPRIATE OR NOT CONSIDERING THE SIT.

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.