Narrative:

We were inbound to las on the crowe 6 arrival. After crossing crowe, we picked up the localizer for las runway 25R. We had an air carrier 737 in close trail behind us and had been asked by approach to maintain our best forward speed. Between 15 and 20 NM from las, we picked up a visual on the airport and were cleared for the visual to runway 25L. Ahead and to our left we picked up the outline of a runway which we thought was runway 25L. We headed for it, received our landing clearance, and landed. After landing the tower advised us that we had just landed on the center taxiway 'a' between runway 25L and runway 25R. In trying to sort out what factors may have contributed to our failure to identify the proper runway the following come to mind: 1) we were looking directly into the sun, which made visual identify of the runway very difficult. 2) positive identify of runway 25 left and runway 25R is made even more difficult due to the rubber deposits from landing aircraft which have almost completely obliterated the numbers painted on the runway. 3) we had been asked for our best forward speed to maintain spacing on the 737 behind us. This concern about spacing may have overridden or compromised our positive identify of runway 25L, in spite of our best efforts not to let it become an issue which would affect our performance. 4) we were mentally set up to land on runway 25R. We had asked for runway 25R and had been told to expect it when we switched over to tower. Instead, tower told us to land on runway 25L, which for us was an unfamiliar runway. We were not familiar with its runway environment, which would have given us the visual cues we needed to make a quick and positive identify of runway 25L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR LTT LANDED ON A TXWY.

Narrative: WE WERE INBOUND TO LAS ON THE CROWE 6 ARR. AFTER XING CROWE, WE PICKED UP THE LOC FOR LAS RWY 25R. WE HAD AN ACR 737 IN CLOSE TRAIL BEHIND US AND HAD BEEN ASKED BY APCH TO MAINTAIN OUR BEST FORWARD SPD. BTWN 15 AND 20 NM FROM LAS, WE PICKED UP A VISUAL ON THE ARPT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 25L. AHEAD AND TO OUR L WE PICKED UP THE OUTLINE OF A RWY WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS RWY 25L. WE HEADED FOR IT, RECEIVED OUR LNDG CLRNC, AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG THE TWR ADVISED US THAT WE HAD JUST LANDED ON THE CTR TXWY 'A' BTWN RWY 25L AND RWY 25R. IN TRYING TO SORT OUT WHAT FACTORS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR FAILURE TO IDENT THE PROPER RWY THE FOLLOWING COME TO MIND: 1) WE WERE LOOKING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN, WHICH MADE VISUAL IDENT OF THE RWY VERY DIFFICULT. 2) POSITIVE IDENT OF RWY 25 L AND RWY 25R IS MADE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT DUE TO THE RUBBER DEPOSITS FROM LNDG ACFT WHICH HAVE ALMOST COMPLETELY OBLITERATED THE NUMBERS PAINTED ON THE RWY. 3) WE HAD BEEN ASKED FOR OUR BEST FORWARD SPD TO MAINTAIN SPACING ON THE 737 BEHIND US. THIS CONCERN ABOUT SPACING MAY HAVE OVERRIDDEN OR COMPROMISED OUR POSITIVE IDENT OF RWY 25L, IN SPITE OF OUR BEST EFFORTS NOT TO LET IT BECOME AN ISSUE WHICH WOULD AFFECT OUR PERFORMANCE. 4) WE WERE MENTALLY SET UP TO LAND ON RWY 25R. WE HAD ASKED FOR RWY 25R AND HAD BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT IT WHEN WE SWITCHED OVER TO TWR. INSTEAD, TWR TOLD US TO LAND ON RWY 25L, WHICH FOR US WAS AN UNFAMILIAR RWY. WE WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH ITS RWY ENVIRONMENT, WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN US THE VISUAL CUES WE NEEDED TO MAKE A QUICK AND POSITIVE IDENT OF RWY 25L.

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.