Narrative:

Sep/fri/94, I was flying a G-35 beech bonanza primarily on a pleasure flight in the san antonio control zone. I was in contact with approach control, 125.1, and was cleared and directed to runway 12R, and was handoff to tower frequency 119.8. WX was VFR with clouds scattered to broken at about 2000 ft, visibility was 7-9 mi with some haze toward the sun. I had both vors on the ILS frequency for runway 12R, and was looking forward to getting a decent equipment check for my locs and GS, as it is practically impossible to get a practice or simulated approach of any kind at sat anymore. I contacted tower about 6 DME mi out on final approach and had my clearance changed to land on runway 12L. Traffic was light. And I was not aware of tower being in contact with any other traffic. When I moved over to the left to comply with the change in my clearance, and checking deflection on my localizer pointer, I was unaware that I had overshot runway 12L and was lined up with the taxiway which was slightly to the left of runway 12L and parallel to it. They are practically indistinguishable and easily mistaken if you should be lined up with the wrong one. Also, I was distracted by a maintenance check being performed on a white merlin on a run up pad to the right of the taxiway. By the time I discovered I was lined up with the taxiway and it was as good or better than the runway, and every thing was clear, I elected to execute the landing rather than go around, as there were no further instructions from the tower. This occurred on the non busy side of the airport, which is used mainly for training. I was given taxi instructions, and was instructed to call the tower when I got in. I feel that changing a clearance when on a final approach for convenience rather than safety should be discouraged, and in this case a more visible warning that the taxiway is not the runway. After flying for more than 60 yrs (I am 79) perhaps I may be indulged and allowed to make a few off the record comments in the interest of safety. I realize that I am not as a proficient pilot as I was at 20, 30, or even 40 yrs, but I think I am still a safe pilot as long as I recognize my limitations, and do not exceed them. I am very aware of the vast changes in aviation and realize that we need regulation and control to prevent chaos, but I do believe, in many cases, it is overkill. Since my early days of flying, our nation has evolved into a bureaucratic dictatorship, the FAA being one of them. (Flattery intended) I believe you are doing a great service in being ombudsman between the FAA and pilots, and in keeping some pilots (who are human, not perfect and not criminals) from being violated by some controllers who may have never been in an airplane, but do know all the regulations and how to impose them. I enjoy your 'callback' circular, and its emphasis on the human element, and pass it on to some of my friends.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SMA LANDS ON TXWY.

Narrative: SEP/FRI/94, I WAS FLYING A G-35 BEECH BONANZA PRIMARILY ON A PLEASURE FLT IN THE SAN ANTONIO CTL ZONE. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL, 125.1, AND WAS CLRED AND DIRECTED TO RWY 12R, AND WAS HDOF TO TWR FREQ 119.8. WX WAS VFR WITH CLOUDS SCATTERED TO BROKEN AT ABOUT 2000 FT, VISIBILITY WAS 7-9 MI WITH SOME HAZE TOWARD THE SUN. I HAD BOTH VORS ON THE ILS FREQ FOR RWY 12R, AND WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING A DECENT EQUIP CHK FOR MY LOCS AND GS, AS IT IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A PRACTICE OR SIMULATED APCH OF ANY KIND AT SAT ANYMORE. I CONTACTED TWR ABOUT 6 DME MI OUT ON FINAL APCH AND HAD MY CLRNC CHANGED TO LAND ON RWY 12L. TFC WAS LIGHT. AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF TWR BEING IN CONTACT WITH ANY OTHER TFC. WHEN I MOVED OVER TO THE L TO COMPLY WITH THE CHANGE IN MY CLRNC, AND CHKING DEFLECTION ON MY LOC POINTER, I WAS UNAWARE THAT I HAD OVERSHOT RWY 12L AND WAS LINED UP WITH THE TXWY WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY TO THE L OF RWY 12L AND PARALLEL TO IT. THEY ARE PRACTICALLY INDISTINGUISHABLE AND EASILY MISTAKEN IF YOU SHOULD BE LINED UP WITH THE WRONG ONE. ALSO, I WAS DISTRACTED BY A MAINT CHK BEING PERFORMED ON A WHITE MERLIN ON A RUN UP PAD TO THE R OF THE TXWY. BY THE TIME I DISCOVERED I WAS LINED UP WITH THE TXWY AND IT WAS AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN THE RWY, AND EVERY THING WAS CLR, I ELECTED TO EXECUTE THE LNDG RATHER THAN GAR, AS THERE WERE NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR. THIS OCCURRED ON THE NON BUSY SIDE OF THE ARPT, WHICH IS USED MAINLY FOR TRAINING. I WAS GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I GOT IN. I FEEL THAT CHANGING A CLRNC WHEN ON A FINAL APCH FOR CONVENIENCE RATHER THAN SAFETY SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED, AND IN THIS CASE A MORE VISIBLE WARNING THAT THE TXWY IS NOT THE RWY. AFTER FLYING FOR MORE THAN 60 YRS (I AM 79) PERHAPS I MAY BE INDULGED AND ALLOWED TO MAKE A FEW OFF THE RECORD COMMENTS IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. I REALIZE THAT I AM NOT AS A PROFICIENT PLT AS I WAS AT 20, 30, OR EVEN 40 YRS, BUT I THINK I AM STILL A SAFE PLT AS LONG AS I RECOGNIZE MY LIMITATIONS, AND DO NOT EXCEED THEM. I AM VERY AWARE OF THE VAST CHANGES IN AVIATION AND REALIZE THAT WE NEED REG AND CTL TO PREVENT CHAOS, BUT I DO BELIEVE, IN MANY CASES, IT IS OVERKILL. SINCE MY EARLY DAYS OF FLYING, OUR NATION HAS EVOLVED INTO A BUREAUCRATIC DICTATORSHIP, THE FAA BEING ONE OF THEM. (FLATTERY INTENDED) I BELIEVE YOU ARE DOING A GREAT SVC IN BEING OMBUDSMAN BTWN THE FAA AND PLTS, AND IN KEEPING SOME PLTS (WHO ARE HUMAN, NOT PERFECT AND NOT CRIMINALS) FROM BEING VIOLATED BY SOME CTLRS WHO MAY HAVE NEVER BEEN IN AN AIRPLANE, BUT DO KNOW ALL THE REGS AND HOW TO IMPOSE THEM. I ENJOY YOUR 'CALLBACK' CIRCULAR, AND ITS EMPHASIS ON THE HUMAN ELEMENT, AND PASS IT ON TO SOME OF MY FRIENDS.

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.