Narrative:

I volunteered to fly with mr. X, the owner and pilot of a PA-46 mailbu mirage. I worked the radios while he flew a very ill 3 month old hospital patient, the mother, a 3 yr old boy and children's hospital worker to mke where they would be picked up and taken to milwaukee's children's hospital. I was not acting as PIC. I was not giving flight instruction. I do not have flight or ground experience with the PA-46, and no time was logged in my records for this flight. The flight was operated under an agreement between the hospital, mr. X and the agency he does volunteer work for. Our identifier was 'lifeguard abc.' the flight was uneventful and we were handed off to the mke tower. The tower cleared us to land on runway 25R and I acknowledged. The pilot lined up and descended to what appeared to be runway 25R. At about 200 ft AGL I stated that something didn't look right. The heading indicator showed approximately 260-270 degrees. The compass was off because of a heavy electrical load supplied by pitot heat and other equipment. From the right seat, I could not easily see what heading was on his slaved HSI. I felt my heading indicator may have precessed. At about 100 ft AGL, I noticed a very faint yellow centerline and told the pilot 'you are lined up on the taxiway.' he responded, unsure of himself. At about 50 ft AGL I said 'you're landing on the taxiway,' and the pilot acknowledged and continued. I asked him if he was making a go around and he continued down. Just before landing I said 'you realize this is a taxiway,' and he landed anyway. After landing the tower asked the pilot to call on the phone and he did. I do not know what was said over the phone. I have never touched the controls of a PA-46 and did not feel that the landing was in danger. The taxiway was wider and longer than runway 25R and it was clear of activity. Rather than taking control of an aircraft that I have never flown before in a critical phase of flight, I alerted the pilot of his mistake on several occasions and let him continue. Both the taxiway and runway 25R have faded paint, which make them hard to identify.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS ON TXWY INSTEAD OF RWY.

Narrative: I VOLUNTEERED TO FLY WITH MR. X, THE OWNER AND PLT OF A PA-46 MAILBU MIRAGE. I WORKED THE RADIOS WHILE HE FLEW A VERY ILL 3 MONTH OLD HOSPITAL PATIENT, THE MOTHER, A 3 YR OLD BOY AND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WORKER TO MKE WHERE THEY WOULD BE PICKED UP AND TAKEN TO MILWAUKEE'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. I WAS NOT ACTING AS PIC. I WAS NOT GIVING FLT INSTRUCTION. I DO NOT HAVE FLT OR GND EXPERIENCE WITH THE PA-46, AND NO TIME WAS LOGGED IN MY RECORDS FOR THIS FLT. THE FLT WAS OPERATED UNDER AN AGREEMENT BTWN THE HOSPITAL, MR. X AND THE AGENCY HE DOES VOLUNTEER WORK FOR. OUR IDENTIFIER WAS 'LIFEGUARD ABC.' THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE MKE TWR. THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 25R AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. THE PLT LINED UP AND DSNDED TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE RWY 25R. AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL I STATED THAT SOMETHING DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT. THE HDG INDICATOR SHOWED APPROX 260-270 DEGS. THE COMPASS WAS OFF BECAUSE OF A HVY ELECTRICAL LOAD SUPPLIED BY PITOT HEAT AND OTHER EQUIP. FROM THE R SEAT, I COULD NOT EASILY SEE WHAT HDG WAS ON HIS SLAVED HSI. I FELT MY HDG INDICATOR MAY HAVE PRECESSED. AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, I NOTICED A VERY FAINT YELLOW CTRLINE AND TOLD THE PLT 'YOU ARE LINED UP ON THE TXWY.' HE RESPONDED, UNSURE OF HIMSELF. AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL I SAID 'YOU'RE LNDG ON THE TXWY,' AND THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONTINUED. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS MAKING A GAR AND HE CONTINUED DOWN. JUST BEFORE LNDG I SAID 'YOU REALIZE THIS IS A TXWY,' AND HE LANDED ANYWAY. AFTER LNDG THE TWR ASKED THE PLT TO CALL ON THE PHONE AND HE DID. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WAS SAID OVER THE PHONE. I HAVE NEVER TOUCHED THE CTLS OF A PA-46 AND DID NOT FEEL THAT THE LNDG WAS IN DANGER. THE TXWY WAS WIDER AND LONGER THAN RWY 25R AND IT WAS CLR OF ACTIVITY. RATHER THAN TAKING CTL OF AN ACFT THAT I HAVE NEVER FLOWN BEFORE IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT, I ALERTED THE PLT OF HIS MISTAKE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND LET HIM CONTINUE. BOTH THE TXWY AND RWY 25R HAVE FADED PAINT, WHICH MAKE THEM HARD TO IDENT.

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.