Narrative:

Van nuys uses 2 parallel runways. I was practicing night takeoffs and lndgs from the right seat of a C172RG to get comfortable on that side of the cockpit for my CFI training. I'm relatively unfamiliar with the area and was perhaps too involved in my own thinking to really hear the controller who cleared me to land on runway 34R. I responded to his clearance, but I had it in my mind from the beginning that I would get runway 34L. So even though he cleared me for the right and I responded that I understood, I never really recognized the fact that I was cleared for runway 34R as opposed to runway 34L. Consequently I proceeded to do a touch and go on runway 34L inadvertently touching down in front of an airplane that had been cleared to depart runway 34L. The pilot of the other airplane aborted his takeoff upon seeing me touch down in front of him. Only that pilot and the controller knew how close we came to one another. I actually saw the other plane in the 'position and hold' position during my approach but was so convinced I'd been cleared for runway 34L that I figured the controller had just cleared the other pilot to 'position and hold' prematurely and so I continued my approach. ATC's instructions somehow took a back seat to my 'mental clutter' and I heard what I was expecting to hear versus what was really said.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ACCIDENTLY LANDS ON THE WRONG RWY, BUT, DELIBERATELY OVER THE TOP OF AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS ON THAT RWY.

Narrative: VAN NUYS USES 2 PARALLEL RWYS. I WAS PRACTICING NIGHT TKOFS AND LNDGS FROM THE R SEAT OF A C172RG TO GET COMFORTABLE ON THAT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT FOR MY CFI TRAINING. I'M RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND WAS PERHAPS TOO INVOLVED IN MY OWN THINKING TO REALLY HEAR THE CTLR WHO CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 34R. I RESPONDED TO HIS CLRNC, BUT I HAD IT IN MY MIND FROM THE BEGINNING THAT I WOULD GET RWY 34L. SO EVEN THOUGH HE CLRED ME FOR THE R AND I RESPONDED THAT I UNDERSTOOD, I NEVER REALLY RECOGNIZED THE FACT THAT I WAS CLRED FOR RWY 34R AS OPPOSED TO RWY 34L. CONSEQUENTLY I PROCEEDED TO DO A TOUCH AND GO ON RWY 34L INADVERTENTLY TOUCHING DOWN IN FRONT OF AN AIRPLANE THAT HAD BEEN CLRED TO DEPART RWY 34L. THE PLT OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE ABORTED HIS TKOF UPON SEEING ME TOUCH DOWN IN FRONT OF HIM. ONLY THAT PLT AND THE CTLR KNEW HOW CLOSE WE CAME TO ONE ANOTHER. I ACTUALLY SAW THE OTHER PLANE IN THE 'POS AND HOLD' POS DURING MY APCH BUT WAS SO CONVINCED I'D BEEN CLRED FOR RWY 34L THAT I FIGURED THE CTLR HAD JUST CLRED THE OTHER PLT TO 'POS AND HOLD' PREMATURELY AND SO I CONTINUED MY APCH. ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS SOMEHOW TOOK A BACK SEAT TO MY 'MENTAL CLUTTER' AND I HEARD WHAT I WAS EXPECTING TO HEAR VERSUS WHAT WAS REALLY SAID.

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.