Uncontrolled airport pattern deviation. Landed on wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	313329
Time
Date	199507
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : o45
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	J3 Cub
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 2800
ASRS Report	313329
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Airport was approached initially at 2500 ft MSL and 3 mi wsw. No traffic report or active runway report on 122.7. At 2 1/2 mi and 2000 ft MSL, a yellow high wing aircraft was seen flying very low over north 1/2 of runway 2 nnebound apparently on takeoff climb out. I took this as indication that runway 2 was the active runway. Left base leg entry at 1100 ft MSL was made and normal landing made on runway 2. On rollout a yellow piper cub was seen aborting a landing on runway 20 and making a right turn evasively at about 75-100 ft AGL and about 500 ft distance. I then realized by windsock that I had made a downwind landing (wind approximately 200 degrees, 10 KTS). No other traffic seen throughout incident. Incident was caused by my failure to properly establish active runway. Could be prevented by overhead observation of windsock/active runway when no radio report available.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNCTLED ARPT PATTERN DEV. LANDED ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative: ARPT WAS APCHED INITIALLY AT 2500 FT MSL AND 3 MI WSW. NO TFC RPT OR ACTIVE RWY RPT ON 122.7. AT 2 1/2 MI AND 2000 FT MSL, A YELLOW HIGH WING ACFT WAS SEEN FLYING VERY LOW OVER N 1/2 OF RWY 2 NNEBOUND APPARENTLY ON TKOF CLBOUT. I TOOK THIS AS INDICATION THAT RWY 2 WAS THE ACTIVE RWY. L BASE LEG ENTRY AT 1100 FT MSL WAS MADE AND NORMAL LNDG MADE ON RWY 2. ON ROLLOUT A YELLOW PIPER CUB WAS SEEN ABORTING A LNDG ON RWY 20 AND MAKING A R TURN EVASIVELY AT ABOUT 75-100 FT AGL AND ABOUT 500 FT DISTANCE. I THEN REALIZED BY WINDSOCK THAT I HAD MADE A DOWNWIND LNDG (WIND APPROX 200 DEGS, 10 KTS). NO OTHER TFC SEEN THROUGHOUT INCIDENT. INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY MY FAILURE TO PROPERLY ESTABLISH ACTIVE RWY. COULD BE PREVENTED BY OVERHEAD OBSERVATION OF WINDSOCK/ACTIVE RWY WHEN NO RADIO RPT AVAILABLE.

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.