Pilot lines up with taxiway instead of runway for landing.

Attributes
ACN	319264
Time
Date	199510
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ewr
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 165 flight time total : 3635
ASRS Report	319264
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During vectors for a visual approach to runway 11, I reported the airport and runway 11 in sight, to ny approach. Approach then cleared me for the visual approach to runway 4L. Approach control pointed out traffic that was landing on runway 4R, parallel to runway 4L. I reported traffic in sight and continued to watch traffic. Approach turned me over to tower. Landing clearance was given to me. At this time I was approaching a left base to runway 4L. I continued to left base, and was watching traffic landing runway 4R. Inadvertently, I made a turn to what I assumed was final to runway 4L. The approach continued on final until I noticed that my aircraft was not aligned with runway 4L, but rather with the outer taxiway. I initiated a go around, as the tower simultaneously was telling me to go around. I replied that I was going around. Tower instructed me to fly a left hand pattern, and cleared me to land on runway 4L, which I did. Too much attention was given to traffic landing on the parallel runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LINES UP WITH TXWY INSTEAD OF RWY FOR LNDG.

Narrative: DURING VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 11, I RPTED THE ARPT AND RWY 11 IN SIGHT, TO NY APCH. APCH THEN CLRED ME FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 4L. APCH CTL POINTED OUT TFC THAT WAS LNDG ON RWY 4R, PARALLEL TO RWY 4L. I RPTED TFC IN SIGHT AND CONTINUED TO WATCH TFC. APCH TURNED ME OVER TO TWR. LNDG CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO ME. AT THIS TIME I WAS APCHING A L BASE TO RWY 4L. I CONTINUED TO L BASE, AND WAS WATCHING TFC LNDG RWY 4R. INADVERTENTLY, I MADE A TURN TO WHAT I ASSUMED WAS FINAL TO RWY 4L. THE APCH CONTINUED ON FINAL UNTIL I NOTICED THAT MY ACFT WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH RWY 4L, BUT RATHER WITH THE OUTER TXWY. I INITIATED A GAR, AS THE TWR SIMULTANEOUSLY WAS TELLING ME TO GAR. I REPLIED THAT I WAS GOING AROUND. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO FLY A L HAND PATTERN, AND CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 4L, WHICH I DID. TOO MUCH ATTN WAS GIVEN TO TFC LNDG ON THE PARALLEL RWY.

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.