Narrative:

'Fixation on an idea' is the only way I can think of to describe what I want to report here. For it was just that, which led me to continue an approach to runway 25R despite all indications that it was runway 25L that I had been cleared for. Approaching lvk from the south (sunol golf course) I contacted tower on 128.2 after monitoring ATIS and received instructions to enter left downwind for runway 25L (with hindsight I'm sure the instructions were for runway 25L) and report on the 45 degree. I'm sure I heard and repeated back runway 25L, but I was thinking runway 25R. I thought at the time that it was odd being cleared for runway 25R on 128.2 when the second tower position is operating at lvk, but I thought, 'oh well, I don't need to request runway 25R since they've given it to me anyway.' that's the first point at which I should have queried ATC about an instruction that seemed 'strange' to me. I continued the approach, everything 'normal' for runway 25R. After turning left base tower informed me that I was drifting too far north for runway 25L, but I was still thinking in terms of runway 25R and acknowledged tower, but wondered why they thought I was too far north. I was right on course, for runway 25R. That's the second point at which I should have queried tower about a radio call that seemed 'strange' to me. Just before turning base to final I saw another aircraft on a right base turning final for runway 25R, so I turned right to avoid it. Tower, understandably agitated, asked me 'what are you doing?' I replied, 'turning to avoid traffic.' tower replied, 'you're cleared for runway 25L.' only at this point did I end my fixation on the idea that I was landing on the right runway. I realized what had happened, apologized to tower for my misunderstanding (I think that's the word I used) and made a normal landing on runway 25L. The point is here, that I wasn't fixated visually on anything. I was scanning, my aircraft was properly configured and everything in order. I was picking up traffic outside. I knew where I was and where I was going (or so I thought). I was fixated on the idea that I was landing on runway 25R, the main runway, the ILS runway, even though I was in VMC and not on instruments and hadn't requested runway 25R (which I would normally have done when initially assigned to runway 25L at livermore). Visual fixation is a well-known problem, and the remedy is also well-known -- proper scan technique and interpretation. But what I experienced here, 'conceptual fixation,' is somewhat different. I don't know what the remedy is, except 'don't ignore any data coming in, no matter how well things seem to be going, or how familiar everything is,' and 'never let any ATC call go unqueried if it seems strange in any way -- it might be an error on the part of ATC, or as in this case, on my part, but the important thing is to detect it and correct as early as possible.' one other point that might be of interest here: this occurred on the second day after I arrived on a flight from europe, although it occurred at a local time of day when I don't normally experience any problems with wbound jet lag. That's all I can offer here and hope it will be of some help to others.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR EXPERIENCES MINDSET FOR WRONG RWY APCH.

Narrative: 'FIXATION ON AN IDEA' IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN THINK OF TO DESCRIBE WHAT I WANT TO RPT HERE. FOR IT WAS JUST THAT, WHICH LED ME TO CONTINUE AN APCH TO RWY 25R DESPITE ALL INDICATIONS THAT IT WAS RWY 25L THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR. APCHING LVK FROM THE S (SUNOL GOLF COURSE) I CONTACTED TWR ON 128.2 AFTER MONITORING ATIS AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 25L (WITH HINDSIGHT I'M SURE THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOR RWY 25L) AND RPT ON THE 45 DEG. I'M SURE I HEARD AND REPEATED BACK RWY 25L, BUT I WAS THINKING RWY 25R. I THOUGHT AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS ODD BEING CLRED FOR RWY 25R ON 128.2 WHEN THE SECOND TWR POS IS OPERATING AT LVK, BUT I THOUGHT, 'OH WELL, I DON'T NEED TO REQUEST RWY 25R SINCE THEY'VE GIVEN IT TO ME ANYWAY.' THAT'S THE FIRST POINT AT WHICH I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED ATC ABOUT AN INSTRUCTION THAT SEEMED 'STRANGE' TO ME. I CONTINUED THE APCH, EVERYTHING 'NORMAL' FOR RWY 25R. AFTER TURNING L BASE TWR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS DRIFTING TOO FAR N FOR RWY 25L, BUT I WAS STILL THINKING IN TERMS OF RWY 25R AND ACKNOWLEDGED TWR, BUT WONDERED WHY THEY THOUGHT I WAS TOO FAR N. I WAS RIGHT ON COURSE, FOR RWY 25R. THAT'S THE SECOND POINT AT WHICH I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED TWR ABOUT A RADIO CALL THAT SEEMED 'STRANGE' TO ME. JUST BEFORE TURNING BASE TO FINAL I SAW ANOTHER ACFT ON A R BASE TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 25R, SO I TURNED R TO AVOID IT. TWR, UNDERSTANDABLY AGITATED, ASKED ME 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' I REPLIED, 'TURNING TO AVOID TFC.' TWR REPLIED, 'YOU'RE CLRED FOR RWY 25L.' ONLY AT THIS POINT DID I END MY FIXATION ON THE IDEA THAT I WAS LNDG ON THE R RWY. I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, APOLOGIZED TO TWR FOR MY MISUNDERSTANDING (I THINK THAT'S THE WORD I USED) AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 25L. THE POINT IS HERE, THAT I WASN'T FIXATED VISUALLY ON ANYTHING. I WAS SCANNING, MY ACFT WAS PROPERLY CONFIGURED AND EVERYTHING IN ORDER. I WAS PICKING UP TFC OUTSIDE. I KNEW WHERE I WAS AND WHERE I WAS GOING (OR SO I THOUGHT). I WAS FIXATED ON THE IDEA THAT I WAS LNDG ON RWY 25R, THE MAIN RWY, THE ILS RWY, EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN VMC AND NOT ON INSTS AND HADN'T REQUESTED RWY 25R (WHICH I WOULD NORMALLY HAVE DONE WHEN INITIALLY ASSIGNED TO RWY 25L AT LIVERMORE). VISUAL FIXATION IS A WELL-KNOWN PROB, AND THE REMEDY IS ALSO WELL-KNOWN -- PROPER SCAN TECHNIQUE AND INTERP. BUT WHAT I EXPERIENCED HERE, 'CONCEPTUAL FIXATION,' IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REMEDY IS, EXCEPT 'DON'T IGNORE ANY DATA COMING IN, NO MATTER HOW WELL THINGS SEEM TO BE GOING, OR HOW FAMILIAR EVERYTHING IS,' AND 'NEVER LET ANY ATC CALL GO UNQUERIED IF IT SEEMS STRANGE IN ANY WAY -- IT MIGHT BE AN ERROR ON THE PART OF ATC, OR AS IN THIS CASE, ON MY PART, BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO DETECT IT AND CORRECT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.' ONE OTHER POINT THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST HERE: THIS OCCURRED ON THE SECOND DAY AFTER I ARRIVED ON A FLT FROM EUROPE, ALTHOUGH IT OCCURRED AT A LCL TIME OF DAY WHEN I DON'T NORMALLY EXPERIENCE ANY PROBS WITH WBOUND JET LAG. THAT'S ALL I CAN OFFER HERE AND HOPE IT WILL BE OF SOME HELP TO OTHERS.

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.