Narrative:

On descent I was the PNF so I got the ATIS which gave the WX as better than 5000 ft and 5 mi, landing on runways 2L/C/right. Descending on downwind, we were cleared visual approach to runway 2L. I could see the airport from the left seat and told the first officer he had room to turn base leg. He picked up the runway on the base turn and continued the turn to final, rolling out high but still ok for landing. Somewhere in the turn or just after rolling out, I contacted the tower and we received landing clearance. As we configured for landing, the VASI showed high but the GS, ILS, showed low on his side. I changed my navigation receiver from VOR to ILS and got a low signal too. We assumed that the ILS had picked up a false GS when we rolled out high on final. At about 500-200 ft above touchdown, I realized the localizer was showing full scale deflection to the left and questioned why the ILS signals were so far off (by this time we had been on the VASI GS for a good while). As we crossed the runway threshold, I saw 2C on the runway, but I did not respond to what that was telling me. As we touched down the visual indications surrounding the runway didn't look right, and I began to realize we had just landed on runway 2C not runway 2L. As we rolled out down the runway and exited, the tower cleared us to cross runway 31 at taxiway T4 and cleared to the ramp. Tower never said anything about our landing on runway 2C instead of runway 2L. I called the tower supervisor on the phone. He said he had just come into the tower and didn't know anything about our flight, but he asked the local controller who told him he noticed we had lined up on the wrong runway but thought it would be too much of a problem to put us back on runway 2L and since there was no other traffic, he just let us land on runway 2C. In reviewing this in my mind, it all seemed like a bad dream as it unfolded. There were numerous clues, but both of us ignored them all, refusing to believe or realize we had both focused on the wrong runway (runway 2C extends further to the south than runway 2L and came into clear view first). I believe that cumulative fatigue contributed to my not responding to all the clues (being high on VASI, low on ILS GS, off course on localizer, buildings and ground, etc, not looking familiar and finally 2C on the runway and no instrument markings on the runway). I know now and I knew then with all these factors or clues, I should have directed a go around, but I simply just did not respond appropriately. There was no other traffic and the tower supervisor told me it caused no problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC LANDS ON WRONG RWY. TWR DID NOT CORRECT THEM, NOT WANTING TO CAUSE CONFUSION.

Narrative: ON DSCNT I WAS THE PNF SO I GOT THE ATIS WHICH GAVE THE WX AS BETTER THAN 5000 FT AND 5 MI, LNDG ON RWYS 2L/C/R. DSNDING ON DOWNWIND, WE WERE CLRED VISUAL APCH TO RWY 2L. I COULD SEE THE ARPT FROM THE L SEAT AND TOLD THE FO HE HAD ROOM TO TURN BASE LEG. HE PICKED UP THE RWY ON THE BASE TURN AND CONTINUED THE TURN TO FINAL, ROLLING OUT HIGH BUT STILL OK FOR LNDG. SOMEWHERE IN THE TURN OR JUST AFTER ROLLING OUT, I CONTACTED THE TWR AND WE RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. AS WE CONFIGURED FOR LNDG, THE VASI SHOWED HIGH BUT THE GS, ILS, SHOWED LOW ON HIS SIDE. I CHANGED MY NAV RECEIVER FROM VOR TO ILS AND GOT A LOW SIGNAL TOO. WE ASSUMED THAT THE ILS HAD PICKED UP A FALSE GS WHEN WE ROLLED OUT HIGH ON FINAL. AT ABOUT 500-200 FT ABOVE TOUCHDOWN, I REALIZED THE LOC WAS SHOWING FULL SCALE DEFLECTION TO THE L AND QUESTIONED WHY THE ILS SIGNALS WERE SO FAR OFF (BY THIS TIME WE HAD BEEN ON THE VASI GS FOR A GOOD WHILE). AS WE CROSSED THE RWY THRESHOLD, I SAW 2C ON THE RWY, BUT I DID NOT RESPOND TO WHAT THAT WAS TELLING ME. AS WE TOUCHED DOWN THE VISUAL INDICATIONS SURROUNDING THE RWY DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT, AND I BEGAN TO REALIZE WE HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 2C NOT RWY 2L. AS WE ROLLED OUT DOWN THE RWY AND EXITED, THE TWR CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 31 AT TXWY T4 AND CLRED TO THE RAMP. TWR NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT OUR LNDG ON RWY 2C INSTEAD OF RWY 2L. I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR ON THE PHONE. HE SAID HE HAD JUST COME INTO THE TWR AND DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT OUR FLT, BUT HE ASKED THE LCL CTLR WHO TOLD HIM HE NOTICED WE HAD LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY BUT THOUGHT IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH OF A PROB TO PUT US BACK ON RWY 2L AND SINCE THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC, HE JUST LET US LAND ON RWY 2C. IN REVIEWING THIS IN MY MIND, IT ALL SEEMED LIKE A BAD DREAM AS IT UNFOLDED. THERE WERE NUMEROUS CLUES, BUT BOTH OF US IGNORED THEM ALL, REFUSING TO BELIEVE OR REALIZE WE HAD BOTH FOCUSED ON THE WRONG RWY (RWY 2C EXTENDS FURTHER TO THE S THAN RWY 2L AND CAME INTO CLR VIEW FIRST). I BELIEVE THAT CUMULATIVE FATIGUE CONTRIBUTED TO MY NOT RESPONDING TO ALL THE CLUES (BEING HIGH ON VASI, LOW ON ILS GS, OFF COURSE ON LOC, BUILDINGS AND GND, ETC, NOT LOOKING FAMILIAR AND FINALLY 2C ON THE RWY AND NO INST MARKINGS ON THE RWY). I KNOW NOW AND I KNEW THEN WITH ALL THESE FACTORS OR CLUES, I SHOULD HAVE DIRECTED A GAR, BUT I SIMPLY JUST DID NOT RESPOND APPROPRIATELY. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC AND THE TWR SUPVR TOLD ME IT CAUSED NO PROB.

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.