Narrative:

I was approaching centennial (apa) for landing, and reported 12 mi southwest initially. I was told to enter a final for runway 35R, and report the power lines, which are 3 mi south. Approximately 10 mi south I intercepted the localizer for runway 35R and started tracking it inbound. As I approached the OM, approximately 6 mi south, I heard a challenger report 12 mi southeast. He was told to angle to runway 35R, keep his speed up, and he was cleared to land runway 35R. The tower told him his traffic was a baron over casse (me). As I approached the power lines, the tower pointed me out to a cessna. He then requested another cessna to make a short approach. After that, he pointed out traffic to me that was wing up, left base for runway 35L, and asked me to follow that traffic. I advised that I was looking for the traffic, and slowing down, but I was looking for them on runway 35R, where I thought I was going. A few moments later I asked the controller the position of the traffic, as I still did not see him. He said 'traffic is wing up, turning final over the numbers, runway 35L, cleared to land.' I repeated the clearance, but did not catch the change in runways to runway 35L. He then pointed me out to another aircraft when I was approximately a 1 mi final for runway 35R. I was still looking for my traffic when the controller congratulated him on such a nice short approach and asked what was next. When the pilot advised this would be a full stop, the controller told him to expect runway 35R. I landed runway 35R, and did not realize anything was amiss until the challenger announced he was going around. Tower acknowledged the go around, and then the challenger told him there was an airplane on his runway. The tower then said, 'yeah, she landed on the wrong runway.' I don't understand why the controller did not use the phrase, 'change to runway 35L,' since I had been set up for runway 35R for approximately 8 mi. I was told by the tower chief that this phrase used to be in their book, but had been dropped. I have always heard them use it at centennial, and in the 2 days since this, have had runways changed twice. Both times the controller told me 'change to runway.' here they are making a significant change on short final, in a high workload situation, and to not alert you that a change is happening is not good. If the phrase 'change to' is not standard phraseology, why is it used most of the time?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE58 AIR TAXI PLT LANDED ON THE R RWY, INSTEAD OF THE L RWY. THE RPTR HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED ON FINAL FOR THE R RWY FOR APPROX 8 NM AND DID NOT HEAR THE CTLR ASSIGN THE OTHER RWY.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING CENTENNIAL (APA) FOR LNDG, AND RPTED 12 MI SW INITIALLY. I WAS TOLD TO ENTER A FINAL FOR RWY 35R, AND RPT THE PWR LINES, WHICH ARE 3 MI S. APPROX 10 MI S I INTERCEPTED THE LOC FOR RWY 35R AND STARTED TRACKING IT INBOUND. AS I APCHED THE OM, APPROX 6 MI S, I HEARD A CHALLENGER RPT 12 MI SE. HE WAS TOLD TO ANGLE TO RWY 35R, KEEP HIS SPD UP, AND HE WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 35R. THE TWR TOLD HIM HIS TFC WAS A BARON OVER CASSE (ME). AS I APCHED THE PWR LINES, THE TWR POINTED ME OUT TO A CESSNA. HE THEN REQUESTED ANOTHER CESSNA TO MAKE A SHORT APCH. AFTER THAT, HE POINTED OUT TFC TO ME THAT WAS WING UP, L BASE FOR RWY 35L, AND ASKED ME TO FOLLOW THAT TFC. I ADVISED THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC, AND SLOWING DOWN, BUT I WAS LOOKING FOR THEM ON RWY 35R, WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING. A FEW MOMENTS LATER I ASKED THE CTLR THE POS OF THE TFC, AS I STILL DID NOT SEE HIM. HE SAID 'TFC IS WING UP, TURNING FINAL OVER THE NUMBERS, RWY 35L, CLRED TO LAND.' I REPEATED THE CLRNC, BUT DID NOT CATCH THE CHANGE IN RWYS TO RWY 35L. HE THEN POINTED ME OUT TO ANOTHER ACFT WHEN I WAS APPROX A 1 MI FINAL FOR RWY 35R. I WAS STILL LOOKING FOR MY TFC WHEN THE CTLR CONGRATULATED HIM ON SUCH A NICE SHORT APCH AND ASKED WHAT WAS NEXT. WHEN THE PLT ADVISED THIS WOULD BE A FULL STOP, THE CTLR TOLD HIM TO EXPECT RWY 35R. I LANDED RWY 35R, AND DID NOT REALIZE ANYTHING WAS AMISS UNTIL THE CHALLENGER ANNOUNCED HE WAS GOING AROUND. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED THE GAR, AND THEN THE CHALLENGER TOLD HIM THERE WAS AN AIRPLANE ON HIS RWY. THE TWR THEN SAID, 'YEAH, SHE LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY.' I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CTLR DID NOT USE THE PHRASE, 'CHANGE TO RWY 35L,' SINCE I HAD BEEN SET UP FOR RWY 35R FOR APPROX 8 MI. I WAS TOLD BY THE TWR CHIEF THAT THIS PHRASE USED TO BE IN THEIR BOOK, BUT HAD BEEN DROPPED. I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD THEM USE IT AT CENTENNIAL, AND IN THE 2 DAYS SINCE THIS, HAVE HAD RWYS CHANGED TWICE. BOTH TIMES THE CTLR TOLD ME 'CHANGE TO RWY.' HERE THEY ARE MAKING A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE ON SHORT FINAL, IN A HIGH WORKLOAD SIT, AND TO NOT ALERT YOU THAT A CHANGE IS HAPPENING IS NOT GOOD. IF THE PHRASE 'CHANGE TO' IS NOT STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY, WHY IS IT USED MOST OF THE TIME?

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.