A PA28 lands on the taxiway instead of the runway.

Attributes
ACN	356951
Time
Date	199701
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dpa
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 11 flight time total : 465 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	356951
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Inbound to dpa from the west, tower was contacted and I was assigned landing on runway 19L, though runway 10 was requested and denied due to large volume of departing traffic. At this time another piper was noticed off my starboard wing and tower was queried, this aircraft idented and advised tower that I was closer, but they assigned me landing behind him on runway 19L. A query was made to allow me to land on runway 19R from a left base and the tower affirmed. As the other piper turned final for runway 19L, an unknown aircraft called turning for runway 19L, too! I immediately began an intensive scan for any other conflicting aircraft and continued to scan while turning final for, what I thought was, runway 19R. As I flared over the end of the runway, I noticed no numbers and a yellow stripe, indicating the large taxiway between runways 19L and 19R. Tower confirmed, as I rolled out. This incident was caused by an unusually busy tower operation, a large volume of traffic converging on the airport at this time, evening darkness starting to fall -- with no lighting yet turned on, and my scanning for any aircraft conflict in my immediate vicinity -- though the tower apparently didn't hear the transmission since there was no acknowledgment at the time I heard the aircraft report. Visibility was variable and I had just come from extremely (tower affirmed) low visibility to the west.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 LANDS ON THE TXWY INSTEAD OF THE RWY.

Narrative: INBOUND TO DPA FROM THE W, TWR WAS CONTACTED AND I WAS ASSIGNED LNDG ON RWY 19L, THOUGH RWY 10 WAS REQUESTED AND DENIED DUE TO LARGE VOLUME OF DEPARTING TFC. AT THIS TIME ANOTHER PIPER WAS NOTICED OFF MY STARBOARD WING AND TWR WAS QUERIED, THIS ACFT IDENTED AND ADVISED TWR THAT I WAS CLOSER, BUT THEY ASSIGNED ME LNDG BEHIND HIM ON RWY 19L. A QUERY WAS MADE TO ALLOW ME TO LAND ON RWY 19R FROM A L BASE AND THE TWR AFFIRMED. AS THE OTHER PIPER TURNED FINAL FOR RWY 19L, AN UNKNOWN ACFT CALLED TURNING FOR RWY 19L, TOO! I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN AN INTENSIVE SCAN FOR ANY OTHER CONFLICTING ACFT AND CONTINUED TO SCAN WHILE TURNING FINAL FOR, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS, RWY 19R. AS I FLARED OVER THE END OF THE RWY, I NOTICED NO NUMBERS AND A YELLOW STRIPE, INDICATING THE LARGE TXWY BTWN RWYS 19L AND 19R. TWR CONFIRMED, AS I ROLLED OUT. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN UNUSUALLY BUSY TWR OP, A LARGE VOLUME OF TFC CONVERGING ON THE ARPT AT THIS TIME, EVENING DARKNESS STARTING TO FALL -- WITH NO LIGHTING YET TURNED ON, AND MY SCANNING FOR ANY ACFT CONFLICT IN MY IMMEDIATE VICINITY -- THOUGH THE TWR APPARENTLY DIDN'T HEAR THE XMISSION SINCE THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT AT THE TIME I HEARD THE ACFT RPT. VISIBILITY WAS VARIABLE AND I HAD JUST COME FROM EXTREMELY (TWR AFFIRMED) LOW VISIBILITY TO THE W.

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.