Cmdr 114 pilot erroneously landed on taxiway at pwa, ok.

Attributes
ACN	421475
Time
Date	199811
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pwa
State Reference	OK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mem
Operator	general aviation : personal
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : straight in
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 270 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	421475
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was arriving VFR from tulsa to wiley post (pwa) and transitioned from flight following to pwa tower. I had the airport in sight and had ATIS information. Traffic was very light in the area. I was cleared to land on runway 17L. Although visibility was good, as I descended below 3000 ft and turned base leg to the landing pattern, the sun was very bright from the southwest and created a very bright glare off the runways and in the cockpit. Due to the glare and to construction activities in progress, painted railroad ties were placed across the taxiway parallel to runway 17L. Runway 17R threshold was not visible for reference and the illusion that the taxiway was actually runway 17L and that runway 17L was runway 17R was created. There was a cessna parked in the runup area further enhancing the appearance that he was holding short at runway 17L waiting for me to land and clear, per tower instructions. This was actually the taxiway at runway 17L. In any case, I incorrectly idented the taxiway as runway 17L and landed on the taxiway. I should have called a go around when I noticed the lack of runway markings and the construction activity that was evident. Closer communication with the tower when the visibility factor arose could have also prevented this error. MEA culpa!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CMDR 114 PLT ERRONEOUSLY LANDED ON TXWY AT PWA, OK.

Narrative: I WAS ARRIVING VFR FROM TULSA TO WILEY POST (PWA) AND TRANSITIONED FROM FLT FOLLOWING TO PWA TWR. I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND HAD ATIS INFO. TFC WAS VERY LIGHT IN THE AREA. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 17L. ALTHOUGH VISIBILITY WAS GOOD, AS I DSNDED BELOW 3000 FT AND TURNED BASE LEG TO THE LNDG PATTERN, THE SUN WAS VERY BRIGHT FROM THE SW AND CREATED A VERY BRIGHT GLARE OFF THE RWYS AND IN THE COCKPIT. DUE TO THE GLARE AND TO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IN PROGRESS, PAINTED RAILROAD TIES WERE PLACED ACROSS THE TXWY PARALLEL TO RWY 17L. RWY 17R THRESHOLD WAS NOT VISIBLE FOR REF AND THE ILLUSION THAT THE TXWY WAS ACTUALLY RWY 17L AND THAT RWY 17L WAS RWY 17R WAS CREATED. THERE WAS A CESSNA PARKED IN THE RUNUP AREA FURTHER ENHANCING THE APPEARANCE THAT HE WAS HOLDING SHORT AT RWY 17L WAITING FOR ME TO LAND AND CLR, PER TWR INSTRUCTIONS. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE TXWY AT RWY 17L. IN ANY CASE, I INCORRECTLY IDENTED THE TXWY AS RWY 17L AND LANDED ON THE TXWY. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED A GAR WHEN I NOTICED THE LACK OF RWY MARKINGS AND THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY THAT WAS EVIDENT. CLOSER COM WITH THE TWR WHEN THE VISIBILITY FACTOR AROSE COULD HAVE ALSO PREVENTED THIS ERROR. MEA CULPA!

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.