Narrative:

Event: inadvertent landing on taxiway. Conditions: landing runway 27. Late afternoon, looking directly into the sun, good VMC, light crosswind from northeast. The taxiway a is new concrete, parallel to runway 27. Arriving at mem international, I was cleared for visual approach runway 27, speed 170 KTS until 5 mi from airport. On frequency change to tower, I was cleared to land. I slowed after 5 mi fix, completed landing checklist, confirmed gear down and locked, lights and flaps. I was looking directly into the late afternoon sun. While completing cockpit duties, I must have drifted south and aligned with the taxiway. I saw an aircraft on the ground and questioned if he would be a factor, or would clear the landing area. My perception was, there is ground traffic that may be a problem. The decision was to continue and observe this aircraft. When the aircraft cleared, I committed to land. As I was touching down, the controller issued an urgent 'go around.' I did not attempt to go around because I had landed, the other aircraft was clear, and I could see no other hazard. The controller then said 'go around, you are landing on the taxiway.' only after this advisory, on rollout, did I know that I was on the taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A KING AIR C90 PLT LANDS ON THE PARALLEL TXWY A TO RWY 27 AT MEM, TN.

Narrative: EVENT: INADVERTENT LNDG ON TXWY. CONDITIONS: LNDG RWY 27. LATE AFTERNOON, LOOKING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN, GOOD VMC, LIGHT XWIND FROM NE. THE TXWY A IS NEW CONCRETE, PARALLEL TO RWY 27. ARRIVING AT MEM INTL, I WAS CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 27, SPD 170 KTS UNTIL 5 MI FROM ARPT. ON FREQ CHANGE TO TWR, I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I SLOWED AFTER 5 MI FIX, COMPLETED LNDG CHKLIST, CONFIRMED GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, LIGHTS AND FLAPS. I WAS LOOKING DIRECTLY INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN. WHILE COMPLETING COCKPIT DUTIES, I MUST HAVE DRIFTED S AND ALIGNED WITH THE TXWY. I SAW AN ACFT ON THE GND AND QUESTIONED IF HE WOULD BE A FACTOR, OR WOULD CLR THE LNDG AREA. MY PERCEPTION WAS, THERE IS GND TFC THAT MAY BE A PROB. THE DECISION WAS TO CONTINUE AND OBSERVE THIS ACFT. WHEN THE ACFT CLRED, I COMMITTED TO LAND. AS I WAS TOUCHING DOWN, THE CTLR ISSUED AN URGENT 'GAR.' I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO GO AROUND BECAUSE I HAD LANDED, THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLR, AND I COULD SEE NO OTHER HAZARD. THE CTLR THEN SAID 'GO AROUND, YOU ARE LNDG ON THE TXWY.' ONLY AFTER THIS ADVISORY, ON ROLLOUT, DID I KNOW THAT I WAS ON THE TXWY.

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.