C210 pilot almost landed on the wrong runway in enw.

Attributes
ACN	456460
Time
Date	199912
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : enw.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl single value : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Windshear Turbulence Rain Fog
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : enw.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 3290 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	456640
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flew on an IFR flight plan from LL10 (naperville, il) to enw (kenosha, wi). Upon departure, destination airport was still MVFR and forecast to remain so until arrival. Was vectored by mke approach for the VOR runway 24R approach. As I turned and intercepted the final approach course, entered moderate to heavy rain, moderate turbulence and IFR conditions. Was cleared for the approach, contacted kenosha tower and was cleared to land on runway 24R. At 2 mi out from the missed approach (enw VOR, located on the airport), airport was still not in sight due to obscuration from heavy rain. Tower advised that my aircraft was still not in sight and that the runway lights were on full intensity. I picked up runway PAPI lights about 1-2 mi from the runway and began the descent from the MDA to the runway. Conditions were still heavy rain and moderate turbulence. Kenosha tower again advised that we were still not in sight and to continue. Approximately 1 mi from the airport, the runway came in view through the rain. I conducted my final landing checklist and prepared to land. On short final, approximately 100 ft AGL, an unknown voice on the frequency advised tower that we were actually landing on runway 24L. I immediately radioed tower for clearance to land on runway 24L, which tower approved, and landed on runway 24L. All during the approach, I never did see the runway or approach lights for runway 24R. Contributing factors were the WX, reduced visibility and the lights turned up on both runways, when only 1 runway (runway 24R) was being used for landing (runway 24L is the shorter runway and was being used for departures). As corrective action, next time I find myself facing an approach in marginal conditions to parallel runways (or any approach to parallel runways), I will make a point to look up any differences in approach lighting (reils, PAPI versus VASI, etc). To make sure I can differentiate runways in low WX conditions. I was lucky in this case. There was no one on runway 24L when I landed, but that was only due to luck and good timing. The next time I may not be so lucky. Also, as corrective action from ATC's viewpoint. I would only turn on those runway lights for the landing runway at night and when WX conditions are IFR or MVFR. Having both runways lit up only made it easier for me to misident the correct landing runway in the rain.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT ALMOST LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY IN ENW.

Narrative: FLEW ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM LL10 (NAPERVILLE, IL) TO ENW (KENOSHA, WI). UPON DEP, DEST ARPT WAS STILL MVFR AND FORECAST TO REMAIN SO UNTIL ARR. WAS VECTORED BY MKE APCH FOR THE VOR RWY 24R APCH. AS I TURNED AND INTERCEPTED THE FINAL APCH COURSE, ENTERED MODERATE TO HVY RAIN, MODERATE TURB AND IFR CONDITIONS. WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH, CONTACTED KENOSHA TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 24R. AT 2 MI OUT FROM THE MISSED APCH (ENW VOR, LOCATED ON THE ARPT), ARPT WAS STILL NOT IN SIGHT DUE TO OBSCURATION FROM HVY RAIN. TWR ADVISED THAT MY ACFT WAS STILL NOT IN SIGHT AND THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE ON FULL INTENSITY. I PICKED UP RWY PAPI LIGHTS ABOUT 1-2 MI FROM THE RWY AND BEGAN THE DSCNT FROM THE MDA TO THE RWY. CONDITIONS WERE STILL HVY RAIN AND MODERATE TURB. KENOSHA TWR AGAIN ADVISED THAT WE WERE STILL NOT IN SIGHT AND TO CONTINUE. APPROX 1 MI FROM THE ARPT, THE RWY CAME IN VIEW THROUGH THE RAIN. I CONDUCTED MY FINAL LNDG CHKLIST AND PREPARED TO LAND. ON SHORT FINAL, APPROX 100 FT AGL, AN UNKNOWN VOICE ON THE FREQ ADVISED TWR THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY LNDG ON RWY 24L. I IMMEDIATELY RADIOED TWR FOR CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 24L, WHICH TWR APPROVED, AND LANDED ON RWY 24L. ALL DURING THE APCH, I NEVER DID SEE THE RWY OR APCH LIGHTS FOR RWY 24R. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE WX, REDUCED VISIBILITY AND THE LIGHTS TURNED UP ON BOTH RWYS, WHEN ONLY 1 RWY (RWY 24R) WAS BEING USED FOR LNDG (RWY 24L IS THE SHORTER RWY AND WAS BEING USED FOR DEPS). AS CORRECTIVE ACTION, NEXT TIME I FIND MYSELF FACING AN APCH IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS TO PARALLEL RWYS (OR ANY APCH TO PARALLEL RWYS), I WILL MAKE A POINT TO LOOK UP ANY DIFFERENCES IN APCH LIGHTING (REILS, PAPI VERSUS VASI, ETC). TO MAKE SURE I CAN DIFFERENTIATE RWYS IN LOW WX CONDITIONS. I WAS LUCKY IN THIS CASE. THERE WAS NO ONE ON RWY 24L WHEN I LANDED, BUT THAT WAS ONLY DUE TO LUCK AND GOOD TIMING. THE NEXT TIME I MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. ALSO, AS CORRECTIVE ACTION FROM ATC'S VIEWPOINT. I WOULD ONLY TURN ON THOSE RWY LIGHTS FOR THE LNDG RWY AT NIGHT AND WHEN WX CONDITIONS ARE IFR OR MVFR. HAVING BOTH RWYS LIT UP ONLY MADE IT EASIER FOR ME TO MISIDENT THE CORRECT LNDG RWY IN THE RAIN.

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.