Narrative:

Landing runway 29R, cleared to land runway 29L. I was the instructor, but was flying the aircraft on the approach and landing. All instructions had been to 'follow traffic, right traffic for runway 29R.' the visibility was reporting 2 SM, the airport and preceding traffic were in sight right up until the turn to base. At this point, I was given the instructions 'follow the cessna, cleared to land runway 29L.' a few moments later, I sighted the runway and heard traffic clearing the runway, so knew I was safe to land. The problem arose due to the fact that I was given the clearance to land just as my workload was increased and I was preoccupied with looking for the runway. The turn to base and then to final put the airport right in the sun from where I was looking and with haze/fog adding to this, made it very hard to see. With my mind already set to landing on the right runway, I didn't pick up on the different clearance when cleared to land. Things that would have increased the chances of this happening: 1) a lot of the time when a clearance for a different runway from one previously assigned is issued, the controller would say 'change runway cleared to land runway 29L.' this was not said. 2) clearance to land is normally given sooner, ed, downwind, when workload isn't as high. 3) familiarity with the airport, right traffic is normally runway 29R, left traffic normally runway 29L. Although I believe doing either of these first 2 things would have alerted me to the fact I was cleared to land on a different runway, which occurs on a daily basis without any problems, I, of course, should have paid more attention to the clearance issued and acted according to the instructions given. I also believe that the fact I was flying the airplane, whereas usually the student is while I'm instructing, this added to the workload. Further, although I have over 1200+ hours, I am perfectly capable of handling the additional workload. This was probably what caused me to not pay the attention required to the controller. I also had '29R' written down from the previous clearance and I hadn't changed this to runway 29L, as I was too busy flying the approach. I have learned from this -- especially in sits where workload is increased -- to still pay attention to details which can often get overlooked when your mind is preoccupied. Although this has never happened before, and I didn't think I would do something like this after 1200 hours, I am sure I will be paying much more attention to things like this in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA38 INSTRUCTOR BECOMES BUSY WITH LNDG ACTIVITIES AND LANDS ON THE WRONG RWY AT FAT.

Narrative: LNDG RWY 29R, CLRED TO LAND RWY 29L. I WAS THE INSTRUCTOR, BUT WAS FLYING THE ACFT ON THE APCH AND LNDG. ALL INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN TO 'FOLLOW TFC, R TFC FOR RWY 29R.' THE VISIBILITY WAS RPTING 2 SM, THE ARPT AND PRECEDING TFC WERE IN SIGHT RIGHT UP UNTIL THE TURN TO BASE. AT THIS POINT, I WAS GIVEN THE INSTRUCTIONS 'FOLLOW THE CESSNA, CLRED TO LAND RWY 29L.' A FEW MOMENTS LATER, I SIGHTED THE RWY AND HEARD TFC CLRING THE RWY, SO KNEW I WAS SAFE TO LAND. THE PROB AROSE DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS GIVEN THE CLRNC TO LAND JUST AS MY WORKLOAD WAS INCREASED AND I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH LOOKING FOR THE RWY. THE TURN TO BASE AND THEN TO FINAL PUT THE ARPT RIGHT IN THE SUN FROM WHERE I WAS LOOKING AND WITH HAZE/FOG ADDING TO THIS, MADE IT VERY HARD TO SEE. WITH MY MIND ALREADY SET TO LNDG ON THE R RWY, I DIDN'T PICK UP ON THE DIFFERENT CLRNC WHEN CLRED TO LAND. THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE INCREASED THE CHANCES OF THIS HAPPENING: 1) A LOT OF THE TIME WHEN A CLRNC FOR A DIFFERENT RWY FROM ONE PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED IS ISSUED, THE CTLR WOULD SAY 'CHANGE RWY CLRED TO LAND RWY 29L.' THIS WAS NOT SAID. 2) CLRNC TO LAND IS NORMALLY GIVEN SOONER, ED, DOWNWIND, WHEN WORKLOAD ISN'T AS HIGH. 3) FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT, R TFC IS NORMALLY RWY 29R, L TFC NORMALLY RWY 29L. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE DOING EITHER OF THESE FIRST 2 THINGS WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO THE FACT I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON A DIFFERENT RWY, WHICH OCCURS ON A DAILY BASIS WITHOUT ANY PROBS, I, OF COURSE, SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO THE CLRNC ISSUED AND ACTED ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE FACT I WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE, WHEREAS USUALLY THE STUDENT IS WHILE I'M INSTRUCTING, THIS ADDED TO THE WORKLOAD. FURTHER, ALTHOUGH I HAVE OVER 1200+ HRS, I AM PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF HANDLING THE ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD. THIS WAS PROBABLY WHAT CAUSED ME TO NOT PAY THE ATTN REQUIRED TO THE CTLR. I ALSO HAD '29R' WRITTEN DOWN FROM THE PREVIOUS CLRNC AND I HADN'T CHANGED THIS TO RWY 29L, AS I WAS TOO BUSY FLYING THE APCH. I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS -- ESPECIALLY IN SITS WHERE WORKLOAD IS INCREASED -- TO STILL PAY ATTN TO DETAILS WHICH CAN OFTEN GET OVERLOOKED WHEN YOUR MIND IS PREOCCUPIED. ALTHOUGH THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AND I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AFTER 1200 HRS, I AM SURE I WILL BE PAYING MUCH MORE ATTN TO THINGS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE.

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.