Narrative:

On dec/thu/00, I decided to solo my student pilot. Before heading out to the aircraft, my student and I called the ASOS located on the field (sna) to check the visibility. ATIS information stated that visibility was 3 mi. Basic VFR minimums were per FARS, which are 3 mi visibility, 1000 ft ceilings in class C airspace. We then went out to preflight the aircraft. We completed 2 turns in the pattern which were uneventful. After the second landing, I told my student to taxi to the mid field runup. Once I rechked, the WX and ATIS information were current, visibility was reported at 4 mi. I then told my student that if anything went wrong to go around. The student then taxied over to taxiway to drop me off. My student then taxied to the active runway for his first solo flight. The first turn in the pattern was uneventful as I monitored my student's progress by handheld transceiver. After the first solo landing, my student was cleared to taxi 'via taxiway C, hold short taxiway K,' which he did. He then held at taxiway K for about 20 mins for landing and departing traffic. After the delay, my student was cleared for takeoff and cleared for left closed traffic on runway 19L. I followed my student's progress by visually following him and listening on my handheld. As he approached the numbers on downwind, I lost sight of him because of haze. A few seconds later I heard my student call tower asking 'where is my #3 traffic?' (when he turned downwind he was told he was #4. The tower responded that he was '#3 now and cleared for the option.' this was the last radio communication that I heard from sna tower or my student until the 'pilot deviation.' I was watching for my student on final when I noticed a cessna overshooting its base/final leg and lining up on runway 19R. After watching the cessna in its flare, I realized that it was my student landing on the wrong runway! This caused a B737 to go around. After my student had landed, tower then informed him that a possible pilot deviation had occurred and to taxi to midfield runup to copy tower's phone number. After a few mins my student taxied to pick me up. Then we taxied to parking and called the tower. Upon reaching parking, new ATIS information had just been issued with visibility reported at 2 mi. Factors leading to this pilot deviation were: 1) my allowing a student to solo in minimum VFR conditions. 2) rapid decrease in flight visibility to 2 mi in haze. 3) sun setting, thus causing a reduced visibility because the sun was glaring off the haze and the student was flying into the sun. 4) the student not performing a go around as per my instructions, when he realized what was happening. 5) tower's failure to call a go around for my student when the conflict produced itself. (Tower knew he was a student because he made all of his calls ending with 'student pilot.') 6) my failure as an instructor to tell my student to go around via my handheld when I noticed the deviation. Corrective action: 1) I feel that from now on if I were to solo a student at sna I will require 5 mi visibility instead of 3 mi. 2) I will check the visibility more often during my student's solo flight so that I can cancel the flight as soon as possible after receiving unfavorable information. Supplemental information from acn 495413: I am a student pilot, and was attempting a second landing for my first solo flight. I was #4 in this pattern for runway 19L as I was on the downwind. My altitude on downwind was approximately 850 ft AGL. I extended my downwind to some hangars due to extremely poor VFR visibility. At approximately 700 ft AGL, I turned to my base and realized that I could not see the aircraft that was supposed to be landing immediately before me. I called the tower to ask where the aircraft was (#3 aircraft). They told me that I was now #3. As I turned from base to final, I realized that I could no longer see the runway or any other aircraft in this pattern. I headed straight for the parking lot and descended to approximately 450-500 ft. As I was over the parking lot and the 405 freeway, I glanced at my altitude and airspeed, and adjusted both for landing (62 KTS and 350 ft). When I looked back up, I could see the runway, however, it was runway 19R instead of runway 19L in which runway 19L was the (my) designated runway. I realized that I had veered onto the wrong runway at approximately 350 ft and 1/4 mi from the runway. No one in the tower indicated that my base or final was in the flight path of runway 19R. At the point I realized I was landing runway 19R, I feared possible traffic behind me that could possibly be landing and aborted a go around to prevent a possible air-to-air collision. The decision I made was to put it straight down on the runway with the hope that if a jet was behind me it could land or go around in front of me. At no time from base to final did I have any communication from sna tower to indicate that I was on the wrong approach path. I believe that the factors that led to this incident are as follows: poor visibility (cleared at 4 mi and diminished to less than 2 mi visibility. Sun setting in front of me on final approach. Smog diminishing visibility at sunlight. Student pilot error: I called the tower when I didn't see traffic in front of me. However, I realize now that it is critical to ask tower for assistance in base approach glide path and final approach glide path. PIC decision making: I made the decision to put the aircraft down due to fear of a go around hitting an aircraft landing. However, I should have veered this aircraft to the left runway flight path for a go around. Flight instructions: in poor WX conditions on approach I should have been looking completely outside, especially due to my lack of experience. I now realize how quickly the circumstances and environment can change. In these type of circumstances I should 1) fly the plane, not the instruments. 2) always ask for assistance when in question, 3) realize poor visibility and preoccupation are dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 STUDENT PLT, ON FIRST SOLO FLT, LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY AT SNA.

Narrative: ON DEC/THU/00, I DECIDED TO SOLO MY STUDENT PLT. BEFORE HDG OUT TO THE ACFT, MY STUDENT AND I CALLED THE ASOS LOCATED ON THE FIELD (SNA) TO CHK THE VISIBILITY. ATIS INFO STATED THAT VISIBILITY WAS 3 MI. BASIC VFR MINIMUMS WERE PER FARS, WHICH ARE 3 MI VISIBILITY, 1000 FT CEILINGS IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. WE THEN WENT OUT TO PREFLT THE ACFT. WE COMPLETED 2 TURNS IN THE PATTERN WHICH WERE UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THE SECOND LNDG, I TOLD MY STUDENT TO TAXI TO THE MID FIELD RUNUP. ONCE I RECHKED, THE WX AND ATIS INFO WERE CURRENT, VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AT 4 MI. I THEN TOLD MY STUDENT THAT IF ANYTHING WENT WRONG TO GO AROUND. THE STUDENT THEN TAXIED OVER TO TXWY TO DROP ME OFF. MY STUDENT THEN TAXIED TO THE ACTIVE RWY FOR HIS FIRST SOLO FLT. THE FIRST TURN IN THE PATTERN WAS UNEVENTFUL AS I MONITORED MY STUDENT'S PROGRESS BY HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER. AFTER THE FIRST SOLO LNDG, MY STUDENT WAS CLRED TO TAXI 'VIA TXWY C, HOLD SHORT TXWY K,' WHICH HE DID. HE THEN HELD AT TXWY K FOR ABOUT 20 MINS FOR LNDG AND DEPARTING TFC. AFTER THE DELAY, MY STUDENT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND CLRED FOR L CLOSED TFC ON RWY 19L. I FOLLOWED MY STUDENT'S PROGRESS BY VISUALLY FOLLOWING HIM AND LISTENING ON MY HANDHELD. AS HE APCHED THE NUMBERS ON DOWNWIND, I LOST SIGHT OF HIM BECAUSE OF HAZE. A FEW SECONDS LATER I HEARD MY STUDENT CALL TWR ASKING 'WHERE IS MY #3 TFC?' (WHEN HE TURNED DOWNWIND HE WAS TOLD HE WAS #4. THE TWR RESPONDED THAT HE WAS '#3 NOW AND CLRED FOR THE OPTION.' THIS WAS THE LAST RADIO COM THAT I HEARD FROM SNA TWR OR MY STUDENT UNTIL THE 'PLTDEV.' I WAS WATCHING FOR MY STUDENT ON FINAL WHEN I NOTICED A CESSNA OVERSHOOTING ITS BASE/FINAL LEG AND LINING UP ON RWY 19R. AFTER WATCHING THE CESSNA IN ITS FLARE, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS MY STUDENT LNDG ON THE WRONG RWY! THIS CAUSED A B737 TO GO AROUND. AFTER MY STUDENT HAD LANDED, TWR THEN INFORMED HIM THAT A POSSIBLE PLTDEV HAD OCCURRED AND TO TAXI TO MIDFIELD RUNUP TO COPY TWR'S PHONE NUMBER. AFTER A FEW MINS MY STUDENT TAXIED TO PICK ME UP. THEN WE TAXIED TO PARKING AND CALLED THE TWR. UPON REACHING PARKING, NEW ATIS INFO HAD JUST BEEN ISSUED WITH VISIBILITY RPTED AT 2 MI. FACTORS LEADING TO THIS PLTDEV WERE: 1) MY ALLOWING A STUDENT TO SOLO IN MINIMUM VFR CONDITIONS. 2) RAPID DECREASE IN FLT VISIBILITY TO 2 MI IN HAZE. 3) SUN SETTING, THUS CAUSING A REDUCED VISIBILITY BECAUSE THE SUN WAS GLARING OFF THE HAZE AND THE STUDENT WAS FLYING INTO THE SUN. 4) THE STUDENT NOT PERFORMING A GAR AS PER MY INSTRUCTIONS, WHEN HE REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. 5) TWR'S FAILURE TO CALL A GAR FOR MY STUDENT WHEN THE CONFLICT PRODUCED ITSELF. (TWR KNEW HE WAS A STUDENT BECAUSE HE MADE ALL OF HIS CALLS ENDING WITH 'STUDENT PLT.') 6) MY FAILURE AS AN INSTRUCTOR TO TELL MY STUDENT TO GO AROUND VIA MY HANDHELD WHEN I NOTICED THE DEV. CORRECTIVE ACTION: 1) I FEEL THAT FROM NOW ON IF I WERE TO SOLO A STUDENT AT SNA I WILL REQUIRE 5 MI VISIBILITY INSTEAD OF 3 MI. 2) I WILL CHK THE VISIBILITY MORE OFTEN DURING MY STUDENT'S SOLO FLT SO THAT I CAN CANCEL THE FLT ASAP AFTER RECEIVING UNFAVORABLE INFO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 495413: I AM A STUDENT PLT, AND WAS ATTEMPTING A SECOND LNDG FOR MY FIRST SOLO FLT. I WAS #4 IN THIS PATTERN FOR RWY 19L AS I WAS ON THE DOWNWIND. MY ALT ON DOWNWIND WAS APPROX 850 FT AGL. I EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND TO SOME HANGARS DUE TO EXTREMELY POOR VFR VISIBILITY. AT APPROX 700 FT AGL, I TURNED TO MY BASE AND REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT SEE THE ACFT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LNDG IMMEDIATELY BEFORE ME. I CALLED THE TWR TO ASK WHERE THE ACFT WAS (#3 ACFT). THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS NOW #3. AS I TURNED FROM BASE TO FINAL, I REALIZED THAT I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE RWY OR ANY OTHER ACFT IN THIS PATTERN. I HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE PARKING LOT AND DSNDED TO APPROX 450-500 FT. AS I WAS OVER THE PARKING LOT AND THE 405 FREEWAY, I GLANCED AT MY ALT AND AIRSPD, AND ADJUSTED BOTH FOR LNDG (62 KTS AND 350 FT). WHEN I LOOKED BACK UP, I COULD SEE THE RWY, HOWEVER, IT WAS RWY 19R INSTEAD OF RWY 19L IN WHICH RWY 19L WAS THE (MY) DESIGNATED RWY. I REALIZED THAT I HAD VEERED ONTO THE WRONG RWY AT APPROX 350 FT AND 1/4 MI FROM THE RWY. NO ONE IN THE TWR INDICATED THAT MY BASE OR FINAL WAS IN THE FLT PATH OF RWY 19R. AT THE POINT I REALIZED I WAS LNDG RWY 19R, I FEARED POSSIBLE TFC BEHIND ME THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE LNDG AND ABORTED A GAR TO PREVENT A POSSIBLE AIR-TO-AIR COLLISION. THE DECISION I MADE WAS TO PUT IT STRAIGHT DOWN ON THE RWY WITH THE HOPE THAT IF A JET WAS BEHIND ME IT COULD LAND OR GO AROUND IN FRONT OF ME. AT NO TIME FROM BASE TO FINAL DID I HAVE ANY COM FROM SNA TWR TO INDICATE THAT I WAS ON THE WRONG APCH PATH. I BELIEVE THAT THE FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS INCIDENT ARE AS FOLLOWS: POOR VISIBILITY (CLRED AT 4 MI AND DIMINISHED TO LESS THAN 2 MI VISIBILITY. SUN SETTING IN FRONT OF ME ON FINAL APCH. SMOG DIMINISHING VISIBILITY AT SUNLIGHT. STUDENT PLT ERROR: I CALLED THE TWR WHEN I DIDN'T SEE TFC IN FRONT OF ME. HOWEVER, I REALIZE NOW THAT IT IS CRITICAL TO ASK TWR FOR ASSISTANCE IN BASE APCH GLIDE PATH AND FINAL APCH GLIDE PATH. PIC DECISION MAKING: I MADE THE DECISION TO PUT THE ACFT DOWN DUE TO FEAR OF A GAR HITTING AN ACFT LNDG. HOWEVER, I SHOULD HAVE VEERED THIS ACFT TO THE L RWY FLT PATH FOR A GAR. FLT INSTRUCTIONS: IN POOR WX CONDITIONS ON APCH I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING COMPLETELY OUTSIDE, ESPECIALLY DUE TO MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE. I NOW REALIZE HOW QUICKLY THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND ENVIRONMENT CAN CHANGE. IN THESE TYPE OF CIRCUMSTANCES I SHOULD 1) FLY THE PLANE, NOT THE INSTS. 2) ALWAYS ASK FOR ASSISTANCE WHEN IN QUESTION, 3) REALIZE POOR VISIBILITY AND PREOCCUPATION ARE DANGEROUS.

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.