Narrative:

At phl airport, I mistakenly landed on runway 27R instead of runway 26 for which I was cleared to land. ATIS was reporting runway 27R and runway 35, winds were 320 degrees at 9 KTS with good visibility no problem with clouds, scattered at about 7000-8000 ft. I was arriving from the north and anticipated visual to runway 35. The air was very bumpy and the area surrounding the airport densely built up. I had difficulty locating the runways although I saw the airport. Just before being turned over to tower. I was cleared for runway 26 and I must have been about on top of it, still vectored in southerly direction. What I saw turned out to be runway 27R and on final I saw the markings. The runways are staggered. Runway 27R is concrete and light colored as rest of airport, but runway 26 is asphalt and black and must have blended too well into the backgnd. Also, when cleared for runway 27, approach asked if I saw landing traffic on runway 35. Looking for traffic was an added distraction when looking for the runway to turn close final. Contributing factors, besides the change in runways and differences in color, were my lack of familiarity with the airport. I had never been into phl, it was a change from planned destination of northeast philly, pne, and I was concerned because of its size and business with so much commercial traffic. The tower personnel were extremely kind and concerned and helpful. This was an inadvertent event, much to my dismay. Corrective action would be to imprint the runway layout more firmly in my mind. There was not time to look at the airport diagram when close in to the busy airport over the city. That was the time to keep eyes looking out the window, as I did, not on an approach plate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE35 BONANZA PLT PERFORMS A WRONG RWY APCH AND LNDG AT PHL, PA.

Narrative: AT PHL ARPT, I MISTAKENLY LANDED ON RWY 27R INSTEAD OF RWY 26 FOR WHICH I WAS CLRED TO LAND. ATIS WAS RPTING RWY 27R AND RWY 35, WINDS WERE 320 DEGS AT 9 KTS WITH GOOD VISIBILITY NO PROB WITH CLOUDS, SCATTERED AT ABOUT 7000-8000 FT. I WAS ARRIVING FROM THE N AND ANTICIPATED VISUAL TO RWY 35. THE AIR WAS VERY BUMPY AND THE AREA SURROUNDING THE ARPT DENSELY BUILT UP. I HAD DIFFICULTY LOCATING THE RWYS ALTHOUGH I SAW THE ARPT. JUST BEFORE BEING TURNED OVER TO TWR. I WAS CLRED FOR RWY 26 AND I MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT ON TOP OF IT, STILL VECTORED IN SOUTHERLY DIRECTION. WHAT I SAW TURNED OUT TO BE RWY 27R AND ON FINAL I SAW THE MARKINGS. THE RWYS ARE STAGGERED. RWY 27R IS CONCRETE AND LIGHT COLORED AS REST OF ARPT, BUT RWY 26 IS ASPHALT AND BLACK AND MUST HAVE BLENDED TOO WELL INTO THE BACKGND. ALSO, WHEN CLRED FOR RWY 27, APCH ASKED IF I SAW LNDG TFC ON RWY 35. LOOKING FOR TFC WAS AN ADDED DISTR WHEN LOOKING FOR THE RWY TO TURN CLOSE FINAL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, BESIDES THE CHANGE IN RWYS AND DIFFERENCES IN COLOR, WERE MY LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT. I HAD NEVER BEEN INTO PHL, IT WAS A CHANGE FROM PLANNED DEST OF NE PHILLY, PNE, AND I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE OF ITS SIZE AND BUSINESS WITH SO MUCH COMMERCIAL TFC. THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE EXTREMELY KIND AND CONCERNED AND HELPFUL. THIS WAS AN INADVERTENT EVENT, MUCH TO MY DISMAY. CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE TO IMPRINT THE RWY LAYOUT MORE FIRMLY IN MY MIND. THERE WAS NOT TIME TO LOOK AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM WHEN CLOSE IN TO THE BUSY ARPT OVER THE CITY. THAT WAS THE TIME TO KEEP EYES LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW, AS I DID, NOT ON AN APCH PLATE.

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.