Narrative:

After completing 2 days of exams at a flight school at mkt, I ws en route in a PA28 to fcm. It was a VFR day when I called tower at 10 mi southwest after receiving ATIS information. The ATIS specified runways 27L&right as the active runways. I was asked to report 3 mi southwest, which I did. After being cleared to land on runway 27L, I proceeded to enter a right base for runway 9L. I had just turned final when I noticed an aircraft climbing off of runway 27L (off my right and several hundred ft lower than me). I finally realized my mistake and called the tower expressing my apologies and requested a right downwind for runway 27R. The tower then apologized to me for not noticing my mistake earlier, and he also apologized to the other aircraft who must have voiced concern, although I heard no transmission from him. At the time I noticed the other aircraft, I was approximately 1 mi west at approximately 1600 ft MSL (700 ft AGL) after turning final. I believe there are several reasons for this occurrence. There was an obvious lack of situational awareness on my part. I initially flew from fcm to mkt (an approximately 30-40 min flight) on nov/xa/01 to administer what turned out to be 3 flight exams. Finished 12 hours later and went to the hotel, had dinner and went to bed. I did not sleep well, but got up the next day and administered 2 more exams. I then preflted the archer and departed for fcm. On my mind on the return trip to fcm were problem issues with the flight school (a new vendor and discontent among students, employees, etc). I was also somewhat tired from lack of sleep and strenuous activity. This all, I believe, contributed to my lack of situational awareness. Non operational distrs are (or can be) debilitating -- fatigue is also. For whatever reason, I had planned my descent and approach for runway 9. When they cleared me for runway 27L, I 'heard' runway 9L, carefully crossed the extended centerline of runway 9R/27L and turned final for runway 9L, thinking they wanted me on the runway closest to the FBO. I had justified all my actions. The only problem was the wrong runway. I have 10000 hours, naval aviation, GA., airline experience and am a designated pilot examiner (private ATP/initial CFI and add-on ratings), and I still made this mistake. I will now implement a 'situational awareness' management tool for critical areas such as airport areas in a checklist or other form.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EXPERIENCED PLT PLANS HIS ARR AND FLIES IT EVEN THOUGH A DIFFERENT RWY WAS ASSIGNED BY THE TWR WHO DID NOT NOTICE. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF BOTH MYSELF AND ATC TWR IS QUESTIONED.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING 2 DAYS OF EXAMS AT A FLT SCHOOL AT MKT, I WS ENRTE IN A PA28 TO FCM. IT WAS A VFR DAY WHEN I CALLED TWR AT 10 MI SW AFTER RECEIVING ATIS INFO. THE ATIS SPECIFIED RWYS 27L&R AS THE ACTIVE RWYS. I WAS ASKED TO RPT 3 MI SW, WHICH I DID. AFTER BEING CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 27L, I PROCEEDED TO ENTER A R BASE FOR RWY 9L. I HAD JUST TURNED FINAL WHEN I NOTICED AN ACFT CLBING OFF OF RWY 27L (OFF MY R AND SEVERAL HUNDRED FT LOWER THAN ME). I FINALLY REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND CALLED THE TWR EXPRESSING MY APOLOGIES AND REQUESTED A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27R. THE TWR THEN APOLOGIZED TO ME FOR NOT NOTICING MY MISTAKE EARLIER, AND HE ALSO APOLOGIZED TO THE OTHER ACFT WHO MUST HAVE VOICED CONCERN, ALTHOUGH I HEARD NO XMISSION FROM HIM. AT THE TIME I NOTICED THE OTHER ACFT, I WAS APPROX 1 MI W AT APPROX 1600 FT MSL (700 FT AGL) AFTER TURNING FINAL. I BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS OCCURRENCE. THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON MY PART. I INITIALLY FLEW FROM FCM TO MKT (AN APPROX 30-40 MIN FLT) ON NOV/XA/01 TO ADMINISTER WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE 3 FLT EXAMS. FINISHED 12 HRS LATER AND WENT TO THE HOTEL, HAD DINNER AND WENT TO BED. I DID NOT SLEEP WELL, BUT GOT UP THE NEXT DAY AND ADMINISTERED 2 MORE EXAMS. I THEN PREFLTED THE ARCHER AND DEPARTED FOR FCM. ON MY MIND ON THE RETURN TRIP TO FCM WERE PROB ISSUES WITH THE FLT SCHOOL (A NEW VENDOR AND DISCONTENT AMONG STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES, ETC). I WAS ALSO SOMEWHAT TIRED FROM LACK OF SLEEP AND STRENUOUS ACTIVITY. THIS ALL, I BELIEVE, CONTRIBUTED TO MY LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. NON OPERATIONAL DISTRS ARE (OR CAN BE) DEBILITATING -- FATIGUE IS ALSO. FOR WHATEVER REASON, I HAD PLANNED MY DSCNT AND APCH FOR RWY 9. WHEN THEY CLRED ME FOR RWY 27L, I 'HEARD' RWY 9L, CAREFULLY CROSSED THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 9R/27L AND TURNED FINAL FOR RWY 9L, THINKING THEY WANTED ME ON THE RWY CLOSEST TO THE FBO. I HAD JUSTIFIED ALL MY ACTIONS. THE ONLY PROB WAS THE WRONG RWY. I HAVE 10000 HRS, NAVAL AVIATION, GA., AIRLINE EXPERIENCE AND AM A DESIGNATED PLT EXAMINER (PVT ATP/INITIAL CFI AND ADD-ON RATINGS), AND I STILL MADE THIS MISTAKE. I WILL NOW IMPLEMENT A 'SITUATIONAL AWARENESS' MGMNT TOOL FOR CRITICAL AREAS SUCH AS ARPT AREAS IN A CHKLIST OR OTHER FORM.

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.