A PA34 instructor and student landed on the wrong runway at yum.

Attributes
ACN	534446
Time
Date	200112
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : yum.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : yum.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : circling approach : instrument non precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	534446
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were on the VOR approach at yuma, az, in visual conditions and were instructed to circle north for a landing on runway 8. Instead, we landed on runway 3L. What caused this was twofold. 1) the runway had been used a lot by heavy aircraft and, therefore, the runway numbers were observed by skid marks making them hard to read, and a '3' is easy to mistake for an '8.' 2) a failure to xchk the runway heading with the compass after lining up on final, combined with our lack of familiarity with the yuma airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY AT YUM.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE VOR APCH AT YUMA, AZ, IN VISUAL CONDITIONS AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO CIRCLE N FOR A LNDG ON RWY 8. INSTEAD, WE LANDED ON RWY 3L. WHAT CAUSED THIS WAS TWOFOLD. 1) THE RWY HAD BEEN USED A LOT BY HVY ACFT AND, THEREFORE, THE RWY NUMBERS WERE OBSERVED BY SKID MARKS MAKING THEM HARD TO READ, AND A '3' IS EASY TO MISTAKE FOR AN '8.' 2) A FAILURE TO XCHK THE RWY HDG WITH THE COMPASS AFTER LINING UP ON FINAL, COMBINED WITH OUR LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE YUMA ARPT.

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.