Narrative:

Runway 28R had the first (eastern) 2400 ft closed for construction. It was marked appropriately with flags, cones and a painted displaced threshold bar. VASI for runway 28R was on, but ATIS advised it as unusable. I told pilot of displaced threshold, but not the VASI prior to landing clearance. Pilot acknowledged the above information. I observed the aircraft lined up for runway 28R and then started working 2 departures and 2 arrival aircraft on runway 28L. The pilot inbound to runway 28R asked if he could change to runway 28L and I told him unable. While trying to get 2 cessnas airborne prior to a landing citation, the cessna on runway 28R landed on the closed portion of the runway. The pilot told me of the short landing as I turned around and saw him attempting to exit the runway. I believe the pilot may have been misled by the lighted, but unusable VASI and his desire to avoid a 2 mi taxi to his base. Supplemental information from acn 560917: I was flying a C185 at cmh, oh. I was being vectored for runway 28L when the final controller decided spacing was too tight and he changed my runway to runway 28R. Coming in from the south, I crossed the final of the first runway behind traffic and lined up on final for runway 28R. I followed the VASI in on the visual approach, noted the lit threshold (or reflective) and landed on a portion of the runway that was notamed closed. At the point of touchdown is when I saw small orange cones. I landed without incident and promptly contacted the tower by telephone. Contributing factors were: 1) ATIS information described the closure, but I only partially paid attention because I was being vectored to a different runway. I thought the last 1/2 was closed, not the first 1/2. 2) VASI was lit and operational with the glide path directly to the closed portion. The lights to the threshold were either lit or reflecting the sun as lit. 3) the sun was shining bright straight ahead and on the horizon contributing to not seeing the cones. 4) I believe controller advised me how many ft were available, but not which end. By the time I noticed the cones or realized I was on the closed portion, the main wheels touched down and I chose a safe roll to stop rather than a go around. All the above occurred without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C185 PLT AT CMH LANDS ON THE CLOSED PORTION OF A PARALLEL RWY AFTER BEING CHANGED AT THE LAST MIN BECAUSE OF TFC.

Narrative: RWY 28R HAD THE FIRST (EASTERN) 2400 FT CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION. IT WAS MARKED APPROPRIATELY WITH FLAGS, CONES AND A PAINTED DISPLACED THRESHOLD BAR. VASI FOR RWY 28R WAS ON, BUT ATIS ADVISED IT AS UNUSABLE. I TOLD PLT OF DISPLACED THRESHOLD, BUT NOT THE VASI PRIOR TO LNDG CLRNC. PLT ACKNOWLEDGED THE ABOVE INFO. I OBSERVED THE ACFT LINED UP FOR RWY 28R AND THEN STARTED WORKING 2 DEPS AND 2 ARR ACFT ON RWY 28L. THE PLT INBOUND TO RWY 28R ASKED IF HE COULD CHANGE TO RWY 28L AND I TOLD HIM UNABLE. WHILE TRYING TO GET 2 CESSNAS AIRBORNE PRIOR TO A LNDG CITATION, THE CESSNA ON RWY 28R LANDED ON THE CLOSED PORTION OF THE RWY. THE PLT TOLD ME OF THE SHORT LNDG AS I TURNED AROUND AND SAW HIM ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE RWY. I BELIEVE THE PLT MAY HAVE BEEN MISLED BY THE LIGHTED, BUT UNUSABLE VASI AND HIS DESIRE TO AVOID A 2 MI TAXI TO HIS BASE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 560917: I WAS FLYING A C185 AT CMH, OH. I WAS BEING VECTORED FOR RWY 28L WHEN THE FINAL CTLR DECIDED SPACING WAS TOO TIGHT AND HE CHANGED MY RWY TO RWY 28R. COMING IN FROM THE S, I CROSSED THE FINAL OF THE FIRST RWY BEHIND TFC AND LINED UP ON FINAL FOR RWY 28R. I FOLLOWED THE VASI IN ON THE VISUAL APCH, NOTED THE LIT THRESHOLD (OR REFLECTIVE) AND LANDED ON A PORTION OF THE RWY THAT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. AT THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN IS WHEN I SAW SMALL ORANGE CONES. I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND PROMPTLY CONTACTED THE TWR BY TELEPHONE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) ATIS INFO DESCRIBED THE CLOSURE, BUT I ONLY PARTIALLY PAID ATTN BECAUSE I WAS BEING VECTORED TO A DIFFERENT RWY. I THOUGHT THE LAST 1/2 WAS CLOSED, NOT THE FIRST 1/2. 2) VASI WAS LIT AND OPERATIONAL WITH THE GLIDE PATH DIRECTLY TO THE CLOSED PORTION. THE LIGHTS TO THE THRESHOLD WERE EITHER LIT OR REFLECTING THE SUN AS LIT. 3) THE SUN WAS SHINING BRIGHT STRAIGHT AHEAD AND ON THE HORIZON CONTRIBUTING TO NOT SEEING THE CONES. 4) I BELIEVE CTLR ADVISED ME HOW MANY FT WERE AVAILABLE, BUT NOT WHICH END. BY THE TIME I NOTICED THE CONES OR REALIZED I WAS ON THE CLOSED PORTION, THE MAIN WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN AND I CHOSE A SAFE ROLL TO STOP RATHER THAN A GAR. ALL THE ABOVE OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.