Narrative:

I was preparing to do some night takeoffs and lndgs to improve my skills (I was already current), to verify the operation of the landing gear which had been slow recently, to verify the operation of the GPS which had been repaired recently, and to determine the aiming of the new wingtip landing lights. The tower controller cleared me for runway 7, however, out of habit, I went past runway 7 and taxied to runway 12R, which has been designated the normal runway since completion of the parallel runway 12L. The controller said he was about to move all traffic to runway 12 anyway and cleared me for takeoff. As I turned downwind, he told me I'd have to keep the pattern tighter because my right wingtip was in the nellis class B airspace, even though I was less than 1 mi from the runway. This is extremely difficult for me because of my high traffic pattern speed (120 mph indicated airspeed). When abeam the runway midpoint, he cleared me for a touch-and-go on, I thought runway 12R. I asked for full stops with taxi-backs (again) and he then changed my landing clearance to -- again, I thought -- runway 12L. After landing on the left, he informed me that I had landed on the wrong runway, since he had cleared me for runway 12R. My passenger then informed me that he also thought I had landed correctly on runway 12L, according to the last clearance issued. I apologized to the controller, but stated that we both thought he had cleared us for runway 12L. On my second takeoff, he extended my downwind for over 2 mi because of conflicting traffic. When I turned final at a point about 2 mi from the end of the runway, I noticed that my airspeed had dropped significantly, though not enough to be dangerous, and I had descended to about 200 ft AGL. I increased power and maintained that altitude until intercepting the PAPI glide path. After my third takeoff, the tower closed and I began to announce my turns on the tower/CTAF. As I turned final for runway 12R, another aircraft called advising that he was taking off on that runway. I, therefore, changed to runway 12L. However the other aircraft took off on runway 7, instead. I don't know if this was all my problem or if everyone was just having a bad night. There were many mistakes, not all of them mine, which indicate it could have been the latter. I was somewhat unnerved by having missed runway 7, then again by being squeezed into a close traffic pattern that does not give me adequate distance on base, but at the time I did not feel distraction, rushed, or under undue pressure. Perhaps the runway markings may not be clearly enough visible at night, since the other aircraft also used the wrong runway. While I did not -- and still do not -- think my aircraft was in any danger, I know that everyone made enough mistakes that, under different circumstances, there could have been 1 or more serious problems. Before flying, again, however, I will study the las class B airspace chart and memorize the exact air traffic area boundaries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA34 PLT HAD A TXWY INCURSION, RWY INCURSION ALMOST FLEW INTO THE GND, AND ENTERED LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC WHILE DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES AT VGT.

Narrative: I WAS PREPARING TO DO SOME NIGHT TKOFS AND LNDGS TO IMPROVE MY SKILLS (I WAS ALREADY CURRENT), TO VERIFY THE OP OF THE LNDG GEAR WHICH HAD BEEN SLOW RECENTLY, TO VERIFY THE OP OF THE GPS WHICH HAD BEEN REPAIRED RECENTLY, AND TO DETERMINE THE AIMING OF THE NEW WINGTIP LNDG LIGHTS. THE TWR CTLR CLRED ME FOR RWY 7, HOWEVER, OUT OF HABIT, I WENT PAST RWY 7 AND TAXIED TO RWY 12R, WHICH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED THE NORMAL RWY SINCE COMPLETION OF THE PARALLEL RWY 12L. THE CTLR SAID HE WAS ABOUT TO MOVE ALL TFC TO RWY 12 ANYWAY AND CLRED ME FOR TKOF. AS I TURNED DOWNWIND, HE TOLD ME I'D HAVE TO KEEP THE PATTERN TIGHTER BECAUSE MY R WINGTIP WAS IN THE NELLIS CLASS B AIRSPACE, EVEN THOUGH I WAS LESS THAN 1 MI FROM THE RWY. THIS IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR ME BECAUSE OF MY HIGH TFC PATTERN SPD (120 MPH INDICATED AIRSPD). WHEN ABEAM THE RWY MIDPOINT, HE CLRED ME FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO ON, I THOUGHT RWY 12R. I ASKED FOR FULL STOPS WITH TAXI-BACKS (AGAIN) AND HE THEN CHANGED MY LNDG CLRNC TO -- AGAIN, I THOUGHT -- RWY 12L. AFTER LNDG ON THE L, HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY, SINCE HE HAD CLRED ME FOR RWY 12R. MY PAX THEN INFORMED ME THAT HE ALSO THOUGHT I HAD LANDED CORRECTLY ON RWY 12L, ACCORDING TO THE LAST CLRNC ISSUED. I APOLOGIZED TO THE CTLR, BUT STATED THAT WE BOTH THOUGHT HE HAD CLRED US FOR RWY 12L. ON MY SECOND TKOF, HE EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND FOR OVER 2 MI BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC. WHEN I TURNED FINAL AT A POINT ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE END OF THE RWY, I NOTICED THAT MY AIRSPD HAD DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY, THOUGH NOT ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS, AND I HAD DSNDED TO ABOUT 200 FT AGL. I INCREASED PWR AND MAINTAINED THAT ALT UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE PAPI GLIDE PATH. AFTER MY THIRD TKOF, THE TWR CLOSED AND I BEGAN TO ANNOUNCE MY TURNS ON THE TWR/CTAF. AS I TURNED FINAL FOR RWY 12R, ANOTHER ACFT CALLED ADVISING THAT HE WAS TAKING OFF ON THAT RWY. I, THEREFORE, CHANGED TO RWY 12L. HOWEVER THE OTHER ACFT TOOK OFF ON RWY 7, INSTEAD. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS ALL MY PROB OR IF EVERYONE WAS JUST HAVING A BAD NIGHT. THERE WERE MANY MISTAKES, NOT ALL OF THEM MINE, WHICH INDICATE IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE LATTER. I WAS SOMEWHAT UNNERVED BY HAVING MISSED RWY 7, THEN AGAIN BY BEING SQUEEZED INTO A CLOSE TFC PATTERN THAT DOES NOT GIVE ME ADEQUATE DISTANCE ON BASE, BUT AT THE TIME I DID NOT FEEL DISTR, RUSHED, OR UNDER UNDUE PRESSURE. PERHAPS THE RWY MARKINGS MAY NOT BE CLRLY ENOUGH VISIBLE AT NIGHT, SINCE THE OTHER ACFT ALSO USED THE WRONG RWY. WHILE I DID NOT -- AND STILL DO NOT -- THINK MY ACFT WAS IN ANY DANGER, I KNOW THAT EVERYONE MADE ENOUGH MISTAKES THAT, UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN 1 OR MORE SERIOUS PROBS. BEFORE FLYING, AGAIN, HOWEVER, I WILL STUDY THE LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE CHART AND MEMORIZE THE EXACT ATA BOUNDARIES.

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.