Narrative:

The incident occurred on oct/sun/02 at approximately XA00. Flight conditions were night VMC with visibility +6 SM. Approaching the airport from the northeast, I was cleared for a VFR landing at dpa on runway 33. I had limited experience in operations at this airport and had only made 3 night lndgs at dpa, all using runway 10. The controller cleared me for a right turn to final for runway 33. While making the turn to final, I saw high intensity runway lighting. I wrongly assumed these to be the lights for runway 33. The HIRL for runway 28 were very prominent and did not notice the lights for runway 33 (MIRL). I did not check my heading indicator while lined up for the landing. Had I checked this, I would have discovered the error in time to land on the cleared runway. The runway thresholds for these 2 runways are very close to each other (forming a v-shape). Crossing the runway threshold, I saw the numbers for the runway (runway 28). I proceeded with a normal landing and immediately notified the tower of my mistake. No other traffic was affected and ground control cleared me for a normal taxi to the north ramp. The problem arose due to the pilot's unfamiliarity with the airport (especially at night) and the failure to use the heading indicator to confirm flight path to the cleared runway. A contributing factor was the significant difference in the level of lighting of the 2 runways. The mistake was discovered when the aircraft crossed the runway threshold. The corrective action taken by the pilot is to be better prepared when landing at unfamiliar airports and concentrate on improving instrument scanning techniques.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT LANDS ON WRONG RWY AT DPA.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON OCT/SUN/02 AT APPROX XA00. FLT CONDITIONS WERE NIGHT VMC WITH VISIBILITY +6 SM. APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE NE, I WAS CLRED FOR A VFR LNDG AT DPA ON RWY 33. I HAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN OPS AT THIS ARPT AND HAD ONLY MADE 3 NIGHT LNDGS AT DPA, ALL USING RWY 10. THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR A R TURN TO FINAL FOR RWY 33. WHILE MAKING THE TURN TO FINAL, I SAW HIGH INTENSITY RWY LIGHTING. I WRONGLY ASSUMED THESE TO BE THE LIGHTS FOR RWY 33. THE HIRL FOR RWY 28 WERE VERY PROMINENT AND DID NOT NOTICE THE LIGHTS FOR RWY 33 (MIRL). I DID NOT CHK MY HDG INDICATOR WHILE LINED UP FOR THE LNDG. HAD I CHKED THIS, I WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE ERROR IN TIME TO LAND ON THE CLRED RWY. THE RWY THRESHOLDS FOR THESE 2 RWYS ARE VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER (FORMING A V-SHAPE). XING THE RWY THRESHOLD, I SAW THE NUMBERS FOR THE RWY (RWY 28). I PROCEEDED WITH A NORMAL LNDG AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE TWR OF MY MISTAKE. NO OTHER TFC WAS AFFECTED AND GND CTL CLRED ME FOR A NORMAL TAXI TO THE N RAMP. THE PROB AROSE DUE TO THE PLT'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT (ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT) AND THE FAILURE TO USE THE HDG INDICATOR TO CONFIRM FLT PATH TO THE CLRED RWY. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE LEVEL OF LIGHTING OF THE 2 RWYS. THE MISTAKE WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE ACFT CROSSED THE RWY THRESHOLD. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN BY THE PLT IS TO BE BETTER PREPARED WHEN LNDG AT UNFAMILIAR ARPTS AND CONCENTRATE ON IMPROVING INST SCANNING TECHNIQUES.

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.