Narrative:

I was on the instrument approach to runway 28L at pittsburg international airport (pit). While outside the IAF I was lined up on the localizer but, after crossing the IAF I began to drift off center to the right toward runway 28C as I flew down the localizer to decision ht. I missed the approach on 2 occasions to runway 28L and was directed to go around by the tower both times, although I could have landed on the 2ND approach. On the third approach, I was directed to use runway 28R and given an extended downwind to intercept the localizer. The approach and landing were successful and accurate and were completed without incident. Arrs at the time were using runways 28L and right while departures were using runway 28C. It has always been my practice to manually fly the approach rather than having the autoplt control the aircraft. I was unfamiliar with the airport environment. I was not able to recognize where the thresholds of runway 28L was located in relation to runway 28C. The low IFR conditions (1 1/2 mi visibility, 1000 ft overcast, 600 ft broken, few clouds 300 ft and RVR 6000 ft), coupled with the high traffic volume and keeping my speed up to sequence with the commercial jet traffic, just made things happen faster with little room for correction. The close proximity of runways 28L and 28C made it easy to be confused after breaking out in low IFR. The distraction of tuning in tower frequency after crossing the IAF rather than having it tuned in ahead of time. (I actually had the wrong frequency tuned) was difficult. It seemed like I tuned different frequencys on each go around both for tower and departure. The problem on the first 2 approachs was discovered after I broke out and had a visual on the runway, noting that it in fact was runway 28C rather than runway 28L, and I was off center to the right. In the future, I will spend more time understanding the airport environment and particularly be aware of runway relationships where there are 3 parallel runways noting the relationship of each runway to the other. On low IFR approachs at high traffic airports that I'm unfamiliar with, I need to let the autoplt help guide the aircraft but still monitor the approach as if I was manually flying as I did on the third approach to runway 28R. I need to have the proper frequencys tuned in for approach and tower so that I won't be distracted while inside the IAF, especially in low IFR approachs. This would afford more focus on the gauges and guiding the aircraft down the localizer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C210L PLT, ON APCH TO RWY 28L AT PIT, ENTERED INTO THE RWY 28C APCH PATH.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE INST APCH TO RWY 28L AT PITTSBURG INTL ARPT (PIT). WHILE OUTSIDE THE IAF I WAS LINED UP ON THE LOC BUT, AFTER XING THE IAF I BEGAN TO DRIFT OFF CTR TO THE R TOWARD RWY 28C AS I FLEW DOWN THE LOC TO DECISION HT. I MISSED THE APCH ON 2 OCCASIONS TO RWY 28L AND WAS DIRECTED TO GO AROUND BY THE TWR BOTH TIMES, ALTHOUGH I COULD HAVE LANDED ON THE 2ND APCH. ON THE THIRD APCH, I WAS DIRECTED TO USE RWY 28R AND GIVEN AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE SUCCESSFUL AND ACCURATE AND WERE COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ARRS AT THE TIME WERE USING RWYS 28L AND R WHILE DEPS WERE USING RWY 28C. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY PRACTICE TO MANUALLY FLY THE APCH RATHER THAN HAVING THE AUTOPLT CTL THE ACFT. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO RECOGNIZE WHERE THE THRESHOLDS OF RWY 28L WAS LOCATED IN RELATION TO RWY 28C. THE LOW IFR CONDITIONS (1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, 1000 FT OVCST, 600 FT BROKEN, FEW CLOUDS 300 FT AND RVR 6000 FT), COUPLED WITH THE HIGH TFC VOLUME AND KEEPING MY SPD UP TO SEQUENCE WITH THE COMMERCIAL JET TFC, JUST MADE THINGS HAPPEN FASTER WITH LITTLE ROOM FOR CORRECTION. THE CLOSE PROX OF RWYS 28L AND 28C MADE IT EASY TO BE CONFUSED AFTER BREAKING OUT IN LOW IFR. THE DISTR OF TUNING IN TWR FREQ AFTER XING THE IAF RATHER THAN HAVING IT TUNED IN AHEAD OF TIME. (I ACTUALLY HAD THE WRONG FREQ TUNED) WAS DIFFICULT. IT SEEMED LIKE I TUNED DIFFERENT FREQS ON EACH GAR BOTH FOR TWR AND DEP. THE PROB ON THE FIRST 2 APCHS WAS DISCOVERED AFTER I BROKE OUT AND HAD A VISUAL ON THE RWY, NOTING THAT IT IN FACT WAS RWY 28C RATHER THAN RWY 28L, AND I WAS OFF CTR TO THE R. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL SPEND MORE TIME UNDERSTANDING THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT AND PARTICULARLY BE AWARE OF RWY RELATIONSHIPS WHERE THERE ARE 3 PARALLEL RWYS NOTING THE RELATIONSHIP OF EACH RWY TO THE OTHER. ON LOW IFR APCHS AT HIGH TFC ARPTS THAT I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH, I NEED TO LET THE AUTOPLT HELP GUIDE THE ACFT BUT STILL MONITOR THE APCH AS IF I WAS MANUALLY FLYING AS I DID ON THE THIRD APCH TO RWY 28R. I NEED TO HAVE THE PROPER FREQS TUNED IN FOR APCH AND TWR SO THAT I WON'T BE DISTRACTED WHILE INSIDE THE IAF, ESPECIALLY IN LOW IFR APCHS. THIS WOULD AFFORD MORE FOCUS ON THE GAUGES AND GUIDING THE ACFT DOWN THE LOC.

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.