Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight (tower en route) from cma to sna. The sna ATIS reported visibility 7 mi and haze, clear below 12000 ft. On approach to sna with socal approach, I was asked to report the airport in sight for the visual runway 19L. I responded that I was unfamiliar with the area and that I did not want runway 19L, as it was too short (2887 ft ) for the speed of my airplane. I cross the numbers at 100-110 KTS. I was told to pick up the 'lda,' which is actually lda runway 19R, and I thought they were lining me up for the right runway, runway 19R. I never got established on lda runway 19R, but I reported the airport in sight and proceeded to the airport thinking I was headed for runway 19R. I was still trying to pick up the lda as a backup, when I finally saw the airport clearly. I was high and left of the centerline for both runways about 3-4 mi out. Approach handed me off to the tower, who asked me if I would be able to land from there, and I said affirmative, because I assumed I had plenty of runway length on runway 19R (5700 ft) to stop the airplane. Otherwise, I would not have accepted a landing on a 2887 ft runway from that position. They cleared me to land. I believed I was cleared to land on runway 19R. On very short final, I was given a go around, which I executed immediately and proceeded to be rted for left traffic to runway 19L where I landed. After exiting the runway, ground told me to call the tower for a possible pilot deviation problem. I called the tower, and they said I would be hearing from the FSDO. In hindsight, there obviously was confusion between approach, the tower, and myself regarding the runway to land on. I should have asked approach to repeat their instructions regarding my expected runway. I made an assumption it was runway 19R, and that is dangerous. I have been trained to request clarification, but approach is very busy in that area, and I did not do it. In addition, the tower may have given me 'cleared to land runway 19L,' and I missed it, simply hearing 'cleared to land.' I have experience flying into other multiple parallel runway airports, and I am trained to listen carefully to the left or right designation. If the 'left' runway was given to me by the tower, I missed it. Again, I should have asked for a repeat. Obviously, my instructions were not clear to me. In the future, I will clarify any instructions I receive that I do not fully understand regardless of how busy the controllers are.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANCAIR 4 EXPERIENCED AN ATC DIRECTED GAR AT SNA ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT (TWR ENRTE) FROM CMA TO SNA. THE SNA ATIS RPTED VISIBILITY 7 MI AND HAZE, CLR BELOW 12000 FT. ON APCH TO SNA WITH SOCAL APCH, I WAS ASKED TO RPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT FOR THE VISUAL RWY 19L. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND THAT I DID NOT WANT RWY 19L, AS IT WAS TOO SHORT (2887 FT ) FOR THE SPD OF MY AIRPLANE. I CROSS THE NUMBERS AT 100-110 KTS. I WAS TOLD TO PICK UP THE 'LDA,' WHICH IS ACTUALLY LDA RWY 19R, AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE LINING ME UP FOR THE R RWY, RWY 19R. I NEVER GOT ESTABLISHED ON LDA RWY 19R, BUT I RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND PROCEEDED TO THE ARPT THINKING I WAS HEADED FOR RWY 19R. I WAS STILL TRYING TO PICK UP THE LDA AS A BACKUP, WHEN I FINALLY SAW THE ARPT CLRLY. I WAS HIGH AND L OF THE CTRLINE FOR BOTH RWYS ABOUT 3-4 MI OUT. APCH HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR, WHO ASKED ME IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO LAND FROM THERE, AND I SAID AFFIRMATIVE, BECAUSE I ASSUMED I HAD PLENTY OF RWY LENGTH ON RWY 19R (5700 FT) TO STOP THE AIRPLANE. OTHERWISE, I WOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED A LNDG ON A 2887 FT RWY FROM THAT POS. THEY CLRED ME TO LAND. I BELIEVED I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 19R. ON VERY SHORT FINAL, I WAS GIVEN A GAR, WHICH I EXECUTED IMMEDIATELY AND PROCEEDED TO BE RTED FOR L TFC TO RWY 19L WHERE I LANDED. AFTER EXITING THE RWY, GND TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR FOR A POSSIBLE PLT DEV PROB. I CALLED THE TWR, AND THEY SAID I WOULD BE HEARING FROM THE FSDO. IN HINDSIGHT, THERE OBVIOUSLY WAS CONFUSION BTWN APCH, THE TWR, AND MYSELF REGARDING THE RWY TO LAND ON. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED APCH TO REPEAT THEIR INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING MY EXPECTED RWY. I MADE AN ASSUMPTION IT WAS RWY 19R, AND THAT IS DANGEROUS. I HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO REQUEST CLARIFICATION, BUT APCH IS VERY BUSY IN THAT AREA, AND I DID NOT DO IT. IN ADDITION, THE TWR MAY HAVE GIVEN ME 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 19L,' AND I MISSED IT, SIMPLY HEARING 'CLRED TO LAND.' I HAVE EXPERIENCE FLYING INTO OTHER MULTIPLE PARALLEL RWY ARPTS, AND I AM TRAINED TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE L OR R DESIGNATION. IF THE 'L' RWY WAS GIVEN TO ME BY THE TWR, I MISSED IT. AGAIN, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A REPEAT. OBVIOUSLY, MY INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT CLR TO ME. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL CLARIFY ANY INSTRUCTIONS I RECEIVE THAT I DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND REGARDLESS OF HOW BUSY THE CTLRS ARE.

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.