A PA28 pilot landed on a taxiway instead of runway 34R, as cleared by slc tower.

Attributes
ACN	610586
Time
Date	200403
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc.airport
State Reference	UT
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s56.tracon tower : slc.tower tower : atl.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1350 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	610586
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On an IFR flight plan from psc to slc, I was told to expect runway 34L and was vectored that way. I was held at 9000 ft MSL until abeam the numbers for runway 34L. Then I was instructed by approach to begin the descent and turn to runway 34L and did so. I was descending rapidly and was told to contact tower and was cleared to land on runway 34L. Still descending and at the point of turning final, tower asked me if I could land on runway 34R. I said yes and thought I saw the runway. I was told it was the center runway, but was too low to actually see it. I turned final to what I thought was runway 34R and realized it was a taxiway -- actually a second parallel taxiway for runway 34L. I was too low to actually see runway 34R and was not given vectors, or told exactly how to get to it. I was also told to switch to a different tower frequency, just as I was turning final. Shortly after that, I realized that my 'runway' was actually a taxiway and in the absence of any taxiing aircraft on that side of the airport, I decided to land. All indications to me were that it would be a safe landing. The problem arose from the change from runway 34L to runway 34R. The contributing factors were being too low to see runway 34R visually, the frequency changes while that close to landing (a busy time anyway), thinking I saw runway 34R, not given clear direction to runway 34R, not enough time to locate a hangar shown on the airport diagram that what I had in front of me, no other aircraft on txwys on runway 34L side of airport to make txwys readily identifiable from a distance. I discovered the problem on final, about 600 ft AGL just after changing to the second tower frequency. No corrective actions to avoid other aircraft appeared needed. I decided to land because it looked like it was to be safe and better than turning possibly in the path of other aircraft, since at that point I really didn't know how to get to runway 34R or that changing course would be safe. I was well rested and thoroughly enjoying the flight for the day. In retrospect, I felt I should have not accepted the runway change. I had all the information for runway 34L in front of me and didn't have enough time to find runway 34R.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT LANDED ON A TXWY INSTEAD OF RWY 34R, AS CLRED BY SLC TWR.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PSC TO SLC, I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 34L AND WAS VECTORED THAT WAY. I WAS HELD AT 9000 FT MSL UNTIL ABEAM THE NUMBERS FOR RWY 34L. THEN I WAS INSTRUCTED BY APCH TO BEGIN THE DSCNT AND TURN TO RWY 34L AND DID SO. I WAS DSNDING RAPIDLY AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 34L. STILL DSNDING AND AT THE POINT OF TURNING FINAL, TWR ASKED ME IF I COULD LAND ON RWY 34R. I SAID YES AND THOUGHT I SAW THE RWY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CTR RWY, BUT WAS TOO LOW TO ACTUALLY SEE IT. I TURNED FINAL TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 34R AND REALIZED IT WAS A TXWY -- ACTUALLY A SECOND PARALLEL TXWY FOR RWY 34L. I WAS TOO LOW TO ACTUALLY SEE RWY 34R AND WAS NOT GIVEN VECTORS, OR TOLD EXACTLY HOW TO GET TO IT. I WAS ALSO TOLD TO SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT TWR FREQ, JUST AS I WAS TURNING FINAL. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I REALIZED THAT MY 'RWY' WAS ACTUALLY A TXWY AND IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY TAXIING ACFT ON THAT SIDE OF THE ARPT, I DECIDED TO LAND. ALL INDICATIONS TO ME WERE THAT IT WOULD BE A SAFE LNDG. THE PROB AROSE FROM THE CHANGE FROM RWY 34L TO RWY 34R. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE BEING TOO LOW TO SEE RWY 34R VISUALLY, THE FREQ CHANGES WHILE THAT CLOSE TO LNDG (A BUSY TIME ANYWAY), THINKING I SAW RWY 34R, NOT GIVEN CLR DIRECTION TO RWY 34R, NOT ENOUGH TIME TO LOCATE A HANGAR SHOWN ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM THAT WHAT I HAD IN FRONT OF ME, NO OTHER ACFT ON TXWYS ON RWY 34L SIDE OF ARPT TO MAKE TXWYS READILY IDENTIFIABLE FROM A DISTANCE. I DISCOVERED THE PROB ON FINAL, ABOUT 600 FT AGL JUST AFTER CHANGING TO THE SECOND TWR FREQ. NO CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO AVOID OTHER ACFT APPEARED NEEDED. I DECIDED TO LAND BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS TO BE SAFE AND BETTER THAN TURNING POSSIBLY IN THE PATH OF OTHER ACFT, SINCE AT THAT POINT I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO RWY 34R OR THAT CHANGING COURSE WOULD BE SAFE. I WAS WELL RESTED AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYING THE FLT FOR THE DAY. IN RETROSPECT, I FELT I SHOULD HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THE RWY CHANGE. I HAD ALL THE INFO FOR RWY 34L IN FRONT OF ME AND DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO FIND RWY 34R.

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.