Narrative:

I landed on the wrong parallel runway at phoenix sky harbor. The flight had been routine and ATC was busy with moderate traffic in VFR conditions. We were inbound from north and ATIS was advising to expect runway 26. Approach controller was nice enough to offer a landing on the left side of the field if it would help and I agreed with the offer. As we were being vectored, approach descended us to 5000 ft and advised traffic, an airbus turning final for runway 26, and advised of a B727 on parallel approach that I was to follow. I reported the airbus in sight, but not the B727. Approach continued to vector for the visual. After clearing the airbus, ATC cleared me for a visual and instructed me to maintain 170 KTS until the power plant, and switched me to the tower. The tower instructed that I was cleared to land on runway 25L and advised 'caution wake turbulence, you are 2 mi in-trail of B727.' this is where the error began. I saw the B727 and adjusted my flight path to remain above his glide path, and planned my touchdown beyond his touchdown point to clear his wake, which I did. The problem was the B727 landed on runway 25R. Local controller seemed to be conducting business as usual, instructed me on which taxiway to exit the runway and continued to instruct my taxi until crossing runway 25L and switched me to ground control. At that point, I was instructed to call concerning a possible pilot deviation. No doubt, I was in error. Factors that contributed to this incident were: 1) being unfamiliar with the area, 2) the runway confign, runways 26, 25R, 25L, 3) attempting to anticipate and plan ahead to meet ATC's needs, 4) I was hearing incorrectly and replied 'cleared to land runway 25L' and thought I was correct in following the B727 to runway 25L, and 5) local control did not challenge the approach or instruct me to 'go around.' when I called the tower and spoke with the supervisor, I had no idea what the call was concerning. I was convinced that I had followed my clrncs correctly. It was after the discussion I realized my error. I am not completely sure how this situation could totally be avoided in the future. Maybe phraseology changes could help. 'Cleared to land runway 25L, use caution, wake turbulence, arriving B727 on parallel runway 25R,' rather than you are 'in-trail.' I interpreted 'in-trail' to mean following. My error. Another possibility could be the runway numbering, runways 25L, 25C, 25R. Could this prevent confusion? The situation could be traced back maybe to approach attempting to point out the B727 to follow for the visual and the airbus, point out, that was on approach for runway 26.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE20 FLT CREW BECOMES DISTR BY THE TA'S ON APCH TO PHX, LNDG ON THE WRONG RWY. ERROR RECOGNIZED ONLY DURING CONFERENCE WITH TWR.

Narrative: I LANDED ON THE WRONG PARALLEL RWY AT PHOENIX SKY HARBOR. THE FLT HAD BEEN ROUTINE AND ATC WAS BUSY WITH MODERATE TFC IN VFR CONDITIONS. WE WERE INBOUND FROM N AND ATIS WAS ADVISING TO EXPECT RWY 26. APCH CTLR WAS NICE ENOUGH TO OFFER A LNDG ON THE L SIDE OF THE FIELD IF IT WOULD HELP AND I AGREED WITH THE OFFER. AS WE WERE BEING VECTORED, APCH DSNDED US TO 5000 FT AND ADVISED TFC, AN AIRBUS TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 26, AND ADVISED OF A B727 ON PARALLEL APCH THAT I WAS TO FOLLOW. I RPTED THE AIRBUS IN SIGHT, BUT NOT THE B727. APCH CONTINUED TO VECTOR FOR THE VISUAL. AFTER CLRING THE AIRBUS, ATC CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL AND INSTRUCTED ME TO MAINTAIN 170 KTS UNTIL THE PWR PLANT, AND SWITCHED ME TO THE TWR. THE TWR INSTRUCTED THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 25L AND ADVISED 'CAUTION WAKE TURB, YOU ARE 2 MI IN-TRAIL OF B727.' THIS IS WHERE THE ERROR BEGAN. I SAW THE B727 AND ADJUSTED MY FLT PATH TO REMAIN ABOVE HIS GLIDE PATH, AND PLANNED MY TOUCHDOWN BEYOND HIS TOUCHDOWN POINT TO CLR HIS WAKE, WHICH I DID. THE PROB WAS THE B727 LANDED ON RWY 25R. LCL CTLR SEEMED TO BE CONDUCTING BUSINESS AS USUAL, INSTRUCTED ME ON WHICH TXWY TO EXIT THE RWY AND CONTINUED TO INSTRUCT MY TAXI UNTIL XING RWY 25L AND SWITCHED ME TO GND CTL. AT THAT POINT, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL CONCERNING A POSSIBLE PLTDEV. NO DOUBT, I WAS IN ERROR. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT WERE: 1) BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, 2) THE RWY CONFIGN, RWYS 26, 25R, 25L, 3) ATTEMPTING TO ANTICIPATE AND PLAN AHEAD TO MEET ATC'S NEEDS, 4) I WAS HEARING INCORRECTLY AND REPLIED 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 25L' AND THOUGHT I WAS CORRECT IN FOLLOWING THE B727 TO RWY 25L, AND 5) LCL CTL DID NOT CHALLENGE THE APCH OR INSTRUCT ME TO 'GO AROUND.' WHEN I CALLED THE TWR AND SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE CALL WAS CONCERNING. I WAS CONVINCED THAT I HAD FOLLOWED MY CLRNCS CORRECTLY. IT WAS AFTER THE DISCUSSION I REALIZED MY ERROR. I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE HOW THIS SIT COULD TOTALLY BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE. MAYBE PHRASEOLOGY CHANGES COULD HELP. 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 25L, USE CAUTION, WAKE TURB, ARRIVING B727 ON PARALLEL RWY 25R,' RATHER THAN YOU ARE 'IN-TRAIL.' I INTERPRETED 'IN-TRAIL' TO MEAN FOLLOWING. MY ERROR. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY COULD BE THE RWY NUMBERING, RWYS 25L, 25C, 25R. COULD THIS PREVENT CONFUSION? THE SIT COULD BE TRACED BACK MAYBE TO APCH ATTEMPTING TO POINT OUT THE B727 TO FOLLOW FOR THE VISUAL AND THE AIRBUS, POINT OUT, THAT WAS ON APCH FOR RWY 26.

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.