Narrative:

I was assigned the runway 19 ILS approach to jac, cleared direct to the IAF (dnw) at or above 13000 ft. After reaching the IAF at 13000 ft, I turned to the depicted radial off dnw to join the localizer. Shortly after the turn, the CDI on #1 navigation started swinging erratically, left to right, at which time the autoplt captured the localizer causing the aircraft to start an erratic turn prematurely. At this time I disengaged the autoplt, stopped my descent and adjusted course to again join the depicted radial until reaching the localizer. At that time I started descent and joined the GS at the depicted point. Conditions were IMC in a ragged and obscure ceiling of about 2000 ft in rain and mist mixed with occasional snow. Upon breaking out on final, I sighted the airport. However, the runway was obscured by the dark asphalt paving, poor condition of runway markings (which under the conditions were difficult to make out, even at 500 ft), rain and mist, and no runway lighting. The taxiway, on the other hand, was easily sighted and appeared to be the only runway. It was light colored pavement that did not blend into the surrounding environment and the reflection of the sky off the wet pavement resulted in the illusion that this was the runway. I then landed on the taxiway near the approach end of runway 19 with both my landing and taxi lights on for the tower to see. After slowing to exit the 'runway' I proceeded to a turnoff and passed a commercial carrier which was at its gate. Upon exiting what I thought was the runway, I was told by the tower to call them on the phone, which I did. Upon calling the tower, I was told that I had landed on the taxiway and that the commercial aircraft was told to hold the pushback until I cleared. Contributing factors included: 1) no runway lights illuminated during poor visibility and precipitation on instrument approach, 2) poor runway markings, 3) pilot inexperience with this particular airport (first time arrival in heavy IMC), 4) tower's silence in communicating a potentially dangerous conflict with other aircraft, even though the tower acknowledged that I was in visual contact. In my phone conversation with the tower controller after I landed, I was told that although they could see that I was not aligned with the runway on short final, they 'thought' I was crabbing. I was not cautioned or told of my situation by the tower during the landing on the taxiway nor after my landing roll. I continued down the taxiway for approximately 1500 ft before arriving in the area of the gates. I could have stopped at that point, but I was unaware of the situation and I was not cautioned about a potential conflict with other traffic until I parked the aircraft and called the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C210 SINGLE PLT LANDED ON THE TXWY AT JAC, INSTEAD OF RWY 19, WHICH CAUSED AN ACR TO DELAY PUSHBACK UNTIL THE RPTR HAD SAFELY PASSED BEHIND.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED THE RWY 19 ILS APCH TO JAC, CLRED DIRECT TO THE IAF (DNW) AT OR ABOVE 13000 FT. AFTER REACHING THE IAF AT 13000 FT, I TURNED TO THE DEPICTED RADIAL OFF DNW TO JOIN THE LOC. SHORTLY AFTER THE TURN, THE CDI ON #1 NAV STARTED SWINGING ERRATICALLY, L TO R, AT WHICH TIME THE AUTOPLT CAPTURED THE LOC CAUSING THE ACFT TO START AN ERRATIC TURN PREMATURELY. AT THIS TIME I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT, STOPPED MY DSCNT AND ADJUSTED COURSE TO AGAIN JOIN THE DEPICTED RADIAL UNTIL REACHING THE LOC. AT THAT TIME I STARTED DSCNT AND JOINED THE GS AT THE DEPICTED POINT. CONDITIONS WERE IMC IN A RAGGED AND OBSCURE CEILING OF ABOUT 2000 FT IN RAIN AND MIST MIXED WITH OCCASIONAL SNOW. UPON BREAKING OUT ON FINAL, I SIGHTED THE ARPT. HOWEVER, THE RWY WAS OBSCURED BY THE DARK ASPHALT PAVING, POOR CONDITION OF RWY MARKINGS (WHICH UNDER THE CONDITIONS WERE DIFFICULT TO MAKE OUT, EVEN AT 500 FT), RAIN AND MIST, AND NO RWY LIGHTING. THE TXWY, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS EASILY SIGHTED AND APPEARED TO BE THE ONLY RWY. IT WAS LIGHT COLORED PAVEMENT THAT DID NOT BLEND INTO THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT AND THE REFLECTION OF THE SKY OFF THE WET PAVEMENT RESULTED IN THE ILLUSION THAT THIS WAS THE RWY. I THEN LANDED ON THE TXWY NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 19 WITH BOTH MY LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS ON FOR THE TWR TO SEE. AFTER SLOWING TO EXIT THE 'RWY' I PROCEEDED TO A TURNOFF AND PASSED A COMMERCIAL CARRIER WHICH WAS AT ITS GATE. UPON EXITING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY, I WAS TOLD BY THE TWR TO CALL THEM ON THE PHONE, WHICH I DID. UPON CALLING THE TWR, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD LANDED ON THE TXWY AND THAT THE COMMERCIAL ACFT WAS TOLD TO HOLD THE PUSHBACK UNTIL I CLRED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED: 1) NO RWY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DURING POOR VISIBILITY AND PRECIP ON INSTRUMENT APCH, 2) POOR RWY MARKINGS, 3) PLT INEXPERIENCE WITH THIS PARTICULAR ARPT (FIRST TIME ARR IN HVY IMC), 4) TWR'S SILENCE IN COMMUNICATING A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT, EVEN THOUGH THE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WAS IN VISUAL CONTACT. IN MY PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE TWR CTLR AFTER I LANDED, I WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH THEY COULD SEE THAT I WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE RWY ON SHORT FINAL, THEY 'THOUGHT' I WAS CRABBING. I WAS NOT CAUTIONED OR TOLD OF MY SIT BY THE TWR DURING THE LNDG ON THE TXWY NOR AFTER MY LNDG ROLL. I CONTINUED DOWN THE TXWY FOR APPROX 1500 FT BEFORE ARRIVING IN THE AREA OF THE GATES. I COULD HAVE STOPPED AT THAT POINT, BUT I WAS UNAWARE OF THE SIT AND I WAS NOT CAUTIONED ABOUT A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC UNTIL I PARKED THE ACFT AND CALLED THE TWR.

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.