<< >> NASA ASRS Report 633521, October 2004

An instructor and student night flying a PA44 at a metropolitan airport with light saturation landed on the wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	633521
Time
Date	200410
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stp.airport
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 85
ASRS Report	633521
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 153 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	633126
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared to land on runway 14. Stp has 2 runways that converge and are within 10 degrees of each other. It was night, and there are so many lights that it was hard to see the airport. We finally saw what we thought was runway 14. I looked for REIL's but didn't see them. We flew a final for runway 13, never actually seeing runway 14. We thought we were on final already for runway 14. Tower never said anything looked wrong. We realized it was runway 13 we landed on only when our landing light showed runway 13 at the last second, too late to go around. There were no other aircraft there, so we were no hazard to others, but that was a shock. Other factors were the buildings on approach block the view of the runway. The lights should be brighter than the surrounding lights there. This would have never happened during the day. Supplemental information from acn 633126: to prevent this from happening again, I will tune in the ILS frequency to xchk my position and verify with the controling agency to make sure of the runway I am cleared to land on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT NIGHT FLYING A PA44 AT A METROPOLITAN ARPT WITH LIGHT SATURATION LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 14. STP HAS 2 RWYS THAT CONVERGE AND ARE WITHIN 10 DEGS OF EACH OTHER. IT WAS NIGHT, AND THERE ARE SO MANY LIGHTS THAT IT WAS HARD TO SEE THE ARPT. WE FINALLY SAW WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS RWY 14. I LOOKED FOR REIL'S BUT DIDN'T SEE THEM. WE FLEW A FINAL FOR RWY 13, NEVER ACTUALLY SEEING RWY 14. WE THOUGHT WE WERE ON FINAL ALREADY FOR RWY 14. TWR NEVER SAID ANYTHING LOOKED WRONG. WE REALIZED IT WAS RWY 13 WE LANDED ON ONLY WHEN OUR LNDG LIGHT SHOWED RWY 13 AT THE LAST SECOND, TOO LATE TO GO AROUND. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT THERE, SO WE WERE NO HAZARD TO OTHERS, BUT THAT WAS A SHOCK. OTHER FACTORS WERE THE BUILDINGS ON APCH BLOCK THE VIEW OF THE RWY. THE LIGHTS SHOULD BE BRIGHTER THAN THE SURROUNDING LIGHTS THERE. THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED DURING THE DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 633126: TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, I WILL TUNE IN THE ILS FREQ TO XCHK MY POS AND VERIFY WITH THE CTLING AGENCY TO MAKE SURE OF THE RWY I AM CLRED TO LAND ON.

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.