Narrative:

After a long day of flying, 3 stops and over 3 hours flying plus meetings, I was on a long downwind for runway 9R. I was cleared to land and I turned base and final. I was following a B737. I was cautioned about wake turbulence. I lined up for runway 9R and became concerned when I saw a plane back-taxiing. At this point, I was on a 1 1/2 mi final. I asked the tower if I should go around. She asked, 'why, the runway is clear.' confused, I continued inbound and the plane on the ground had stopped. Finally when I was about 1/2 mi out, the plane on the ground indicated verbally they were 'on the taxiway.' I had been so transfixed on the plane (object on the ground) that I made the error of thinking for some reason they were on the runway. At that point, I shifted to the runway (runway 9R) and landed without incident. My concern was that why, on a runway I had landed hundreds of times, that this time I became confused and disoriented. I contribute my long day of flying and meetings causing me to become fatigued and unfocused. I think the controller should have become concerned when I indicated that I thought the runway was occupied, although I put all responsibility on my actions. While no harm was done and I would have gone around, my lack of a good scan and becoming transfixed concerned me. It was a great lesson in what can happen when flying when fatigued and I am sure more focus will be spent on being sure the runway is really the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FATIGUED PA28 PLT LINED UP ON A PARALLEL TXWY, BUT BECAME DISORIENTED ON SHORT FINAL.

Narrative: AFTER A LONG DAY OF FLYING, 3 STOPS AND OVER 3 HRS FLYING PLUS MEETINGS, I WAS ON A LONG DOWNWIND FOR RWY 9R. I WAS CLRED TO LAND AND I TURNED BASE AND FINAL. I WAS FOLLOWING A B737. I WAS CAUTIONED ABOUT WAKE TURB. I LINED UP FOR RWY 9R AND BECAME CONCERNED WHEN I SAW A PLANE BACK-TAXIING. AT THIS POINT, I WAS ON A 1 1/2 MI FINAL. I ASKED THE TWR IF I SHOULD GO AROUND. SHE ASKED, 'WHY, THE RWY IS CLR.' CONFUSED, I CONTINUED INBOUND AND THE PLANE ON THE GND HAD STOPPED. FINALLY WHEN I WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI OUT, THE PLANE ON THE GND INDICATED VERBALLY THEY WERE 'ON THE TXWY.' I HAD BEEN SO TRANSFIXED ON THE PLANE (OBJECT ON THE GND) THAT I MADE THE ERROR OF THINKING FOR SOME REASON THEY WERE ON THE RWY. AT THAT POINT, I SHIFTED TO THE RWY (RWY 9R) AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY CONCERN WAS THAT WHY, ON A RWY I HAD LANDED HUNDREDS OF TIMES, THAT THIS TIME I BECAME CONFUSED AND DISORIENTED. I CONTRIBUTE MY LONG DAY OF FLYING AND MEETINGS CAUSING ME TO BECOME FATIGUED AND UNFOCUSED. I THINK THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE BECOME CONCERNED WHEN I INDICATED THAT I THOUGHT THE RWY WAS OCCUPIED, ALTHOUGH I PUT ALL RESPONSIBILITY ON MY ACTIONS. WHILE NO HARM WAS DONE AND I WOULD HAVE GONE AROUND, MY LACK OF A GOOD SCAN AND BECOMING TRANSFIXED CONCERNED ME. IT WAS A GREAT LESSON IN WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN FLYING WHEN FATIGUED AND I AM SURE MORE FOCUS WILL BE SPENT ON BEING SURE THE RWY IS REALLY THE RWY.

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.