B757 lands at mco on wrong runway during thunderstorm activity.

Attributes
ACN	673058
Time
Date	200509
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	673058
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Thunderstorms in orlando area required holding. Landing south in mco. Cleared from holding to airport. Still too much WX directly over field. Was invited to try to land to north; looked ok. Was cleared to land on runway 35R; we were already set up for runway 35L which we were originally told to expect. We asked to be cleared to land on runway 35L and were cleared to land on runway 35L; visual approach. Very short approach -- probably rolled wings level on final about OM at most. As we were about to roll final; the approach lights were turned up very brightly for us for identify. No other runway lights were on on the east side of the field. Crossing runway numbers revealed landing on runway 35R. Uneventful landing and taxi in. We were set up for failure -- the perfect storm. We couldn't have found runway 35L if we tried -- no lights on. This has happened to me many times before -- switching runways at the last min -- always trouble; especially when the runways are close parallel. It all happened very fast. Had no time to verify raw ILS data to ensure proper runway prior to touchdown. Lesson: don't trust anyone -- even ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 LANDS AT MCO ON WRONG RWY DURING TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative: TSTMS IN ORLANDO AREA REQUIRED HOLDING. LNDG S IN MCO. CLRED FROM HOLDING TO ARPT. STILL TOO MUCH WX DIRECTLY OVER FIELD. WAS INVITED TO TRY TO LAND TO N; LOOKED OK. WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35R; WE WERE ALREADY SET UP FOR RWY 35L WHICH WE WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD TO EXPECT. WE ASKED TO BE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35L AND WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35L; VISUAL APCH. VERY SHORT APCH -- PROBABLY ROLLED WINGS LEVEL ON FINAL ABOUT OM AT MOST. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO ROLL FINAL; THE APCH LIGHTS WERE TURNED UP VERY BRIGHTLY FOR US FOR IDENT. NO OTHER RWY LIGHTS WERE ON ON THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD. XING RWY NUMBERS REVEALED LNDG ON RWY 35R. UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXI IN. WE WERE SET UP FOR FAILURE -- THE PERFECT STORM. WE COULDN'T HAVE FOUND RWY 35L IF WE TRIED -- NO LIGHTS ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MANY TIMES BEFORE -- SWITCHING RWYS AT THE LAST MIN -- ALWAYS TROUBLE; ESPECIALLY WHEN THE RWYS ARE CLOSE PARALLEL. IT ALL HAPPENED VERY FAST. HAD NO TIME TO VERIFY RAW ILS DATA TO ENSURE PROPER RWY PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. LESSON: DON'T TRUST ANYONE -- EVEN ATC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.