Pilot of antique biplane suffers partial power failure and lands on wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	675126
Time
Date	200510
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gpi.airport
State Reference	MT
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gpi.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 0.5
ASRS Report	675126
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Was putting my first hour on this aircraft to see how it was doing operationally and to determine the service ceiling on this day with 2 people on board. The aircraft is an antique bi-plane. I was to ferry it from montana to indiana and wanted to give it a few hours before leaving for home. I took off from the active runway and determined the wind to be a crosswind and noted it. During climb out my radio became filled with static; but I believed it to be good enough for a trip to the north 6 mi and back. Once we were to the north; the engine began to run very rough. I determined the engine would run smoothly with some jockeying; but at an RPM that did not allow me to hold altitude. So I turned toward the field and told them (tower) I was inbound from the north and wanted to land to the south (a misnomer on my part as I wanted runway 12 which was into the wind). The tower then read back 'call a 2 mi right base runway 12' (or so I thought). I then said I was on a 2 or 3 mi straight-in and he said; in a hesitant manner; 'cleared to land runway 12' (or so I thought). When I landed; he said he had cleared me for runway 20 and to call him and then he said 'just be more careful.' this was a classic case of miscom; with assumptions and crummy radios mixed in. I was more concerned with using my hands and brain to keep the plane running and getting my passenger and me to a runway. My radio was cutting in and out and the #2 was common to all communications. My runway diagram and chart blew out when turning for the airport and without them I was unfamiliar with the area and airport. The tower guy knew the previous owner and assumed it was him and; therefore; that we were familiar with the area. I was sure I told him we were running roughly; but he said we didn't. I could have put more into communicate (maybe) but I was focused on the first thing on the list -- aviate; navigation; communication.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF ANTIQUE BIPLANE SUFFERS PARTIAL PWR FAILURE AND LANDS ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative: WAS PUTTING MY FIRST HR ON THIS ACFT TO SEE HOW IT WAS DOING OPERATIONALLY AND TO DETERMINE THE SVC CEILING ON THIS DAY WITH 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD. THE ACFT IS AN ANTIQUE BI-PLANE. I WAS TO FERRY IT FROM MONTANA TO INDIANA AND WANTED TO GIVE IT A FEW HRS BEFORE LEAVING FOR HOME. I TOOK OFF FROM THE ACTIVE RWY AND DETERMINED THE WIND TO BE A XWIND AND NOTED IT. DURING CLBOUT MY RADIO BECAME FILLED WITH STATIC; BUT I BELIEVED IT TO BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR A TRIP TO THE N 6 MI AND BACK. ONCE WE WERE TO THE N; THE ENG BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGH. I DETERMINED THE ENG WOULD RUN SMOOTHLY WITH SOME JOCKEYING; BUT AT AN RPM THAT DID NOT ALLOW ME TO HOLD ALT. SO I TURNED TOWARD THE FIELD AND TOLD THEM (TWR) I WAS INBOUND FROM THE N AND WANTED TO LAND TO THE S (A MISNOMER ON MY PART AS I WANTED RWY 12 WHICH WAS INTO THE WIND). THE TWR THEN READ BACK 'CALL A 2 MI R BASE RWY 12' (OR SO I THOUGHT). I THEN SAID I WAS ON A 2 OR 3 MI STRAIGHT-IN AND HE SAID; IN A HESITANT MANNER; 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 12' (OR SO I THOUGHT). WHEN I LANDED; HE SAID HE HAD CLRED ME FOR RWY 20 AND TO CALL HIM AND THEN HE SAID 'JUST BE MORE CAREFUL.' THIS WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF MISCOM; WITH ASSUMPTIONS AND CRUMMY RADIOS MIXED IN. I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH USING MY HANDS AND BRAIN TO KEEP THE PLANE RUNNING AND GETTING MY PAX AND ME TO A RWY. MY RADIO WAS CUTTING IN AND OUT AND THE #2 WAS COMMON TO ALL COMS. MY RWY DIAGRAM AND CHART BLEW OUT WHEN TURNING FOR THE ARPT AND WITHOUT THEM I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND ARPT. THE TWR GUY KNEW THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND ASSUMED IT WAS HIM AND; THEREFORE; THAT WE WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. I WAS SURE I TOLD HIM WE WERE RUNNING ROUGHLY; BUT HE SAID WE DIDN'T. I COULD HAVE PUT MORE INTO COMMUNICATE (MAYBE) BUT I WAS FOCUSED ON THE FIRST THING ON THE LIST -- AVIATE; NAV; COM.

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.