Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan departing dpa airport to madison; wi. It was a late night parts run for work. It was a clear; dark night with no moon. I was vectored for an extended right downwind to msn runway 14. While descending; there was an approaching low pressure system that was causing abnormal winds aloft out of the southeast. I normally fly the downwind leg in the bonanza at about 110-120 KTS. Tonight between 2000-3000 ft MSL ground speed on the GPS was showing 200-210 KTS. Maneuvering from downwind to base to final for a right downwind to runway 14 is conducted over a swamp area that is very dark with little or no visual references. There was also much turbulence below 3000 ft on this night. As before; much wind existed from the ground up; with speeds from the southeast as much as 30-40 KTS just above the surface. With a near 45 degree correction angle needed during the base leg to in turning from downwind to base; much right correction was needed to stay even close to normal 90 degree base leg. I began the turn to base early; as I knew the winds would blow me away from the runway regardless. In a right downwind to base turn along with the base to final turn; you lose sight of the runway environment during the right turn with the bonanza which is not so with a l-hand pattern. All runway lights were on at madison and were set on low intensity. No REIL were on; nor was any runway; including runway 14 brighter than the remaining; not causing runway 14 to now 'stand out' during the landing phase. Runway 14; rollout to the runway was only a 45 degree turn instead of a more normal 90 degrees. Plus turbulence was jostling the aircraft. I made the turn from base to final; and rolled out to land; assuming I was lined up with the correct runway for landing. During this part of the turn I was still fighting the crosswind; along with maneuvering over a very dark area with little visual clues during the final landing phase. I also lost sight of the runway environment because of the r-hand turn; instead of a normal left. As I rolled out to final; I now noticed there were a set of runway lights that were now turned up higher with the REIL also on. These were not turned up prior and must have came on during the r-hand turn from base to final when I could not see the runway due to the turn. During my turn to final; somehow instead of lining up with runway 14; I ended up lining up with runway 18; a 40 degree difference; or about the same as the crab angle needed to maintain a normal base leg. As stated prior I started my base leg early; which placed the base leg very close to the airport. After rolling out from the 45 degree crab to final; there was little if any time to verify the compass heading against the runway numbers; and I failed to do so. Just as I began to flare to land; I again noticed the other runway with the lights turned up. I looked at it and dismissed that I was landing on the correct runway. All of a sudden; I realized that I was disorientated with the airport; and something did not seem right. Runway 14 and runway 18 end in close proximity on the northwest corner of the airport. There are lots of connecting runway lights in that area of the airport. I was now focused on making a safe landing in the dark; windy and turbulent conditions. As I landed and just touched down; I refocused down the runway and immediately realized what I had done. I had landed on runway 18 instead of runway 14. I immediately stopped in about the first few hundred ft of runway; and told the tower that I had just made a mistake and asked what I needed to do. The tower said it was ok and there was no other traffic anywhere in the vicinity on the ground; or in the air traffic area. I immediately apologized for my now obvious error (one I had never made before in my 20+ yrs of flying). The tower was also in a transition to close at XA00 pm. I am unsure when the landing took place if the tower was still controling the airfield; or it had just gone to an uncontrolled airport. The following is a brief summary of what I should have done; and will do in the future to avoid a recurrence of an event such as this: 1) prior to landing; even at a familiar airport; I will review the airport diagram for an up-to-date mental note of thearpt. This is even more important at night. 2) on downwind I will ask the tower to turn up the runway and REIL lights. This will allow better situational awareness during the landing phase of the flight. 3) I will extend my downwind further; especially on a right downwind where you lose sight of the airport. Extending the downwind will allow me more time to check and doublechk that I am correctly aligned with the assigned runway. 4) while on final I will include checking the runway heading against the compass or HSI at the same time I check the 3-GREENS for gear down lights. 5) finally; I have to wonder how much the hour and fatigue added to the whole situation. This time of the yr I work many long hours; days in a row. This too likely contributed to the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECHCRAFT A-36 PLT LANDS ON THE WRONG RWY DURING NIGHTTIME.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN DEPARTING DPA ARPT TO MADISON; WI. IT WAS A LATE NIGHT PARTS RUN FOR WORK. IT WAS A CLR; DARK NIGHT WITH NO MOON. I WAS VECTORED FOR AN EXTENDED R DOWNWIND TO MSN RWY 14. WHILE DSNDING; THERE WAS AN APCHING LOW PRESSURE SYS THAT WAS CAUSING ABNORMAL WINDS ALOFT OUT OF THE SE. I NORMALLY FLY THE DOWNWIND LEG IN THE BONANZA AT ABOUT 110-120 KTS. TONIGHT BTWN 2000-3000 FT MSL GND SPD ON THE GPS WAS SHOWING 200-210 KTS. MANEUVERING FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE TO FINAL FOR A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 14 IS CONDUCTED OVER A SWAMP AREA THAT IS VERY DARK WITH LITTLE OR NO VISUAL REFS. THERE WAS ALSO MUCH TURB BELOW 3000 FT ON THIS NIGHT. AS BEFORE; MUCH WIND EXISTED FROM THE GND UP; WITH SPDS FROM THE SE AS MUCH AS 30-40 KTS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE. WITH A NEAR 45 DEG CORRECTION ANGLE NEEDED DURING THE BASE LEG TO IN TURNING FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE; MUCH R CORRECTION WAS NEEDED TO STAY EVEN CLOSE TO NORMAL 90 DEG BASE LEG. I BEGAN THE TURN TO BASE EARLY; AS I KNEW THE WINDS WOULD BLOW ME AWAY FROM THE RWY REGARDLESS. IN A R DOWNWIND TO BASE TURN ALONG WITH THE BASE TO FINAL TURN; YOU LOSE SIGHT OF THE RWY ENVIRONMENT DURING THE R TURN WITH THE BONANZA WHICH IS NOT SO WITH A L-HAND PATTERN. ALL RWY LIGHTS WERE ON AT MADISON AND WERE SET ON LOW INTENSITY. NO REIL WERE ON; NOR WAS ANY RWY; INCLUDING RWY 14 BRIGHTER THAN THE REMAINING; NOT CAUSING RWY 14 TO NOW 'STAND OUT' DURING THE LNDG PHASE. RWY 14; ROLLOUT TO THE RWY WAS ONLY A 45 DEG TURN INSTEAD OF A MORE NORMAL 90 DEGS. PLUS TURB WAS JOSTLING THE ACFT. I MADE THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL; AND ROLLED OUT TO LAND; ASSUMING I WAS LINED UP WITH THE CORRECT RWY FOR LNDG. DURING THIS PART OF THE TURN I WAS STILL FIGHTING THE XWIND; ALONG WITH MANEUVERING OVER A VERY DARK AREA WITH LITTLE VISUAL CLUES DURING THE FINAL LNDG PHASE. I ALSO LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE OF THE R-HAND TURN; INSTEAD OF A NORMAL L. AS I ROLLED OUT TO FINAL; I NOW NOTICED THERE WERE A SET OF RWY LIGHTS THAT WERE NOW TURNED UP HIGHER WITH THE REIL ALSO ON. THESE WERE NOT TURNED UP PRIOR AND MUST HAVE CAME ON DURING THE R-HAND TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL WHEN I COULD NOT SEE THE RWY DUE TO THE TURN. DURING MY TURN TO FINAL; SOMEHOW INSTEAD OF LINING UP WITH RWY 14; I ENDED UP LINING UP WITH RWY 18; A 40 DEG DIFFERENCE; OR ABOUT THE SAME AS THE CRAB ANGLE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A NORMAL BASE LEG. AS STATED PRIOR I STARTED MY BASE LEG EARLY; WHICH PLACED THE BASE LEG VERY CLOSE TO THE ARPT. AFTER ROLLING OUT FROM THE 45 DEG CRAB TO FINAL; THERE WAS LITTLE IF ANY TIME TO VERIFY THE COMPASS HEADING AGAINST THE RWY NUMBERS; AND I FAILED TO DO SO. JUST AS I BEGAN TO FLARE TO LAND; I AGAIN NOTICED THE OTHER RWY WITH THE LIGHTS TURNED UP. I LOOKED AT IT AND DISMISSED THAT I WAS LNDG ON THE CORRECT RWY. ALL OF A SUDDEN; I REALIZED THAT I WAS DISORIENTATED WITH THE ARPT; AND SOMETHING DID NOT SEEM RIGHT. RWY 14 AND RWY 18 END IN CLOSE PROX ON THE NW CORNER OF THE ARPT. THERE ARE LOTS OF CONNECTING RWY LIGHTS IN THAT AREA OF THE ARPT. I WAS NOW FOCUSED ON MAKING A SAFE LNDG IN THE DARK; WINDY AND TURBULENT CONDITIONS. AS I LANDED AND JUST TOUCHED DOWN; I REFOCUSED DOWN THE RWY AND IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE. I HAD LANDED ON RWY 18 INSTEAD OF RWY 14. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED IN ABOUT THE FIRST FEW HUNDRED FT OF RWY; AND TOLD THE TWR THAT I HAD JUST MADE A MISTAKE AND ASKED WHAT I NEEDED TO DO. THE TWR SAID IT WAS OK AND THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC ANYWHERE IN THE VICINITY ON THE GND; OR IN THE ATA. I IMMEDIATELY APOLOGIZED FOR MY NOW OBVIOUS ERROR (ONE I HAD NEVER MADE BEFORE IN MY 20+ YRS OF FLYING). THE TWR WAS ALSO IN A TRANSITION TO CLOSE AT XA00 PM. I AM UNSURE WHEN THE LNDG TOOK PLACE IF THE TWR WAS STILL CTLING THE AIRFIELD; OR IT HAD JUST GONE TO AN UNCTLED ARPT. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE; AND WILL DO IN THE FUTURE TO AVOID A RECURRENCE OF AN EVENT SUCH AS THIS: 1) PRIOR TO LNDG; EVEN AT A FAMILIAR ARPT; I WILL REVIEW THE ARPT DIAGRAM FOR AN UP-TO-DATE MENTAL NOTE OF THEARPT. THIS IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AT NIGHT. 2) ON DOWNWIND I WILL ASK THE TWR TO TURN UP THE RWY AND REIL LIGHTS. THIS WILL ALLOW BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DURING THE LNDG PHASE OF THE FLT. 3) I WILL EXTEND MY DOWNWIND FURTHER; ESPECIALLY ON A R DOWNWIND WHERE YOU LOSE SIGHT OF THE ARPT. EXTENDING THE DOWNWIND WILL ALLOW ME MORE TIME TO CHK AND DOUBLECHK THAT I AM CORRECTLY ALIGNED WITH THE ASSIGNED RWY. 4) WHILE ON FINAL I WILL INCLUDE CHKING THE RWY HEADING AGAINST THE COMPASS OR HSI AT THE SAME TIME I CHK THE 3-GREENS FOR GEAR DOWN LIGHTS. 5) FINALLY; I HAVE TO WONDER HOW MUCH THE HR AND FATIGUE ADDED TO THE WHOLE SITUATION. THIS TIME OF THE YR I WORK MANY LONG HRS; DAYS IN A ROW. THIS TOO LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT.

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.