Narrative:

VFR flight. Left seat pilot; owner of the BE36 bonanza was receiving refresher training from instructor/pilot in the right seat. He is also a bonanza owner and has given more than 200 hours of dual instruction in bonanzas. WX was clear; no restr to visibility; time was shortly after XA00. My aircraft was initially cleared to land on runway xxr. Tower controller subsequently asked if we could take runway xxl. Runway xxl was preferable; as it was closer to the FBO. Wind was reported as 350 degrees; 16 KTS. Note that this is slightly less than demonstrated crosswind per poh. An air carrier jet was lifting off runway xxr when aircraft was on short final. Both pilots were focusing on 2 elements of the landing: 1) the significant crosswind at 80 degrees from the runway heading; and 2) the possibility of wake turbulence -- the departing air carrier jet was upwind from us and there was the possibility that the wake turbulence would drift downwind and after us. It turned out that the wake turbulence was no factor; and the other pilot handled the 16 KT crosswind in textbook fashion; touching down with no drift; smoothly; and exactly on the centerline of the taxiway parallel to and between runways xxl and xxr. Although this error was committed by the pilots of my aircraft who bear full responsibility for the error; it is interesting to note that nothing was said by the control tower personnel -- no hint that the aircraft was heading for a taxiway instead of a runway; nor a suggestion to go around. Fortunately; no one was hurt; no damage was done to any property. It should be noted that the paved area of the taxiway is both wider and longer than the intended runway. When on final at 1 or 2 mi out; it appears that the larger paved area is the runway and the smaller paved area is the taxiway (the reverse is true). Once the pilots have this mindset; and are focused on the crosswind and the possibility of wake turbulence from the departing jet; it is all too easy to make the mistake that we made. After the landing; we were approached by the facility manager; who indicated that we were far from the first to have made this mistake. He asked what could have been done to prevent this. The pilot's response was: 'clrer runway and taxiway markings.' it is highly unlikely that this error would have been made at night -- it is easy to distinguish the difference between white runway lights and blue taxiway lights. After landing; we did note that the ATIS did include a verbal note to confirm landing runway visually; but the ATIS transmission was not clear and easy to understand; partially due to the accent of the person who made the recording. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that a marking of some sort on the taxiway would cause pilots to distinguish it from the runway. The reporter suggested an X marking. He and the student were dealing with the cross wind; and the air carrier (possible air carrier wake turbulence). Other than that it was a perfect day with no other interference.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE36 PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR LANDED ON PBI TXWY L WHICH IS LONGER AND WIDER THAN THE ADJACENT RWY 9R/27L.

Narrative: VFR FLT. L SEAT PLT; OWNER OF THE BE36 BONANZA WAS RECEIVING REFRESHER TRAINING FROM INSTRUCTOR/PLT IN THE R SEAT. HE IS ALSO A BONANZA OWNER AND HAS GIVEN MORE THAN 200 HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN BONANZAS. WX WAS CLR; NO RESTR TO VISIBILITY; TIME WAS SHORTLY AFTER XA00. MY ACFT WAS INITIALLY CLRED TO LAND ON RWY XXR. TWR CTLR SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED IF WE COULD TAKE RWY XXL. RWY XXL WAS PREFERABLE; AS IT WAS CLOSER TO THE FBO. WIND WAS RPTED AS 350 DEGS; 16 KTS. NOTE THAT THIS IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN DEMONSTRATED XWIND PER POH. AN ACR JET WAS LIFTING OFF RWY XXR WHEN ACFT WAS ON SHORT FINAL. BOTH PLTS WERE FOCUSING ON 2 ELEMENTS OF THE LNDG: 1) THE SIGNIFICANT XWIND AT 80 DEGS FROM THE RWY HDG; AND 2) THE POSSIBILITY OF WAKE TURB -- THE DEPARTING ACR JET WAS UPWIND FROM US AND THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE WAKE TURB WOULD DRIFT DOWNWIND AND AFTER US. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE WAKE TURB WAS NO FACTOR; AND THE OTHER PLT HANDLED THE 16 KT XWIND IN TEXTBOOK FASHION; TOUCHING DOWN WITH NO DRIFT; SMOOTHLY; AND EXACTLY ON THE CTRLINE OF THE TXWY PARALLEL TO AND BTWN RWYS XXL AND XXR. ALTHOUGH THIS ERROR WAS COMMITTED BY THE PLTS OF MY ACFT WHO BEAR FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ERROR; IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT NOTHING WAS SAID BY THE CTL TWR PERSONNEL -- NO HINT THAT THE ACFT WAS HEADING FOR A TXWY INSTEAD OF A RWY; NOR A SUGGESTION TO GO AROUND. FORTUNATELY; NO ONE WAS HURT; NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO ANY PROPERTY. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE PAVED AREA OF THE TXWY IS BOTH WIDER AND LONGER THAN THE INTENDED RWY. WHEN ON FINAL AT 1 OR 2 MI OUT; IT APPEARS THAT THE LARGER PAVED AREA IS THE RWY AND THE SMALLER PAVED AREA IS THE TXWY (THE REVERSE IS TRUE). ONCE THE PLTS HAVE THIS MINDSET; AND ARE FOCUSED ON THE XWIND AND THE POSSIBILITY OF WAKE TURB FROM THE DEPARTING JET; IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT WE MADE. AFTER THE LNDG; WE WERE APCHED BY THE FACILITY MGR; WHO INDICATED THAT WE WERE FAR FROM THE FIRST TO HAVE MADE THIS MISTAKE. HE ASKED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THIS. THE PLT'S RESPONSE WAS: 'CLRER RWY AND TXWY MARKINGS.' IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THIS ERROR WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AT NIGHT -- IT IS EASY TO DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENCE BTWN WHITE RWY LIGHTS AND BLUE TXWY LIGHTS. AFTER LNDG; WE DID NOTE THAT THE ATIS DID INCLUDE A VERBAL NOTE TO CONFIRM LNDG RWY VISUALLY; BUT THE ATIS XMISSION WAS NOT CLR AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND; PARTIALLY DUE TO THE ACCENT OF THE PERSON WHO MADE THE RECORDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT A MARKING OF SOME SORT ON THE TAXIWAY WOULD CAUSE PILOTS TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM THE RWY. THE REPORTER SUGGESTED AN X MARKING. HE AND THE STUDENT WERE DEALING WITH THE CROSS WIND; AND THE ACR (POSSIBLE ACR WAKE TURBULENCE). OTHER THAN THAT IT WAS A PERFECT DAY WITH NO OTHER INTERFERENCE.

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.