Narrative:

I was returning from a weekend trip to the bahamas. I was near the completion of my IFR flight plan when palm beach approach initially cleared me for the visual runway 13. Upon turning base and handed off to palm beach tower; the runway was changed and I was cleared for the visual runway 9L. At approximately one (1) mile; on final; from the numbers the tower asked if I would mind switching to runway 9R. I was hearing the 'chatter' from the commercial aircraft waiting and requesting to depart on runway 9L. Trying to be accommodating because my aircraft was much slower; I agreed to switch runways. The tower cleared me for runway 9R and to sideslip for my approach. After I landed I was informed that I had landed on the taxiway rather than the runway. There were no airplanes on either the taxiway or runway 9R. My co-pilot (also a licensed IFR pilot) and I were totally shocked to learn that I had done this. Neither of us had any awareness that there was a problem until informed of same. The only other observations that might be relevant was that runway 9L is substantially larger and more prominent on final approach; the taxiway next to runway 9L is longer and wider than runway 9R causing some visual confusion; and the ATIS when I landed was 070@15g24kts causing turbulence on approach and landing. Making no excuses for this incident; I was informed by tower personnel that this particular incident does occur frequently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT LANDED ON A TXWY AFTER BEING CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 9R AT PBI. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED ATC CHANGING HIS RWY ASSIGNMENT SEVERAL TIMES ON APCH; AND THE TXWY BEING WIDER AND LONGER THAN RWY 9R.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A WEEKEND TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS. I WAS NEAR THE COMPLETION OF MY IFR FLT PLAN WHEN PALM BEACH APCH INITIALLY CLRED ME FOR THE VISUAL RWY 13. UPON TURNING BASE AND HANDED OFF TO PALM BEACH TOWER; THE RWY WAS CHANGED AND I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL RWY 9L. AT APPROX ONE (1) MILE; ON FINAL; FROM THE NUMBERS THE TOWER ASKED IF I WOULD MIND SWITCHING TO RWY 9R. I WAS HEARING THE 'CHATTER' FROM THE COMMERCIAL ACFT WAITING AND REQUESTING TO DEPART ON RWY 9L. TRYING TO BE ACCOMMODATING BECAUSE MY ACFT WAS MUCH SLOWER; I AGREED TO SWITCH RWYS. THE TOWER CLRED ME FOR RWY 9R AND TO SIDESLIP FOR MY APCH. AFTER I LANDED I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD LANDED ON THE TXWY RATHER THAN THE RWY. THERE WERE NO AIRPLANES ON EITHER THE TXWY OR RWY 9R. MY CO-PILOT (ALSO A LICENSED IFR PLT) AND I WERE TOTALLY SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT I HAD DONE THIS. NEITHER OF US HAD ANY AWARENESS THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL INFORMED OF SAME. THE ONLY OTHER OBSERVATIONS THAT MIGHT BE RELEVANT WAS THAT RWY 9L IS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER AND MORE PROMINENT ON FINAL APCH; THE TXWY NEXT TO RWY 9L IS LONGER AND WIDER THAN RWY 9R CAUSING SOME VISUAL CONFUSION; AND THE ATIS WHEN I LANDED WAS 070@15G24KTS CAUSING TURBULENCE ON APCH AND LNDG. MAKING NO EXCUSES FOR THIS INCIDENT; I WAS INFORMED BY TOWER PERSONNEL THAT THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT DOES OCCUR FREQUENTLY.

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.