Narrative:

I was cleared for a visual approach to runway 34C. ATIS was 17 mins old: wind 350 degrees at 6 KTS; visibility 6 mi in light rain; 18 overcast; 23 scattered; 49 scattered; temperature/dewpoint 8 degrees/3 degrees; altimeter 30.13. The broadcast did not include a heavy rain shower that had moved over the airport with airplanes reporting airspeed variations of 10 KTS on short final. I turned final about 5 mi out; and was staying high to avoid the wake of a heavier airplane in front of me. I was also keeping my speed high due to the windshear reports. Due to the high/fast approach; I requested a long landing and was cleared to roll out to taxiway F near the departure end of runway 34C. The visual obscuration of the windshield and wet airport surfaces caused by the rain shower reduced the runway-identing visual cues; and the high/fast approach altered my sight picture. I was focusing far down the runway near the taxiway F turnoff; looking out the windshield to judge my visual glide path; so I missed the ILS display being off center. (The GS was full fly-down due to the high approach; so I was partially ignoring it anyway.) my 'visual approach backed-up by the ILS' wasn't really as 'backed up' as I had intended. A wind shift passing into the rain shower was also a possibility; and if I had really been backing up the visual approach with the ILS by at least keeping the needles on the scale; I would probably have seen the drift off of runway 34C since the visual cues out the windshield were obscured. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised he was approximately 50 feet AGL when the tower advised he was over taxiway T vice 34C. He performed a go around from that point and returned for landing on 34C.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT MAKING VISUAL APCH TO 34C AT SEA MISTAKES TXWY T FOR THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 34C. ATIS WAS 17 MINS OLD: WIND 350 DEGS AT 6 KTS; VISIBILITY 6 MI IN LIGHT RAIN; 18 OVCST; 23 SCATTERED; 49 SCATTERED; TEMP/DEWPOINT 8 DEGS/3 DEGS; ALTIMETER 30.13. THE BROADCAST DID NOT INCLUDE A HVY RAIN SHOWER THAT HAD MOVED OVER THE ARPT WITH AIRPLANES RPTING AIRSPD VARIATIONS OF 10 KTS ON SHORT FINAL. I TURNED FINAL ABOUT 5 MI OUT; AND WAS STAYING HIGH TO AVOID THE WAKE OF A HEAVIER AIRPLANE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS ALSO KEEPING MY SPD HIGH DUE TO THE WINDSHEAR RPTS. DUE TO THE HIGH/FAST APCH; I REQUESTED A LONG LNDG AND WAS CLRED TO ROLL OUT TO TXWY F NEAR THE DEP END OF RWY 34C. THE VISUAL OBSCURATION OF THE WINDSHIELD AND WET ARPT SURFACES CAUSED BY THE RAIN SHOWER REDUCED THE RWY-IDENTING VISUAL CUES; AND THE HIGH/FAST APCH ALTERED MY SIGHT PICTURE. I WAS FOCUSING FAR DOWN THE RWY NEAR THE TXWY F TURNOFF; LOOKING OUT THE WINDSHIELD TO JUDGE MY VISUAL GLIDE PATH; SO I MISSED THE ILS DISPLAY BEING OFF CTR. (THE GS WAS FULL FLY-DOWN DUE TO THE HIGH APCH; SO I WAS PARTIALLY IGNORING IT ANYWAY.) MY 'VISUAL APCH BACKED-UP BY THE ILS' WASN'T REALLY AS 'BACKED UP' AS I HAD INTENDED. A WIND SHIFT PASSING INTO THE RAIN SHOWER WAS ALSO A POSSIBILITY; AND IF I HAD REALLY BEEN BACKING UP THE VISUAL APCH WITH THE ILS BY AT LEAST KEEPING THE NEEDLES ON THE SCALE; I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SEEN THE DRIFT OFF OF RWY 34C SINCE THE VISUAL CUES OUT THE WINDSHIELD WERE OBSCURED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER ADVISED HE WAS APPROX 50 FEET AGL WHEN THE TOWER ADVISED HE WAS OVER TXWY T VICE 34C. HE PERFORMED A GAR FROM THAT POINT AND RETURNED FOR LANDING ON 34C.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.