Narrative:

I was cleared to land on runway 9R at pbi. Instead; I landed on taxiway between runways 9L and 9R. I would estimate I have landed on runway 9R approximately 10 times in the last few yrs and though the runway; 9R; is difficult to discern until relatively close to the field; it has in the past become visible; at about 2 mi; from the txwys on each side of it even though the taxiway to the left is wider and longer. Apparently; and unknown to me at the time; since there have been many; many inadvertent lndgs on the taxiway between the major runway 9L (150 ft X 10000 ft) and runway 9R (75 ft X 3200 ft) the airport painted a large black box with; I believe; a yellow T in the middle; at the end of the taxiway between the 2 runways. Unfortunately; having had to remain relatively high to avoid clouds and the fact I encountered a 15 KT crosswind on final; my concentration was somewhat distraction and the black box on the end of the taxiway became my focal point for landing. Strangely; though this was clearly my fault and it is still difficult for me to believe I landed on the taxiway; it is my guess that had the airport not taken steps to decrease inadvertent lndgs on the taxiway by attempting to make the taxiway more obvious; at least in my case; I would have landed on the runway. I have 1599 lndgs and never have had such an occurrence. Obviously; this will never occur by me again and I plan shortly to fly to pbi with a CFI for a landing on runway 9R so that I can be totally clear on what exactly how this occurred. I do remember thinking that the 2 runways seemed way too close together and I also remember that I had landed on runway 9R while at the same time a plane was landing on runway 9L and thinking how could that ever work under the conditions I was now seeing? Unfortunately; this thinking was subconscious and my concentration remained on the black box and the crosswind. Fortunately; my landing on the taxiway did not cause any other problems but I have to wonder if I could do it; certainly others could and I subsequently found out; many have. My recommendation is for the airport to concentrate on making the runway 9R more apparent; not the taxiway. The tower controller I talked with after the incident said that during his first 10 hours of training at pbi; 4 planes landed on this taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PILOT REPORTS LNDG ON PBI TXWY BETWEEN 9L AND 9R EVEN THOUGH FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. REPORTER SUGGESTS HIGHLIGHTING RWY 9R MORE THAN THE TXWY.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 9R AT PBI. INSTEAD; I LANDED ON TXWY BTWN RWYS 9L AND 9R. I WOULD ESTIMATE I HAVE LANDED ON RWY 9R APPROX 10 TIMES IN THE LAST FEW YRS AND THOUGH THE RWY; 9R; IS DIFFICULT TO DISCERN UNTIL RELATIVELY CLOSE TO THE FIELD; IT HAS IN THE PAST BECOME VISIBLE; AT ABOUT 2 MI; FROM THE TXWYS ON EACH SIDE OF IT EVEN THOUGH THE TXWY TO THE L IS WIDER AND LONGER. APPARENTLY; AND UNKNOWN TO ME AT THE TIME; SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY; MANY INADVERTENT LNDGS ON THE TXWY BTWN THE MAJOR RWY 9L (150 FT X 10000 FT) AND RWY 9R (75 FT X 3200 FT) THE ARPT PAINTED A LARGE BLACK BOX WITH; I BELIEVE; A YELLOW T IN THE MIDDLE; AT THE END OF THE TXWY BTWN THE 2 RWYS. UNFORTUNATELY; HAVING HAD TO REMAIN RELATIVELY HIGH TO AVOID CLOUDS AND THE FACT I ENCOUNTERED A 15 KT XWIND ON FINAL; MY CONCENTRATION WAS SOMEWHAT DISTR AND THE BLACK BOX ON THE END OF THE TXWY BECAME MY FOCAL POINT FOR LNDG. STRANGELY; THOUGH THIS WAS CLEARLY MY FAULT AND IT IS STILL DIFFICULT FOR ME TO BELIEVE I LANDED ON THE TXWY; IT IS MY GUESS THAT HAD THE ARPT NOT TAKEN STEPS TO DECREASE INADVERTENT LNDGS ON THE TXWY BY ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THE TXWY MORE OBVIOUS; AT LEAST IN MY CASE; I WOULD HAVE LANDED ON THE RWY. I HAVE 1599 LNDGS AND NEVER HAVE HAD SUCH AN OCCURRENCE. OBVIOUSLY; THIS WILL NEVER OCCUR BY ME AGAIN AND I PLAN SHORTLY TO FLY TO PBI WITH A CFI FOR A LNDG ON RWY 9R SO THAT I CAN BE TOTALLY CLR ON WHAT EXACTLY HOW THIS OCCURRED. I DO REMEMBER THINKING THAT THE 2 RWYS SEEMED WAY TOO CLOSE TOGETHER AND I ALSO REMEMBER THAT I HAD LANDED ON RWY 9R WHILE AT THE SAME TIME A PLANE WAS LNDG ON RWY 9L AND THINKING HOW COULD THAT EVER WORK UNDER THE CONDITIONS I WAS NOW SEEING? UNFORTUNATELY; THIS THINKING WAS SUBCONSCIOUS AND MY CONCENTRATION REMAINED ON THE BLACK BOX AND THE XWIND. FORTUNATELY; MY LNDG ON THE TXWY DID NOT CAUSE ANY OTHER PROBS BUT I HAVE TO WONDER IF I COULD DO IT; CERTAINLY OTHERS COULD AND I SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND OUT; MANY HAVE. MY RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE ARPT TO CONCENTRATE ON MAKING THE RWY 9R MORE APPARENT; NOT THE TXWY. THE TWR CTLR I TALKED WITH AFTER THE INCIDENT SAID THAT DURING HIS FIRST 10 HRS OF TRAINING AT PBI; 4 PLANES LANDED ON THIS TXWY.

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.