Narrative:

On approach to sgf for traffic I was vectored west of the field on a southwest heading. I was initially at 4000 ft MSL. After a few mins and 14 NM wnw of the airport I was cleared to 3000 ft MSL. Upon passing through 3400 ft MSL I encountered severe turbulence and severe chop caused by shear. I slowed the aircraft to maneuvering speed. The aircraft banked well over 90 degrees several times. The jarring continued from the turbulence and chop. The seat belt bruised my hips; my back was strained and my head impacted the roof of the aircraft. Though able to recover each time; upon recovery I was disoriented. I realized I was probably at the minimum vectoring altitude for sgf approach control. To get out of the turbulence and chop I canceled my IFR clearance. I canceled several times with approach control and never received an acknowledgement of the cancellation. Approach called and asked if I still had the airport visually. I told them I was disoriented and did not have the airport and was simply trying to keep the 'dirty side down and would look for the airport.' approach assigned me a heading to the airport. The turbulence and chop continued. When handed off to the tower I heard the tower directing airport vehicles to clear the runway. At the approach end of runway 14; I saw several vehicles moving from southwest to northeast along the approach end of the runway and approach taxiway. As I flew over the approach end the vehicles began to stop. Upon landing the tower told me I had landed on the northeast taxiway. Upon reflection; not sure what I could have done different. After the low level upsets; turbulence and chop I was disoriented. I could have simply ignored approach and climbed back to 4000 ft MSL avoiding the turbulence and chop. However; this would have created a collision hazard with the second aircraft cleared for runway 14 behind me and flying over me. Maybe the 'big sky' theory would have been a better option than attempting to survive the severe turbulence and chop; locating the runway; spotting and avoid the vehicle traffic and landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT OF A SMALL SINGLE ENG ACFT LANDED ON A TAXIWAY AT SGF AFTER BECOMING DISORIENTED IN SEVERE TURBULENCE.

Narrative: ON APCH TO SGF FOR TFC I WAS VECTORED W OF THE FIELD ON A SW HDG. I WAS INITIALLY AT 4000 FT MSL. AFTER A FEW MINS AND 14 NM WNW OF THE ARPT I WAS CLRED TO 3000 FT MSL. UPON PASSING THROUGH 3400 FT MSL I ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND SEVERE CHOP CAUSED BY SHEAR. I SLOWED THE ACFT TO MANEUVERING SPD. THE ACFT BANKED WELL OVER 90 DEGS SEVERAL TIMES. THE JARRING CONTINUED FROM THE TURB AND CHOP. THE SEAT BELT BRUISED MY HIPS; MY BACK WAS STRAINED AND MY HEAD IMPACTED THE ROOF OF THE ACFT. THOUGH ABLE TO RECOVER EACH TIME; UPON RECOVERY I WAS DISORIENTED. I REALIZED I WAS PROBABLY AT THE MINIMUM VECTORING ALT FOR SGF APCH CTL. TO GET OUT OF THE TURB AND CHOP I CANCELED MY IFR CLRNC. I CANCELED SEVERAL TIMES WITH APCH CTL AND NEVER RECEIVED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE CANCELLATION. APCH CALLED AND ASKED IF I STILL HAD THE ARPT VISUALLY. I TOLD THEM I WAS DISORIENTED AND DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT AND WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO KEEP THE 'DIRTY SIDE DOWN AND WOULD LOOK FOR THE ARPT.' APCH ASSIGNED ME A HDG TO THE ARPT. THE TURB AND CHOP CONTINUED. WHEN HANDED OFF TO THE TWR I HEARD THE TWR DIRECTING ARPT VEHICLES TO CLR THE RWY. AT THE APCH END OF RWY 14; I SAW SEVERAL VEHICLES MOVING FROM SW TO NE ALONG THE APCH END OF THE RWY AND APCH TXWY. AS I FLEW OVER THE APCH END THE VEHICLES BEGAN TO STOP. UPON LNDG THE TWR TOLD ME I HAD LANDED ON THE NE TXWY. UPON REFLECTION; NOT SURE WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT. AFTER THE LOW LEVEL UPSETS; TURB AND CHOP I WAS DISORIENTED. I COULD HAVE SIMPLY IGNORED APCH AND CLBED BACK TO 4000 FT MSL AVOIDING THE TURB AND CHOP. HOWEVER; THIS WOULD HAVE CREATED A COLLISION HAZARD WITH THE SECOND ACFT CLRED FOR RWY 14 BEHIND ME AND FLYING OVER ME. MAYBE THE 'BIG SKY' THEORY WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER OPTION THAN ATTEMPTING TO SURVIVE THE SEVERE TURB AND CHOP; LOCATING THE RWY; SPOTTING AND AVOID THE VEHICLE TFC AND LNDG.

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.