Narrative:

We were taking aerial photos just off waikiki (after prior coordination by phone with tower personnel) during a 'kona wind' day, with hnl using runways 26 and 22, not the usual runways 4 and 8. Upon completing our photo work, we asked for clearance to return and land. Tower said, 'enter a left base for runway 22R,' which we did. We were clrd to land on 22R at least twice subsequently, then as we were about to turn final, were asked if we saw the twin X on final. After a few seconds we saw it below and ahead of us, on final for 22R as well. We slowed slightly and landed behind it, well clear, but while on short final heard tower clear small aircraft Z behind us for 22R too. Small aircraft Z asked for verification about 22R, and tower confirmed 'clrd to land, 22R.' as soon as I had my aircraft Y (a tail-dragger) on the ground and fully under control, I looked behind me to see the spacing. Small aircraft Z was already on the ground about 350-400' behind us, closer than we like, but not particularly dangerous. About the time small aircraft Z was touching down, we turned into taxiway juliet and clrd the active. Tower called as we turned and asked for our position. We advised, 'on juliet, clear of the active.' tower said something like, '(our identify) you were clrd for 22L, oh, disregard, uh, call the tower after you return.' since we are not required to call the tower, we did not call them, but did talk 'off the record' to tower personnel to verify we were truly clrd to 22R and not 22L as tower thought. I believe that the tower controller had 2 problems: 1) they use runway 4R most of the time, and it is on the right side of them when viewed from the tower cabin attendant. 2) when they use runways 22 and 26, runway 22R is on their left side. I believe the controller intended for us to land on the left parallel but said 'right' instead from force of habit. I was suspicious at the time, since I usually hesitate to cross the nearest runway final approach path, but I thought they were being helpful since the right runway was closer to our hangar. It wasn't until on final and seeing the twin X that I began to suspect a problem might exist, and seeing small aircraft Z touching behind me and verifying his clearance that I realized what probably happened. Solutions are not apparent, since it's just an error, but when I verified clearance to 22R, controller should have picked it up. Also, she should have advised, 'change runway to 22L' after the initial clearance given about 4 mi out, if she had changed us (in her mind's eye, at least). Another part of the problem is the attitude of the FAA that lets pilots self-incriminate themselves by cooperating with them, then takes certificates or civil action. This forces us to not return their call, fill out NASA reports, and generally avoid the FAA like the plague! I hate it, but it's their game, so I have to play it! For your information: I'm an experienced pilot, 36 yrs of flying, flight instrument, gold seal, instrument, glider, me, seaplane, FAA 'expert witness', accident prevention counselor, GA council of hi, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LNDG SAME RWY WITH OTHER SMA ON LNDG ROLLOUT APPROX 400' AHEAD. BOTH HAD ATC LNDG CLRNC. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: WE WERE TAKING AERIAL PHOTOS JUST OFF WAIKIKI (AFTER PRIOR COORD BY PHONE WITH TWR PERSONNEL) DURING A 'KONA WIND' DAY, WITH HNL USING RWYS 26 AND 22, NOT THE USUAL RWYS 4 AND 8. UPON COMPLETING OUR PHOTO WORK, WE ASKED FOR CLRNC TO RETURN AND LAND. TWR SAID, 'ENTER A L BASE FOR RWY 22R,' WHICH WE DID. WE WERE CLRD TO LAND ON 22R AT LEAST TWICE SUBSEQUENTLY, THEN AS WE WERE ABOUT TO TURN FINAL, WERE ASKED IF WE SAW THE TWIN X ON FINAL. AFTER A FEW SECS WE SAW IT BELOW AND AHEAD OF US, ON FINAL FOR 22R AS WELL. WE SLOWED SLIGHTLY AND LANDED BEHIND IT, WELL CLR, BUT WHILE ON SHORT FINAL HEARD TWR CLR SMA Z BEHIND US FOR 22R TOO. SMA Z ASKED FOR VERIFICATION ABOUT 22R, AND TWR CONFIRMED 'CLRD TO LAND, 22R.' AS SOON AS I HAD MY ACFT Y (A TAIL-DRAGGER) ON THE GND AND FULLY UNDER CTL, I LOOKED BEHIND ME TO SEE THE SPACING. SMA Z WAS ALREADY ON THE GND ABOUT 350-400' BEHIND US, CLOSER THAN WE LIKE, BUT NOT PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS. ABOUT THE TIME SMA Z WAS TOUCHING DOWN, WE TURNED INTO TXWY JULIET AND CLRD THE ACTIVE. TWR CALLED AS WE TURNED AND ASKED FOR OUR POS. WE ADVISED, 'ON JULIET, CLR OF THE ACTIVE.' TWR SAID SOMETHING LIKE, '(OUR IDENT) YOU WERE CLRD FOR 22L, OH, DISREGARD, UH, CALL THE TWR AFTER YOU RETURN.' SINCE WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CALL THE TWR, WE DID NOT CALL THEM, BUT DID TALK 'OFF THE RECORD' TO TWR PERSONNEL TO VERIFY WE WERE TRULY CLRD TO 22R AND NOT 22L AS TWR THOUGHT. I BELIEVE THAT THE TWR CTLR HAD 2 PROBS: 1) THEY USE RWY 4R MOST OF THE TIME, AND IT IS ON THE R SIDE OF THEM WHEN VIEWED FROM THE TWR CAB. 2) WHEN THEY USE RWYS 22 AND 26, RWY 22R IS ON THEIR L SIDE. I BELIEVE THE CTLR INTENDED FOR US TO LAND ON THE L PARALLEL BUT SAID 'R' INSTEAD FROM FORCE OF HABIT. I WAS SUSPICIOUS AT THE TIME, SINCE I USUALLY HESITATE TO CROSS THE NEAREST RWY FINAL APCH PATH, BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE BEING HELPFUL SINCE THE RIGHT RWY WAS CLOSER TO OUR HANGAR. IT WASN'T UNTIL ON FINAL AND SEEING THE TWIN X THAT I BEGAN TO SUSPECT A PROB MIGHT EXIST, AND SEEING SMA Z TOUCHING BEHIND ME AND VERIFYING HIS CLRNC THAT I REALIZED WHAT PROBABLY HAPPENED. SOLUTIONS ARE NOT APPARENT, SINCE IT'S JUST AN ERROR, BUT WHEN I VERIFIED CLRNC TO 22R, CTLR SHOULD HAVE PICKED IT UP. ALSO, SHE SHOULD HAVE ADVISED, 'CHANGE RWY TO 22L' AFTER THE INITIAL CLRNC GIVEN ABOUT 4 MI OUT, IF SHE HAD CHANGED US (IN HER MIND'S EYE, AT LEAST). ANOTHER PART OF THE PROB IS THE ATTITUDE OF THE FAA THAT LETS PLTS SELF-INCRIMINATE THEMSELVES BY COOPERATING WITH THEM, THEN TAKES CERTIFICATES OR CIVIL ACTION. THIS FORCES US TO NOT RETURN THEIR CALL, FILL OUT NASA RPTS, AND GENERALLY AVOID THE FAA LIKE THE PLAGUE! I HATE IT, BUT IT'S THEIR GAME, SO I HAVE TO PLAY IT! FOR YOUR INFO: I'M AN EXPERIENCED PLT, 36 YRS OF FLYING, FLT INSTR, GOLD SEAL, INSTRUMENT, GLIDER, ME, SEAPLANE, FAA 'EXPERT WITNESS', ACCIDENT PREVENTION COUNSELOR, GA COUNCIL OF HI, ETC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.