UNAUTH LNDG RESULTS FROM COMPLETING A WRONG RWY APCH WHILE TRAINING IN PROGRESS.

Date: 1993-03 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-landing-without-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

UNAUTH LNDG RESULTS FROM COMPLETING A WRONG RWY APCH WHILE TRAINING IN PROGRESS.

Narrative

I AM A RELATIVELY NEW; PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR AT A BUSY FLT SCHOOL. STUDENTS ARE GENERALLY BOOKED INTO 2 HR BLOCKS; AND THERE IS EMPHASIS; THOUGH NOT PRESSURE; ON MAINTAINING SCHEDULE; ESPECIALLY WHEN STUDENTS ARE SCHEDULED BACK-TO-BACK. MY NORMAL HRS ARE ALL DAY SUNDAY AND ON-CALL SEVERAL WKNIGHTS. THE WKEND OF THIS EVENT; I HAD AGREED TO COME OUT SAT TO DO A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW; WOUND UP WITH A SECOND BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW TO GIVE; AND THUS SPENT ALL SAT MORNING FLYING. SAT WINDS WERE NORTHERLY AND WE USED RWY 34L. SUNDAY MORNING I HAD 3 STUDENTS SCHEDULED BACK-TO-BACK. WINDS WERE SOUTHERLY; AND WE WERE USING RWY 16R. JUST PRIOR TO MY FIRST TKOF; I TAXIED TO THE HOLD LINE; LOOKED AT THE SIGN IN THE GRASS (WHICH SAID RWY 16R) AND TOLD THE TWR I WAS READY FOR DEP ON RWY 34L. THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR TKOF ON RWY 34L; CAUGHT HIMSELF AND CORRECTED THE TKOF CLRNC TO RWY 16R. WE HAD A FRIENDLY EXCHANGE OF COMMENTS AS I ROLLED ONTO THE RWY AND I FLEW TO THE PRACTICE AREA. THE MISTAKE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING FLAG THAT I WAS LOCKED IN TO THE PREVIOUS DAY AND NOT THINKING. ON RETURN FROM THE LESSON; I CALLED THE TWR; GOT CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 16R WHILE STILL SEVERAL MI OUT; WITH NO FURTHER REQUIREMENT TO RPT BACK TO THE TWR. THE CTLR DID SAY THERE WAS TFC ON SHORT FINAL; NO FACTOR; AS HE ISSUED THE LNDG CLRNC. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT; I AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED THE PATTERN AS I HAD BEEN DOING (THE DAY BEFORE) AND MADE A LNDG ON THE RWY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN OR ON THE RWY AND THE CTLR EITHER DIDN'T NOTICE OR WITHHELD COMMENT UNTIL I TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY. AT THAT TIME; HE ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR 16R AND HAD LANDED ON 34L. WHEN I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE; HIS NEXT QUESTION (WAS I A STUDENT PLT?) ADDED ONLY MINOR EMBARRASSMENT TO THE TRAINLOAD I ALREADY HAD. IN ADDITION; I HAD SET A TERRIBLE EXAMPLE TO A STUDENT ON HIS FIRST INSTRUCTIONAL FLT. THE ONLY GOOD PART WAS THAT NO OTHER ACFT WERE PRESENT ON THE RWY OR IN THE PATTERN. I KEEP CONSTRUCTING MENTAL SCENARIOS OF WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE ON SHORT FINAL IF I HAD SEEN ANOTHER AIRPLANE TAKING OFF STRAIGHT AT ME WITH AN ACTIVE PARALLEL RWY CLOSE ON MY R; AND THEY ARE ALL SCARY. I WILL BE HONEST WITH THE STUDENT; IF I HAVEN'T SCARED HIM OFF; AND USE THIS AS AN OBJECT LESSON. I AM ALSO GOING TO SLOW DOWN IN THE COCKPIT. I HAVE REALIZED FROM THIS THAT I WAS LETTING THE SCHEDULE TAKE CTL FROM THE PIC; AND THE DEMANDS OF INSTRUCTION STILL COME SECOND TO FLYING THE AIRPLANE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.