PLT OF A SMA LANDS ON TXWY.

Narrative

SEP/FRI/94; I WAS FLYING A G-35 BEECH BONANZA PRIMARILY ON A PLEASURE FLT IN THE SAN ANTONIO CTL ZONE. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL; 125.1; AND WAS CLRED AND DIRECTED TO RWY 12R; AND WAS HDOF TO TWR FREQ 119.8. WX WAS VFR WITH CLOUDS SCATTERED TO BROKEN AT ABOUT 2000 FT; VISIBILITY WAS 7-9 MI WITH SOME HAZE TOWARD THE SUN. I HAD BOTH VORS ON THE ILS FREQ FOR RWY 12R; AND WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING A DECENT EQUIP CHK FOR MY LOCS AND GS; AS IT IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A PRACTICE OR SIMULATED APCH OF ANY KIND AT SAT ANYMORE. I CONTACTED TWR ABOUT 6 DME MI OUT ON FINAL APCH AND HAD MY CLRNC CHANGED TO LAND ON RWY 12L. TFC WAS LIGHT. AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF TWR BEING IN CONTACT WITH ANY OTHER TFC. WHEN I MOVED OVER TO THE L TO COMPLY WITH THE CHANGE IN MY CLRNC; AND CHKING DEFLECTION ON MY LOC POINTER; I WAS UNAWARE THAT I HAD OVERSHOT RWY 12L AND WAS LINED UP WITH THE TXWY WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY TO THE L OF RWY 12L AND PARALLEL TO IT. THEY ARE PRACTICALLY INDISTINGUISHABLE AND EASILY MISTAKEN IF YOU SHOULD BE LINED UP WITH THE WRONG ONE. ALSO; I WAS DISTRACTED BY A MAINT CHK BEING PERFORMED ON A WHITE MERLIN ON A RUN UP PAD TO THE R OF THE TXWY. BY THE TIME I DISCOVERED I WAS LINED UP WITH THE TXWY AND IT WAS AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN THE RWY; AND EVERY THING WAS CLR; I ELECTED TO EXECUTE THE LNDG RATHER THAN GAR; AS THERE WERE NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR. THIS OCCURRED ON THE NON BUSY SIDE OF THE ARPT; WHICH IS USED MAINLY FOR TRAINING. I WAS GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS; AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I GOT IN. I FEEL THAT CHANGING A CLRNC WHEN ON A FINAL APCH FOR CONVENIENCE RATHER THAN SAFETY SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED; AND IN THIS CASE A MORE VISIBLE WARNING THAT THE TXWY IS NOT THE RWY. AFTER FLYING FOR MORE THAN 60 YRS (I AM 79) PERHAPS I MAY BE INDULGED AND ALLOWED TO MAKE A FEW OFF THE RECORD COMMENTS IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. I REALIZE THAT I AM NOT AS A PROFICIENT PLT AS I WAS AT 20; 30; OR EVEN 40 YRS; BUT I THINK I AM STILL A SAFE PLT AS LONG AS I RECOGNIZE MY LIMITATIONS; AND DO NOT EXCEED THEM. I AM VERY AWARE OF THE VAST CHANGES IN AVIATION AND REALIZE THAT WE NEED REG AND CTL TO PREVENT CHAOS; BUT I DO BELIEVE; IN MANY CASES; IT IS OVERKILL. SINCE MY EARLY DAYS OF FLYING; OUR NATION HAS EVOLVED INTO A BUREAUCRATIC DICTATORSHIP; THE FAA BEING ONE OF THEM. (FLATTERY INTENDED) I BELIEVE YOU ARE DOING A GREAT SVC IN BEING OMBUDSMAN BTWN THE FAA AND PLTS; AND IN KEEPING SOME PLTS (WHO ARE HUMAN; NOT PERFECT AND NOT CRIMINALS) FROM BEING VIOLATED BY SOME CTLRS WHO MAY HAVE NEVER BEEN IN AN AIRPLANE; BUT DO KNOW ALL THE REGS AND HOW TO IMPOSE THEM. I ENJOY YOUR 'CALLBACK' CIRCULAR; AND ITS EMPHASIS ON THE HUMAN ELEMENT; AND PASS IT ON TO SOME OF MY FRIENDS.