CPR SMT ON SHORT IFR FLT TO DAL. SET NAVAIDS TO CLRED RWY 31R AND IDENT. IN VMC CONDITIONS SAW BRIGHT RWY LIGHTS AND LINED UP WITH RWY 31L. CAUGHT ERROR ON SHORT FINAL AND ADVISED TWR WHO CLRED ACFT TO LAND RWY 31L. NO CONFLICT.
Synopsis
CPR SMT ON SHORT IFR FLT TO DAL. SET NAVAIDS TO CLRED RWY 31R AND IDENT. IN VMC CONDITIONS SAW BRIGHT RWY LIGHTS AND LINED UP WITH RWY 31L. CAUGHT ERROR ON SHORT FINAL AND ADVISED TWR WHO CLRED ACFT TO LAND RWY 31L. NO CONFLICT.
Narrative
EARLY MORNING PREDAWN FLT; CONDUCTED ON A ROUTINE BASIS TO A VERY FAMILIAR ARPT. IFR FLT PLAN BUT CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH; WX CLR SKIES; NO RESTRS TO VISIBILITY. CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 31R AT DALLAS LOVE FIELD ABOUT 12+ MI OUT. TUNED IN APPROPRIATE LOC AND IDENT OKAY; TUNED NEARBY ADF (LOM FOR RWY 31L ILS). VISUAL WITH THE ARPT FROM NW; DOWNWIND ENTRY. APCHING BASE LEG SAW BRIGHT APCH LIGHTS FOR RWY; TURNING FINAL (4 MI) BOTH APCH LIGHTS AND RWY LIGHTS UP BRIGHT. NO OTHER LNDG OR INBOUND TFC. SHORT FINAL; NO TFC; TWR TELLS ANOTHER ACFT TO HOLD SHORT OF MY LNDG RWY (31R). ACFT LIGHTS (LNDG; TAXI; STROBES) ALL ON SINCE TURNING FINAL. I NOTICED NO ACFT ON RWY OR IN HOLD AREA NEXT TO RWY; 1/4 MI FINAL; I LOOK MORE AT ARPT ENVIRONMENT BESIDES RWY LIGHTS AND NOTICED LNDG ON RWY 31L; TOLD TWR WHERE I WAS; HE CLRED TO LAND AND TOLD TO TAXI WITH HIM TO PARKING; HOLD SHORT RWY 31R. HE ALSO 'WONDERED WHERE I HAD BEEN.' FAILED TO UTILIZE ALL AVAILABLE DATA FOR RWY OF INTENDED USE. POSSIBLE FATIGUE FROM BEING EARLY MORNING. I HAD SET UP NAVAIDS FOR USE; BUT UPON SEEING THE BRIGHT APCH LIGHTS AND THEN THE RWY LIGHTS I NEVER XCHKED ALL AVAILABLE NAVAIDS AND FIXATED ONLY ON APCHING THE LIGHTED RWY (RWY 31R LIGHTS DOWN DIM; UNNOTICED). UPON HEARING TWR TALK ABOUT ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF MY RWY AND NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE THIS ACFT DID I LOOK MORE AT MY SURROUNDINGS AND VERIFY THAT I WAS ON THE OTHER RWY (31L). CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE BRIGHTLY LIT RWY THAT WAS NOT THE INTENDED RWY OF USE. NORMALLY TWR DOES TURN UP THE LIGHTS ON THE RWY FOR EASIER IDENT; WHILE LEAVING THE OTHER RWY DIM. IN THIS CASE THEY DID JUST OPPOSITE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.