BE35 PLT MADE AN APCH TO THE WRONG RWY AT MEI AND HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH A BE40.

Date: 2001-01 · Aircraft: Bonanza 35 · Phase: descent

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-apch-to-wrong-rwy

Synopsis

BE35 PLT MADE AN APCH TO THE WRONG RWY AT MEI AND HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH A BE40.

Narrative

ON A VISUAL APCH TO MEI AT 3000 FT MSL FROM THE W; I WAS HANDLED FROM APCH TO TWR WITH CALL OF 3 TARGETS. I CONFIRMED TARGETS IN R; CONTACTED TWR AND WAS GIVEN CHOICE OF RWY 4 OR RWY 22 WITH 'CPR BEECH JET' INSIDE THE MARKER ON ILS TOUCH-AND-GO RWY 1. I WAS EXPECTING RWY 4 -- USED FOR GA -- AS LIGHT WINDS WERE FROM NNW; AND RESPONDED 'RWY 22' BUT WAS THINKING 'RWY 4.' DURING MY DSCNT FROM 5 MI; TWR INSTRUCTED 'CROSS RWY 1-4 INTXN AT 2000 FT;' WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. THE BEECH JET WAS INSIDE THE ARPT BOUNDARY AS I LEVELED AT 2000 FT. TWR INSTRUCTED '...ENTER L BASE TO RWY 22.' I WAS STILL THINKING 'RWY 4' AND TURNED TO 130 DEGS; SLOWED AND BEGAN STEEP DSCNT. I TURNED FINAL TO RWY 4 AS THE BEECH JET WAS TOUCHING DOWN ON RWY 1. TWR INSTRUCTED '...L DOWNWIND TO RWY 22' IN RESPONSE TO THE OTHER ACFT'S CALL QUESTIONING WHAT I WAS DOING -- I APPEARED TOO LOW. I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND TURNED TO 090 DEGS AT 1100 FT PASSING BEHIND THE JET ON RWY 1. LNDG ON RWY 22; I SWITCHED TO GND TO HEAR 'THE PLT HAS EXITED THE ACFT.' I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE CRASH TRUCKS GOING TO THE PARKED JET AT THE N END OF RWY 1. I WAS LATER TOLD HE BRAKED HARD AND HAD DECLARED AN EMER. I CLRLY DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED ALT PLANNING TO LAND ON THE WRONG RWY. I HEARD 'RWY 22' BUT HAD A MIND SET FOR 'RWY 4.' THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DEMANDS CLOSER ATTN AND CONCENTRATION; ESPECIALLY AT MY HOME FIELD. IN THE FUTURE ON VFR APCHS; I WILL SET THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO HDG BUG ON ASSIGNED RWY HG TO HELP TO KEEP ME FROM MAKING THIS ERROR AGAIN. THE TOWERS INSTRUCTION TO MAKE 'L DOWNWIND TO RWY 22' CORRECTED MY MIND SET AND CAME AT A GOOD TIME TO PREVENT MY LNDG ON THE 'WRONG END OF RWY 22.

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