A PA12 PLT INADVERTENTLY LANDS ON A TXWY AT JNU BEHIND TAXIING B737.

Date: 2003-12 · Aircraft: Piper Single Undifferentiated or Other Model

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-incursion-taxiway

Synopsis

A PA12 PLT INADVERTENTLY LANDS ON A TXWY AT JNU BEHIND TAXIING B737.

Narrative

I WAS RETURNING TO MY HOME BASE AT THE JNU ARPT; AK; FROM A ROUND-TRIP FLT TO GUSTAUUS; AK. I WAS CLRED TO LAND BY THE JNU ATC ON RWY 26. I WAS ADVISED THAT ANOTHER ACFT WOULD BE TAKING OFF PRIOR TO MY LNDG AND I SAW IT DEPARTING RWY 26 AS I WAS ON MY BASE LEG. I WAS ALSO AWARE OF ANOTHER ACFT CLRED TO LAND #2 BEHIND ME AND OBSERVED IT TO BE SLOWLY OVERTAKING ME; BUT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. ADDITIONALLY; I OBSERVED 2 ACR B737'S TAXIING WBOUND FOR TKOF ON THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION (RWY 8). AS I BELIEVED MY ACFT TO BE THE SLOWEST ACFT IN THE PATTERN AND WITH THE 2 B737'S AWAITING TKOF CLRNC ON THE OPPOSITE RWY; I DECIDED TO MAKE A SHORTER AND QUICKER APCH TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE CONGESTION. AS I TURNED FINAL FOR RWY 26; I RECHKED WITH THE TWR THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND. THE TWR OPERATOR HESITATED BRIEFLY; THEN RECONFIRMED I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I GLANCED AT THE VASI TO DETERMINE MY POS AND CUT PWR AND I HAD TO LAND. AS I TOUCHED DOWN; I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME WIND; AS THE RWY HAD PARTIAL SNOW COVER AND APPEARED NARROWER THAN USUAL; BUT WAS NO PROB FOR MY ACFT AND SKILL LEVEL. AT THIS TIME; I CONGRATULATED MYSELF FOR A 'PERFECT LNDG' (SQUEAKED IT ON) AND AS THE AIRPLANE WT SETTLED (AT 38 MPH) I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED I HAD LANDED ON THE TXWY TO RWY 26 AND NOT THE RWY. I CONSCIOUSLY DECIDED THAT I SHOULD NOT APPLY PWR AND GO AROUND DUE TO THE ACFT LNDG BEHIND ME AND TO MY L. I SAW THE 2 B737 JETS TAXIING IN THE SAME DIRECTION; GOING AWAY FROM ME; TOWARD THE END OF RWY 8; THE CLOSEST BEING 5000-6000 FT AWAY FROM ME. I DETERMINED THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS TO CONTINUE MY TAXI AND EXIT THE TXWY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AS I BEGAN TO CONTACT THE TWR; IT CALLED ME. I RESPONDED TO THEIR CALL IMMEDIATELY WITH 'ACFT X; I JUST REALIZED WHAT I DID.' I AGREED TO CALL THEM IMMEDIATELY UPON REACHING MY TIEDOWN. I EXPLAINED THAT I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED MY ERROR; APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY; AND TOLD THE OPERATOR THAT I'D BEEN FLYING IN ALASKA FOR 40 YRS AND COULDN'T BELIEVE I'D DONE WHAT I DID! I ASSURED THEM IT WAS A LESSON LEARNED AND WOULDN'T BE REPEATED. IN HINDSIGHT; I BELIEVE MY ACTION WAS CAUSED BY MOMENTARY INATTN TO THE RWY AND ATTEMPTING TO HURRY MY LNDG TO HELP SPD UP OTHER ARPT TFC. I ALSO BELIEVE ATTEMPTING A GAR WOULD HAVE PUT ME IN CLOSE PROX WITH THE ACFT LNDG BEHIND ME. IN THE FUTURE; MY FULL ATTN WILL REMAIN ON THE RWY ONLY.

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