2006-12 · NASA ASRS report 720975
COMPLACENCY RESULTS IN PA60 LNDG ON WRONG; CLOSED RWY AT DTW.
ENRTE TO DTW FROM PHL; I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22R. KNOWING THAT ALL RWYS EXCEPT RWY 22R WERE NOTAMED CLOSED AND SEEING THE DARKENED RWYS ON THE S SIDE OF THE TERMINAL I MADE MY APCH AND LANDED ON THE FIRST LIGHTED RWY ON THE N SIDE OF THE TERMINAL AREA. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS HAPPENED TO BE RWY 22L; WHICH WAS CLOSED AND FOR WHICH I WAS NOT CLRED EITHER FOR A VISUAL APCH OR FOR LNDG. DUE TO THE VISIBILITY AND THE FACT THAT RWY 22L HAD CAPTURED MY ATTN; I NEVER SAW THE CORRECT RWY; WHICH WAS LOCATED SEVERAL MI TO MY R FRONT. IN FACT RWY 22L WAS THE ONLY RWY I DID SEE ON MY APCH TO THE ARPT. WHAT REALLY CAUSED THE PROB WAS MY LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; INADEQUATE REVIEW OF THE ARPT DIAGRAM (WHICH I HAD LOOKED AT AND WAS LYING OPEN BESIDE ME); AND A DECISION ON MY PART NOT TO FOLLOW THE LOC AND GS TO THE PROPER RWY EVEN THOUGH I WAS ON A VISUAL APCH. THESE FACTORS WERE COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH THE RWY WAS CLOSED IT WAS LIGHTED AND MY APCH WAS RUSHED BECAUSE I DIDN'T DSND FROM MY CRUISE ALT OF 8000 FT MSL UNTIL I WAS CLOSE TO THE ARPT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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