Narrative:

I was landing at mitchell field at milwaukee. I contacted the approach control to enter the arsa. The controller asked if I would mind flying over the water, I told them I would do whatever would be best for them. Although it was VFR the WX near the shoreline included fog which restr visibility. The approach controller never asked if I had the airport in sight. I did not have the airport in sight when he instructed me to fly my own headings, and contact the tower. I did my best to find the airport and flew what I thought was the best heading to the airport. At that time I was about 5 mi from the airport. The heading I chose to fly took me directly to the center of the airport. The tower told me cleared to land 25R. About 2 mins later I saw the airport for the first time. Unfortunately because I picked the airport up late, I misidentified the taxiway right of 25L as the runway 25R. I landed on that taxiway. Although I knew there were parallel runways I was not aware of exactly how far apart they were. Due to the reduction in visibility I really was not aware that 25R was on the extreme north side of the airport. I'm not sure the tower ever saw me. I think that if they had they would have informed me that I was lining up on the wrong runway. Let me stress that I was not below VFR conditions. On my part in the future when the visibility is limited, I would question the controller if I thought I had any doubt in my mind as to whether I was lining up with the correct runway and not a taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LANDS ON TXWY INSTEAD OF RWY.

Narrative: I WAS LNDG AT MITCHELL FIELD AT MILWAUKEE. I CONTACTED THE APCH CTL TO ENTER THE ARSA. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WOULD MIND FLYING OVER THE WATER, I TOLD THEM I WOULD DO WHATEVER WOULD BE BEST FOR THEM. ALTHOUGH IT WAS VFR THE WX NEAR THE SHORELINE INCLUDED FOG WHICH RESTR VISIBILITY. THE APCH CTLR NEVER ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT WHEN HE INSTRUCTED ME TO FLY MY OWN HDGS, AND CONTACT THE TWR. I DID MY BEST TO FIND THE ARPT AND FLEW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE BEST HDG TO THE ARPT. AT THAT TIME I WAS ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT. THE HDG I CHOSE TO FLY TOOK ME DIRECTLY TO THE CENTER OF THE ARPT. THE TWR TOLD ME CLRED TO LAND 25R. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER I SAW THE ARPT FOR THE FIRST TIME. UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE I PICKED THE ARPT UP LATE, I MISIDENTIFIED THE TXWY RIGHT OF 25L AS THE RWY 25R. I LANDED ON THAT TXWY. ALTHOUGH I KNEW THERE WERE PARALLEL RWYS I WAS NOT AWARE OF EXACTLY HOW FAR APART THEY WERE. DUE TO THE REDUCTION IN VISIBILITY I REALLY WAS NOT AWARE THAT 25R WAS ON THE EXTREME NORTH SIDE OF THE ARPT. I'M NOT SURE THE TWR EVER SAW ME. I THINK THAT IF THEY HAD THEY WOULD HAVE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS LINING UP ON THE WRONG RWY. LET ME STRESS THAT I WAS NOT BELOW VFR CONDITIONS. ON MY PART IN THE FUTURE WHEN THE VISIBILITY IS LIMITED, I WOULD QUESTION THE CTLR IF I THOUGHT I HAD ANY DOUBT IN MY MIND AS TO WHETHER I WAS LINING UP WITH THE CORRECT RWY AND NOT A TXWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.