Pilot of small aircraft landed wrong parallel runway.

Attributes
ACN	149913
Time
Date	199006
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fcm
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fcm
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 140 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	149913
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Fcm tower told me to report 4 NM north of the airport. Then they told me to make long final for runway 27R and call my base. On final from a distance of approximately 1 NM one runway was black (asphalt) and all I could make out was 27, the other runway (27R) was whiter but the numbers were not visible to me. Looked like a taxiway. Approximately 300' from the end of runway 27L I realized that it was the wrong runway. Looking to my left I saw an aircraft close by. The other plane said he had somebody below him and was going around, before I had a chance to call a go around. Due to the close proximity of the other aircraft I descended immediately eating up altitude-closing my option of turning over to runway 27R, forcing me to land on runway 27L. Called tower once on the ground and we agreed that it was not a communication problem. (After the tape was pulled). I said that it looked like runway 27R was a taxiway, and they said that it had happened before because the runway 27R numbers are worn out, and the tower is in a position where they could not distinguish who was lined up for which runway. It was my first time to fcm so I was unfamiliar with the airport. Repaint the numbers on runway 27R.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LANDED WRONG PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: FCM TWR TOLD ME TO RPT 4 NM N OF THE ARPT. THEN THEY TOLD ME TO MAKE LONG FINAL FOR RWY 27R AND CALL MY BASE. ON FINAL FROM A DISTANCE OF APPROX 1 NM ONE RWY WAS BLACK (ASPHALT) AND ALL I COULD MAKE OUT WAS 27, THE OTHER RWY (27R) WAS WHITER BUT THE NUMBERS WERE NOT VISIBLE TO ME. LOOKED LIKE A TXWY. APPROX 300' FROM THE END OF RWY 27L I REALIZED THAT IT WAS THE WRONG RWY. LOOKING TO MY L I SAW AN ACFT CLOSE BY. THE OTHER PLANE SAID HE HAD SOMEBODY BELOW HIM AND WAS GOING AROUND, BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO CALL A GO AROUND. DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF THE OTHER ACFT I DSNDED IMMEDIATELY EATING UP ALT-CLOSING MY OPTION OF TURNING OVER TO RWY 27R, FORCING ME TO LAND ON RWY 27L. CALLED TWR ONCE ON THE GND AND WE AGREED THAT IT WAS NOT A COM PROB. (AFTER THE TAPE WAS PULLED). I SAID THAT IT LOOKED LIKE RWY 27R WAS A TXWY, AND THEY SAID THAT IT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE BECAUSE THE RWY 27R NUMBERS ARE WORN OUT, AND THE TWR IS IN A POS WHERE THEY COULD NOT DISTINGUISH WHO WAS LINED UP FOR WHICH RWY. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME TO FCM SO I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. REPAINT THE NUMBERS ON RWY 27R.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.