Wrong runway approach results in an unauthorized landing on a closed runway.

Attributes
ACN	185971
Time
Date	199108
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ilg
State Reference	DE
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 1680 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	185971
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed N92 approximately 15 mi southwest of ilg. Received ATIS information for ilg which stated runway 19 in use. I expected right downwind for 19 contacted tower who stated expect runway 14 enter right base. Runway 14 was obscured from my position by trees. I entered a right base for what I thought was 14 which turned out to be runway 9. Because of the right hand traffic pattern the right wing engine and tip tank blocked the complete view of the runway. As I entered right base for 9 the controller cleared me to land and to hold short of 19. This required a nose high attitude to perform a short field landing further blocking view of the runway and numbers. At no time during the base or final did the controller warn me that 9 was closed. To prevent further recurrence: pilot should check heading for runway identify prior to landing. Closed runways should be X'ed in intervals along centerline of runway. Controller should be aware that in a right hand traffic pattern the pilot's view may be blocked. Pilot and controller should identify runway in landing clearance. 'Cleared to land runway 14', not just 'cleared to land'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH RESULTS IN AN UNAUTHORIZED LNDG ON A CLOSED RWY.

Narrative: DEPARTED N92 APPROX 15 MI SW OF ILG. RECEIVED ATIS INFO FOR ILG WHICH STATED RWY 19 IN USE. I EXPECTED R DOWNWIND FOR 19 CONTACTED TWR WHO STATED EXPECT RWY 14 ENTER R BASE. RWY 14 WAS OBSCURED FROM MY POS BY TREES. I ENTERED A R BASE FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 14 WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE RWY 9. BECAUSE OF THE R HAND TFC PATTERN THE R WING ENGINE AND TIP TANK BLOCKED THE COMPLETE VIEW OF THE RWY. AS I ENTERED R BASE FOR 9 THE CTLR CLRED ME TO LAND AND TO HOLD SHORT OF 19. THIS REQUIRED A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE TO PERFORM A SHORT FIELD LNDG FURTHER BLOCKING VIEW OF THE RWY AND NUMBERS. AT NO TIME DURING THE BASE OR FINAL DID THE CTLR WARN ME THAT 9 WAS CLOSED. TO PREVENT FURTHER RECURRENCE: PLT SHOULD CHK HDG FOR RWY IDENT PRIOR TO LNDG. CLOSED RWYS SHOULD BE X'ED IN INTERVALS ALONG CENTERLINE OF RWY. CTLR SHOULD BE AWARE THAT IN A R HAND TFC PATTERN THE PLT'S VIEW MAY BE BLOCKED. PLT AND CTLR SHOULD IDENT RWY IN LNDG CLRNC. 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 14', NOT JUST 'CLRED TO LAND'.

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.