Pilot of an small aircraft lined up with the wrong end of the assigned runway resulting in an near m...

Attributes
ACN	285798
Time
Date	199410
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ftw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ftw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 291 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	285798
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Oct/tue/94 I was returning from an hour's practice of level turns and full flap lndgs at a nearby airport. A beautiful day -- clear sky, no haze, little wind and no convection bumps. Meacham is my home airport and I called in 9 or 10 mi north of the airport to request landing. I was directed to continue in and call at the saginaw water tower, the usual instruction. At that time I was offhandedly thinking whether I would be assigned the right or left runway. Meacham has right and left runways 16/34 plus a runway 9/27 and I had taken off an hour before on runway 34R. I was also listening to the tower direct takeoffs on runway 34R and turnouts and to tell the truth, I was enjoying listening to him do his job and I was already at pattern altitude, 1800 ft, and really not working, not focused. I called in at the saginaw water tower and was told left downwind to runway 34L. I repeated the same but I was looking at runway 16L and this is really where I wanted to land, closest to where I hangar. I think I just fixed on the 'left' part of the instruction. I proceeded on, traffic took off runway 34R and I called the tower and repeated 'skylane XXX on runway 34L.' the controller repeated that again. However, I was still setting up for runway 16L. Finally, within the last mi before the runway I see yet another plane directed to takeoff on runway 34R. I moved to the right, over the grass, and called the tower to tell him where I was. The other plane just went on about his business, I do not know if he was busy with his own flying or if I looked far enough out of his way, but he made no comment. The controller took me straight out turned me around and I landed this time on runway 34R where he had now cleared me. I spoke on the phone to the controller and asked how I got where I did. It was later when I realized I was repeating the correct runway 34L instruction but setting up for a runway 16L landing, against all common sense. I lost my focus on a perfect day for flying, a day when I had been pleased with my flying up until the saginaw water tower. I was hearing and even seeing one set of information but I was doing just what my mind set wanted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA LINED UP WITH THE WRONG END OF THE ASSIGNED RWY RESULTING IN AN NMAC WITH DEPARTING ACFT AND TWR INTERVENTION.

Narrative: OCT/TUE/94 I WAS RETURNING FROM AN HR'S PRACTICE OF LEVEL TURNS AND FULL FLAP LNDGS AT A NEARBY ARPT. A BEAUTIFUL DAY -- CLR SKY, NO HAZE, LITTLE WIND AND NO CONVECTION BUMPS. MEACHAM IS MY HOME ARPT AND I CALLED IN 9 OR 10 MI N OF THE ARPT TO REQUEST LNDG. I WAS DIRECTED TO CONTINUE IN AND CALL AT THE SAGINAW WATER TWR, THE USUAL INSTRUCTION. AT THAT TIME I WAS OFFHANDEDLY THINKING WHETHER I WOULD BE ASSIGNED THE R OR L RWY. MEACHAM HAS R AND L RWYS 16/34 PLUS A RWY 9/27 AND I HAD TAKEN OFF AN HR BEFORE ON RWY 34R. I WAS ALSO LISTENING TO THE TWR DIRECT TKOFS ON RWY 34R AND TURNOUTS AND TO TELL THE TRUTH, I WAS ENJOYING LISTENING TO HIM DO HIS JOB AND I WAS ALREADY AT PATTERN ALT, 1800 FT, AND REALLY NOT WORKING, NOT FOCUSED. I CALLED IN AT THE SAGINAW WATER TWR AND WAS TOLD L DOWNWIND TO RWY 34L. I REPEATED THE SAME BUT I WAS LOOKING AT RWY 16L AND THIS IS REALLY WHERE I WANTED TO LAND, CLOSEST TO WHERE I HANGAR. I THINK I JUST FIXED ON THE 'L' PART OF THE INSTRUCTION. I PROCEEDED ON, TFC TOOK OFF RWY 34R AND I CALLED THE TWR AND REPEATED 'SKYLANE XXX ON RWY 34L.' THE CTLR REPEATED THAT AGAIN. HOWEVER, I WAS STILL SETTING UP FOR RWY 16L. FINALLY, WITHIN THE LAST MI BEFORE THE RWY I SEE YET ANOTHER PLANE DIRECTED TO TKOF ON RWY 34R. I MOVED TO THE R, OVER THE GRASS, AND CALLED THE TWR TO TELL HIM WHERE I WAS. THE OTHER PLANE JUST WENT ON ABOUT HIS BUSINESS, I DO NOT KNOW IF HE WAS BUSY WITH HIS OWN FLYING OR IF I LOOKED FAR ENOUGH OUT OF HIS WAY, BUT HE MADE NO COMMENT. THE CTLR TOOK ME STRAIGHT OUT TURNED ME AROUND AND I LANDED THIS TIME ON RWY 34R WHERE HE HAD NOW CLRED ME. I SPOKE ON THE PHONE TO THE CTLR AND ASKED HOW I GOT WHERE I DID. IT WAS LATER WHEN I REALIZED I WAS REPEATING THE CORRECT RWY 34L INSTRUCTION BUT SETTING UP FOR A RWY 16L LNDG, AGAINST ALL COMMON SENSE. I LOST MY FOCUS ON A PERFECT DAY FOR FLYING, A DAY WHEN I HAD BEEN PLEASED WITH MY FLYING UP UNTIL THE SAGINAW WATER TWR. I WAS HEARING AND EVEN SEEING ONE SET OF INFO BUT I WAS DOING JUST WHAT MY MIND SET WANTED.

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.

Pilot of an small aircraft lined up with the wrong end of the assigned runway resulting in an near midair collision with departing aircraft and tower intervention.