Narrative:

I was on a short flight from carlsbad palomar airport (controled airport) to oceanside airport (uncontrolled) 7 NM to the northwest. I was flying our company's cpr twin cessna 340 to pick up my passenger. In the afternoon, I called san diego FSS for a standard WX briefing and asked for any local NOTAMS for my destination airport just a few mins flight time away. After receiving my briefing, I took off from carlsbad with an IFR clearance to oceanside. After coming through thin layers of broken overcast, I reported bases 700 tops 1300 ft and canceled IFR. It appeared the fog line was not quite as far inland as oceanside airport. I requested VFR at 2500 ft and headed direct using RNAV and deadreckoning. With the airport in sight 3 mi out I reported I was to the southeast 2500 ft for left base. Unicom suggested right traffic for runway 24 for noise abatement. I said thank you and reported I was remaining at 2500 ft and would circle to northwest for right 45 degree for runway 24. No traffic was reported, heard or seen in the area. I started my descent from 1800 ft on downwind while keeping the runway in sight. The sun was at my back on downwind. As I was turning base, the runway became hazy but the outline of the runway was still in sight. When I turned final, the sun was in my eyes and the haze was amplified. All I could see was the outline of what I clearly though was the runway. I saw the road which was at a 45 degree angle prior to the runway. I was confident I was on track for runway 24. My RNAV as backup to my visual clues confirmed correct general direction and all made sense. Right as I got to a point of approaching to land, I saw the runway did not have a centerline and looked unusual. It first appeared they had done sandblasting to deface the runway. I then realized it was dirt. After getting that low, the sun was blocked by the fog on the coast and I could see the runway ahead and it looked clear and smooth (which it was) and I felt the safest thing to do was land. As I rolled out to the end, I believed this was not the same runway I have landed in the past or they were building a longer runway for the airport next to the original one. I remember thinking this was not on the local NOTAMS I requested and believed it could only be a new dirt strip being laid out. It had the exact dimensions of the oceanside airport, except it may be longer. It even had a taxiway on the south side of the runway. I truly thought I was on the oceanside airport except with the addition of a dirt strip similar to santa ynez which is used for gliders. I proceeded down the taxiway and taxied into position (24 heading) and took off for another look at everything. I realized right after takeoff the correct runway was directly to my right and directly parallel my previous landing. After coming around to land on the paved runway I decided there was something very wrong and balked the approach and headed toward the coast starting around 800 to 1000 ft as I recall on my initial climb. Unicom mentioned the noise abatement for the area and suggested I head out toward the ocean prior to re-entering the pattern. 'Three's a charm' he stated, meaning he expected I would come around again. I felt it best to go back to carlsbad and start gathering the details of what had just happened and exactly why I was not informed of this new strip probably 50 yds or so from the main runway. It turns out the area I landed was a new freeway being built right next to the runway (see diagram). I am very concerned such an obvious potential hazard existed and yet there was no mention of it from anyone, not FSS or unicom. I realize it is not unicom's responsibility to mention, but an obvious local NOTAM for FSS. In addition, there was no marking anywhere indicating this was not suitable for landing. I am an extremist to the study and safe practices of flying and maintain a recurrent training program always. I have never had an aviation incident of any kind in my 8 yrs of flying or any traffic violations. I practice safe standardization in all aspects of my life. I believe, had I known there was construction going on next the airport, which resembled the existing runway so closely, I would have never attempted to continue the approach past my base turn under the conditions. I would have had some doubt to the runway layout I was flying toward and balked the approach during base when noticing the decreasing visibility of the runway. I was in no hurry to get there and was not under any pressure to get into the airport from my employer. I knew it would have only took my passenger a few mins out of their way to go back to carlsbad for our departure, truly not a problem for all parties. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that several people at the airport stated they knew someone was going to make a landing on the freeway just because it looked so much like the runway from altitude. A second aircraft also landed there a few days later. Reporter did excellent follow up with FAA and there is now a local NOTAM reference the construction and a large X will be placed at the end of the site. The FAA representative also spoke to the airport manager who will add a comment about the similarity on the unicom. Reporter took photographs and faxed those and his NASA report to the FAA representative he conferred with. What looks like a taxiway beside the freeway is actually a road for the trucks coming and going on the project.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT LANDS AT ROAD CONSTRUCTION SITE WHICH APPEARED AS A RWY AND PARALLEL TO THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS ON A SHORT FLT FROM CARLSBAD PALOMAR ARPT (CTLED ARPT) TO OCEANSIDE ARPT (UNCTLED) 7 NM TO THE NW. I WAS FLYING OUR COMPANY'S CPR TWIN CESSNA 340 TO PICK UP MY PAX. IN THE AFTERNOON, I CALLED SAN DIEGO FSS FOR A STANDARD WX BRIEFING AND ASKED FOR ANY LCL NOTAMS FOR MY DEST ARPT JUST A FEW MINS FLT TIME AWAY. AFTER RECEIVING MY BRIEFING, I TOOK OFF FROM CARLSBAD WITH AN IFR CLRNC TO OCEANSIDE. AFTER COMING THROUGH THIN LAYERS OF BROKEN OVCST, I RPTED BASES 700 TOPS 1300 FT AND CANCELED IFR. IT APPEARED THE FOG LINE WAS NOT QUITE AS FAR INLAND AS OCEANSIDE ARPT. I REQUESTED VFR AT 2500 FT AND HEADED DIRECT USING RNAV AND DEADRECKONING. WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT 3 MI OUT I RPTED I WAS TO THE SE 2500 FT FOR L BASE. UNICOM SUGGESTED R TFC FOR RWY 24 FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. I SAID THANK YOU AND RPTED I WAS REMAINING AT 2500 FT AND WOULD CIRCLE TO NW FOR R 45 DEG FOR RWY 24. NO TFC WAS RPTED, HEARD OR SEEN IN THE AREA. I STARTED MY DSCNT FROM 1800 FT ON DOWNWIND WHILE KEEPING THE RWY IN SIGHT. THE SUN WAS AT MY BACK ON DOWNWIND. AS I WAS TURNING BASE, THE RWY BECAME HAZY BUT THE OUTLINE OF THE RWY WAS STILL IN SIGHT. WHEN I TURNED FINAL, THE SUN WAS IN MY EYES AND THE HAZE WAS AMPLIFIED. ALL I COULD SEE WAS THE OUTLINE OF WHAT I CLRLY THOUGH WAS THE RWY. I SAW THE ROAD WHICH WAS AT A 45 DEG ANGLE PRIOR TO THE RWY. I WAS CONFIDENT I WAS ON TRACK FOR RWY 24. MY RNAV AS BACKUP TO MY VISUAL CLUES CONFIRMED CORRECT GENERAL DIRECTION AND ALL MADE SENSE. RIGHT AS I GOT TO A POINT OF APCHING TO LAND, I SAW THE RWY DID NOT HAVE A CTRLINE AND LOOKED UNUSUAL. IT FIRST APPEARED THEY HAD DONE SANDBLASTING TO DEFACE THE RWY. I THEN REALIZED IT WAS DIRT. AFTER GETTING THAT LOW, THE SUN WAS BLOCKED BY THE FOG ON THE COAST AND I COULD SEE THE RWY AHEAD AND IT LOOKED CLR AND SMOOTH (WHICH IT WAS) AND I FELT THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS LAND. AS I ROLLED OUT TO THE END, I BELIEVED THIS WAS NOT THE SAME RWY I HAVE LANDED IN THE PAST OR THEY WERE BUILDING A LONGER RWY FOR THE ARPT NEXT TO THE ORIGINAL ONE. I REMEMBER THINKING THIS WAS NOT ON THE LCL NOTAMS I REQUESTED AND BELIEVED IT COULD ONLY BE A NEW DIRT STRIP BEING LAID OUT. IT HAD THE EXACT DIMENSIONS OF THE OCEANSIDE ARPT, EXCEPT IT MAY BE LONGER. IT EVEN HAD A TXWY ON THE S SIDE OF THE RWY. I TRULY THOUGHT I WAS ON THE OCEANSIDE ARPT EXCEPT WITH THE ADDITION OF A DIRT STRIP SIMILAR TO SANTA YNEZ WHICH IS USED FOR GLIDERS. I PROCEEDED DOWN THE TXWY AND TAXIED INTO POS (24 HDG) AND TOOK OFF FOR ANOTHER LOOK AT EVERYTHING. I REALIZED RIGHT AFTER TKOF THE CORRECT RWY WAS DIRECTLY TO MY R AND DIRECTLY PARALLEL MY PREVIOUS LNDG. AFTER COMING AROUND TO LAND ON THE PAVED RWY I DECIDED THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY WRONG AND BALKED THE APCH AND HEADED TOWARD THE COAST STARTING AROUND 800 TO 1000 FT AS I RECALL ON MY INITIAL CLB. UNICOM MENTIONED THE NOISE ABATEMENT FOR THE AREA AND SUGGESTED I HEAD OUT TOWARD THE OCEAN PRIOR TO RE-ENTERING THE PATTERN. 'THREE'S A CHARM' HE STATED, MEANING HE EXPECTED I WOULD COME AROUND AGAIN. I FELT IT BEST TO GO BACK TO CARLSBAD AND START GATHERING THE DETAILS OF WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED AND EXACTLY WHY I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS NEW STRIP PROBABLY 50 YDS OR SO FROM THE MAIN RWY. IT TURNS OUT THE AREA I LANDED WAS A NEW FREEWAY BEING BUILT RIGHT NEXT TO THE RWY (SEE DIAGRAM). I AM VERY CONCERNED SUCH AN OBVIOUS POTENTIAL HAZARD EXISTED AND YET THERE WAS NO MENTION OF IT FROM ANYONE, NOT FSS OR UNICOM. I REALIZE IT IS NOT UNICOM'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MENTION, BUT AN OBVIOUS LCL NOTAM FOR FSS. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS NO MARKING ANYWHERE INDICATING THIS WAS NOT SUITABLE FOR LNDG. I AM AN EXTREMIST TO THE STUDY AND SAFE PRACTICES OF FLYING AND MAINTAIN A RECURRENT TRAINING PROGRAM ALWAYS. I HAVE NEVER HAD AN AVIATION INCIDENT OF ANY KIND IN MY 8 YRS OF FLYING OR ANY TFC VIOLATIONS. I PRACTICE SAFE STANDARDIZATION IN ALL ASPECTS OF MY LIFE. I BELIEVE, HAD I KNOWN THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION GOING ON NEXT THE ARPT, WHICH RESEMBLED THE EXISTING RWY SO CLOSELY, I WOULD HAVE NEVER ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH PAST MY BASE TURN UNDER THE CONDITIONS. I WOULD HAVE HAD SOME DOUBT TO THE RWY LAYOUT I WAS FLYING TOWARD AND BALKED THE APCH DURING BASE WHEN NOTICING THE DECREASING VISIBILITY OF THE RWY. I WAS IN NO HURRY TO GET THERE AND WAS NOT UNDER ANY PRESSURE TO GET INTO THE ARPT FROM MY EMPLOYER. I KNEW IT WOULD HAVE ONLY TOOK MY PAX A FEW MINS OUT OF THEIR WAY TO GO BACK TO CARLSBAD FOR OUR DEP, TRULY NOT A PROB FOR ALL PARTIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE AT THE ARPT STATED THEY KNEW SOMEONE WAS GOING TO MAKE A LNDG ON THE FREEWAY JUST BECAUSE IT LOOKED SO MUCH LIKE THE RWY FROM ALT. A SECOND ACFT ALSO LANDED THERE A FEW DAYS LATER. RPTR DID EXCELLENT FOLLOW UP WITH FAA AND THERE IS NOW A LCL NOTAM REF THE CONSTRUCTION AND A LARGE X WILL BE PLACED AT THE END OF THE SITE. THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE ALSO SPOKE TO THE ARPT MGR WHO WILL ADD A COMMENT ABOUT THE SIMILARITY ON THE UNICOM. RPTR TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS AND FAXED THOSE AND HIS NASA RPT TO THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE HE CONFERRED WITH. WHAT LOOKS LIKE A TXWY BESIDE THE FREEWAY IS ACTUALLY A ROAD FOR THE TRUCKS COMING AND GOING ON THE PROJECT.

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.