Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan into chicago midway. Approach advised visual approach to runway 22, vectored me to airport, but kept me at 5000 ft MSL until turning base, when I was handed off to tower. Not being familiar with airport, I had to reduce speed, lose altitude, contact tower, look for appropriate runway, and look for traffic. At approximately 100 ft AGL and about 1/4 mi from runway, runway identifier appeared to me as runway 22C: I was cleared for runway 22L. I advised tower that it appeared I was landing on wrong runway (although in fact three is no runway 22C: I had mistaken taxiway for runway, on my left), and tower required me to 'go around, right traffic for runway 22L,' which I began to do. After cleaning up the airplane and circling right, I turned in on perceived runway 22, which tower advised was runway 31, so I went around again. I understood tower to clear me for runway 22L, but this time I was advised later that tower had in fact cleared me for landing runway 22R. I landed on runway 22L. I confirmed cleared to land on runway 22R. My passenger confirmed that tower did not repeat the clearance when I failed to acknowledge any clearance to land on the right instead of the left. I was advised by tower later that my landing on runway 22L caused tower to advise air carrier traffic behind me landing runway 22 left to go around. I am not aware of any close conflict that arose or existed, but I admittedly became confused at a new and strange airport to me, and the tower and approach contributed to the confusion and in my opinion caused additional confusion when tower did not repeat landing clearance to the new runway, 22R, under the circumstances and particularly when I did not acknowledge the new runway clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH ARPT BECOMES CONFUSED ON LNDG, GOES AROUND, LINES UP WITH THE WRONG RWY, GOES AROUND AGAIN, AND ENDS UP LNDG ON THE WRONG RWY AFTER ALL AND CAUSES AN AIRLINER TO HAVE TO GAR.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN INTO CHICAGO MIDWAY. APCH ADVISED VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22, VECTORED ME TO ARPT, BUT KEPT ME AT 5000 FT MSL UNTIL TURNING BASE, WHEN I WAS HANDED OFF TO TWR. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH ARPT, I HAD TO REDUCE SPD, LOSE ALT, CONTACT TWR, LOOK FOR APPROPRIATE RWY, AND LOOK FOR TFC. AT APPROX 100 FT AGL AND ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM RWY, RWY IDENTIFIER APPEARED TO ME AS RWY 22C: I WAS CLRED FOR RWY 22L. I ADVISED TWR THAT IT APPEARED I WAS LNDG ON WRONG RWY (ALTHOUGH IN FACT THREE IS NO RWY 22C: I HAD MISTAKEN TXWY FOR RWY, ON MY L), AND TWR REQUIRED ME TO 'GAR, R TFC FOR RWY 22L,' WHICH I BEGAN TO DO. AFTER CLEANING UP THE AIRPLANE AND CIRCLING R, I TURNED IN ON PERCEIVED RWY 22, WHICH TWR ADVISED WAS RWY 31, SO I WENT AROUND AGAIN. I UNDERSTOOD TWR TO CLR ME FOR RWY 22L, BUT THIS TIME I WAS ADVISED LATER THAT TWR HAD IN FACT CLRED ME FOR LNDG RWY 22R. I LANDED ON RWY 22L. I CONFIRMED CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 22R. MY PAX CONFIRMED THAT TWR DID NOT REPEAT THE CLRNC WHEN I FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY CLRNC TO LAND ON THE R INSTEAD OF THE L. I WAS ADVISED BY TWR LATER THAT MY LNDG ON RWY 22L CAUSED TWR TO ADVISE ACR TFC BEHIND ME LNDG RWY 22 L TO GAR. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY CLOSE CONFLICT THAT AROSE OR EXISTED, BUT I ADMITTEDLY BECAME CONFUSED AT A NEW AND STRANGE ARPT TO ME, AND THE TWR AND APCH CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION AND IN MY OPINION CAUSED ADDITIONAL CONFUSION WHEN TWR DID NOT REPEAT LNDG CLRNC TO THE NEW RWY, 22R, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND PARTICULARLY WHEN I DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEW RWY CLRNC.

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.