Narrative:

It (the VFR landing on the wrong runway) didn't happen, but I now have a better understanding of how quickly things happen when you least expect them. My story begins with the famous VFR approach at night to an airport (pdx) into which I haven't flown for a while. We arrived from the south (sfo) and were being vectored fairly close in and fairly high. I was trying to keep my speed reasonably high so as not to be very much behind schedule. The 757 of course is not known for its capability to slow down and/or descend very aggressively. Upon being given the choice I chose runway 10L to minimize taxi time. This was inserted into the FMS. The ILS for runway 28R was tuned. The approach light confign for both runways was briefed. In summary we did all the right stuff in preparation. Upon receiving clearance for the approach I rolled in using the position predictors on the map and laid them tangent to the extended centerline of runway 10L while continuing to configure the airplane. I knew I was pushing it somewhat but not to the point that it would be uncomfortable for the passenger. Anyway, when I looked up there was a runway (10R) out there and naturally I went for it! The fact that I was higher than I thought triggered the wrong response of getting 'dirty,' etc, rather than resolving the conflict. Luckily the guy behind me questioned my position in a timely manner. I moved over and landed on the correct runway. Thinking back on it, I'm not sure that I would have realized the error soon enough. My copilot was uneasy at the time but hadn't resolved the problem before the alert. There were certainly plenty of clues. We were too high for this runway in front of us compared to what the DME, etc indicated. The wrong approach light confign was in front of us. The back course localizer was not centered. I probably had the wrong map scale in front of me thus minimizing the offset. In summary, I thought everything was working out smoothly on the gauges but just 'went for it' when I saw a runway. Being the end of a 12 hour plus duty day didn't help. I am a commuter and had spent the previous night in a motel to be more rested before starting the day. Next time in that situation, I'll just take the ILS and accept the longer taxi time. Supplemental information from acn 296206: we saw runway 10R and began to line up for runway 10R. This made us look like we were too high, which did not seem to connect. Some time just after or before the OM runway 10R, we finally saw runway 10L in sight, which we responded yes. Nothing else was said, landing runway 10L was completed safely. I feel this whole problem came about because we tried to help ATC out. This caused us to, for a moment, deviate from our SOP's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LINED UP FOR LNDG ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative: IT (THE VFR LNDG ON THE WRONG RWY) DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT I NOW HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW QUICKLY THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT THEM. MY STORY BEGINS WITH THE FAMOUS VFR APCH AT NIGHT TO AN ARPT (PDX) INTO WHICH I HAVEN'T FLOWN FOR A WHILE. WE ARRIVED FROM THE S (SFO) AND WERE BEING VECTORED FAIRLY CLOSE IN AND FAIRLY HIGH. I WAS TRYING TO KEEP MY SPD REASONABLY HIGH SO AS NOT TO BE VERY MUCH BEHIND SCHEDULE. THE 757 OF COURSE IS NOT KNOWN FOR ITS CAPABILITY TO SLOW DOWN AND/OR DSND VERY AGGRESSIVELY. UPON BEING GIVEN THE CHOICE I CHOSE RWY 10L TO MINIMIZE TAXI TIME. THIS WAS INSERTED INTO THE FMS. THE ILS FOR RWY 28R WAS TUNED. THE APCH LIGHT CONFIGN FOR BOTH RWYS WAS BRIEFED. IN SUMMARY WE DID ALL THE RIGHT STUFF IN PREPARATION. UPON RECEIVING CLRNC FOR THE APCH I ROLLED IN USING THE POS PREDICTORS ON THE MAP AND LAID THEM TANGENT TO THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 10L WHILE CONTINUING TO CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE. I KNEW I WAS PUSHING IT SOMEWHAT BUT NOT TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE PAX. ANYWAY, WHEN I LOOKED UP THERE WAS A RWY (10R) OUT THERE AND NATURALLY I WENT FOR IT! THE FACT THAT I WAS HIGHER THAN I THOUGHT TRIGGERED THE WRONG RESPONSE OF GETTING 'DIRTY,' ETC, RATHER THAN RESOLVING THE CONFLICT. LUCKILY THE GUY BEHIND ME QUESTIONED MY POS IN A TIMELY MANNER. I MOVED OVER AND LANDED ON THE CORRECT RWY. THINKING BACK ON IT, I'M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD HAVE REALIZED THE ERROR SOON ENOUGH. MY COPLT WAS UNEASY AT THE TIME BUT HADN'T RESOLVED THE PROB BEFORE THE ALERT. THERE WERE CERTAINLY PLENTY OF CLUES. WE WERE TOO HIGH FOR THIS RWY IN FRONT OF US COMPARED TO WHAT THE DME, ETC INDICATED. THE WRONG APCH LIGHT CONFIGN WAS IN FRONT OF US. THE BACK COURSE LOC WAS NOT CTRED. I PROBABLY HAD THE WRONG MAP SCALE IN FRONT OF ME THUS MINIMIZING THE OFFSET. IN SUMMARY, I THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS WORKING OUT SMOOTHLY ON THE GAUGES BUT JUST 'WENT FOR IT' WHEN I SAW A RWY. BEING THE END OF A 12 HR PLUS DUTY DAY DIDN'T HELP. I AM A COMMUTER AND HAD SPENT THE PREVIOUS NIGHT IN A MOTEL TO BE MORE RESTED BEFORE STARTING THE DAY. NEXT TIME IN THAT SIT, I'LL JUST TAKE THE ILS AND ACCEPT THE LONGER TAXI TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 296206: WE SAW RWY 10R AND BEGAN TO LINE UP FOR RWY 10R. THIS MADE US LOOK LIKE WE WERE TOO HIGH, WHICH DID NOT SEEM TO CONNECT. SOME TIME JUST AFTER OR BEFORE THE OM RWY 10R, WE FINALLY SAW RWY 10L IN SIGHT, WHICH WE RESPONDED YES. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID, LNDG RWY 10L WAS COMPLETED SAFELY. I FEEL THIS WHOLE PROB CAME ABOUT BECAUSE WE TRIED TO HELP ATC OUT. THIS CAUSED US TO, FOR A MOMENT, DEVIATE FROM OUR SOP'S.

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.