Narrative:

I landed a cessna 180 on floats on lake hood northeast when cleared by lhd control tower for southeast. I had contacted anc approach prior to entering the class C airspace from the south, point position at 2500 ft. ATIS indicated the east route to be in effect, landing east. I was cleared across international byway of south park. I was passed off to international control tower and again to lake hood control tower expecting the east waterway. Lake hood then switched me southeast. International control tower had directed me towards the approach end of runway 14. I was not there yet. I glanced at my panc plate I saw only the approach end of runway 14 with a right turn to the southeast waterway. I was met at the approach end of runway 14, however, but still over runway 6L from the south. I turned right and made a crosswind landing to the northeast. Fortunately, there was no conflicting traffic or incident but there could have been. In reviewing this event I see that a plate 10-9 panc, north is to the left and east is up! I think that what happened is that with time to look at the plate and orient it properly without thinking about it, but at a glance I relied on north as top of the page. I placed myself over the approach end of runway 14 instead of runway 6L where I really was, thus making the right turn to the water put me 90 degrees out of place. I could tell quite late something wasn't right. I should have declared and gone around. I do have the judgement to do that but the feeling of disorientation seemed to overpwr corrective action and the safest immediate out seemed to be to land. I must say the situation developed very rapidly and the directional disorientation seemed to linger as with vertigo. 3-DIMENSIONAL awareness has been a strength for me and not a weakness. I think this could happen to others. Briefly reviewing my other terminal layout plates, kenai, juneau, ketchikan, fairbanks, denver -- they are all oriented with north at the top of the page. They do not have an arrow point up with the letter 'north' above the arrow type indicator or compass rose. I discussed the orientation with one of the chart people and indeed most of the terminal charts are oriented north. Further contributing to my experienced directional illusion is the confign of the anchorage land mass. Either way you turn the chart the shoreline and water at a glance are in the right place. So as I glanced at the plate in its book, there was a compelling certainty that I was over runway 14. I'm not all that familiar with anchorage. I've only been up here for a yr. I have studied the terminal area pilot briefly. I've had some instruction out of lake hood. I should not have made this mist. Clearly the error and responsibility is mine. I probably should not be using IFR plates instead of a terminal VFR chart. Trip to anchorage was unplanned with an element of stress. I don't think that would have contributed much. The WX was good, a bit turbulent. No other human factors. It might be worth considering standardized orientation of all terminal plates. The occasional 90 degrees out of sync more in the head adjustment for a pilot to me in an IFR environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ON FLOATS LANDS WRONG DIRECTION ON WATERWAY.

Narrative: I LANDED A CESSNA 180 ON FLOATS ON LAKE HOOD NE WHEN CLRED BY LHD CTL TWR FOR SE. I HAD CONTACTED ANC APCH PRIOR TO ENTERING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE FROM THE S, POINT POS AT 2500 FT. ATIS INDICATED THE E RTE TO BE IN EFFECT, LNDG E. I WAS CLRED ACROSS INTL BYWAY OF S PARK. I WAS PASSED OFF TO INTL CTL TWR AND AGAIN TO LAKE HOOD CTL TWR EXPECTING THE E WATERWAY. LAKE HOOD THEN SWITCHED ME SE. INTL CTL TWR HAD DIRECTED ME TOWARDS THE APCH END OF RWY 14. I WAS NOT THERE YET. I GLANCED AT MY PANC PLATE I SAW ONLY THE APCH END OF RWY 14 WITH A R TURN TO THE SE WATERWAY. I WAS MET AT THE APCH END OF RWY 14, HOWEVER, BUT STILL OVER RWY 6L FROM THE S. I TURNED R AND MADE A XWIND LNDG TO THE NE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC OR INCIDENT BUT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN. IN REVIEWING THIS EVENT I SEE THAT A PLATE 10-9 PANC, N IS TO THE L AND E IS UP! I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT WITH TIME TO LOOK AT THE PLATE AND ORIENT IT PROPERLY WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT, BUT AT A GLANCE I RELIED ON N AS TOP OF THE PAGE. I PLACED MYSELF OVER THE APCH END OF RWY 14 INSTEAD OF RWY 6L WHERE I REALLY WAS, THUS MAKING THE R TURN TO THE WATER PUT ME 90 DEGS OUT OF PLACE. I COULD TELL QUITE LATE SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AND GONE AROUND. I DO HAVE THE JUDGEMENT TO DO THAT BUT THE FEELING OF DISORIENTATION SEEMED TO OVERPWR CORRECTIVE ACTION AND THE SAFEST IMMEDIATE OUT SEEMED TO BE TO LAND. I MUST SAY THE SIT DEVELOPED VERY RAPIDLY AND THE DIRECTIONAL DISORIENTATION SEEMED TO LINGER AS WITH VERTIGO. 3-DIMENSIONAL AWARENESS HAS BEEN A STRENGTH FOR ME AND NOT A WEAKNESS. I THINK THIS COULD HAPPEN TO OTHERS. BRIEFLY REVIEWING MY OTHER TERMINAL LAYOUT PLATES, KENAI, JUNEAU, KETCHIKAN, FAIRBANKS, DENVER -- THEY ARE ALL ORIENTED WITH N AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. THEY DO NOT HAVE AN ARROW POINT UP WITH THE LETTER 'N' ABOVE THE ARROW TYPE INDICATOR OR COMPASS ROSE. I DISCUSSED THE ORIENTATION WITH ONE OF THE CHART PEOPLE AND INDEED MOST OF THE TERMINAL CHARTS ARE ORIENTED N. FURTHER CONTRIBUTING TO MY EXPERIENCED DIRECTIONAL ILLUSION IS THE CONFIGN OF THE ANCHORAGE LAND MASS. EITHER WAY YOU TURN THE CHART THE SHORELINE AND WATER AT A GLANCE ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. SO AS I GLANCED AT THE PLATE IN ITS BOOK, THERE WAS A COMPELLING CERTAINTY THAT I WAS OVER RWY 14. I'M NOT ALL THAT FAMILIAR WITH ANCHORAGE. I'VE ONLY BEEN UP HERE FOR A YR. I HAVE STUDIED THE TERMINAL AREA PLT BRIEFLY. I'VE HAD SOME INSTRUCTION OUT OF LAKE HOOD. I SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE THIS MIST. CLRLY THE ERROR AND RESPONSIBILITY IS MINE. I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT BE USING IFR PLATES INSTEAD OF A TERMINAL VFR CHART. TRIP TO ANCHORAGE WAS UNPLANNED WITH AN ELEMENT OF STRESS. I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED MUCH. THE WX WAS GOOD, A BIT TURBULENT. NO OTHER HUMAN FACTORS. IT MIGHT BE WORTH CONSIDERING STANDARDIZED ORIENTATION OF ALL TERMINAL PLATES. THE OCCASIONAL 90 DEGS OUT OF SYNC MORE IN THE HEAD ADJUSTMENT FOR A PLT TO ME IN AN IFR ENVIRONMENT.

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.