Narrative:

I was approaching the concord, nc, airport. Called unicom for TA, and was told runway 20 was last used. I then proceeded to make a 45 degree entry to downwind runway 20. I have never been to concord, so I was rather busy at this point trying to get set up for the landing when I heard another aircraft call in an ILS approach on runway 20. I then looked down at the runway and saw the #2 on the runway on the direction I was flying. For some reason I have yet to understand, when I saw that #2 on the runway, I thought I'd made a mistake and this (runway 2) is the active runway. I think this is because in most cases the runway headings are not of very similar numbers, ie, runway 9/27, runway 5/23 etc. I radioed to concord traffic that I was crossing midfield to enter downwind for runway 20 and proceeded to do so. Only of course, I was really entering downwind for runway 2. Next I turned base and reported so over the unicom frequency. The king air that previously had called in now called in a 6 mi final for runway 20. All of my attention was at its time being devoted to visually finding this aircraft. I had a pretty good field of view, and since there was no sign of him, I thought he must be too far out for me to see so I turned final, reported so over unicom and proceeded to land. Just before flaring I saw the king air, headed towards me, landing on the other end of the runway. He obviously saw me also (I had landing lights on as did he), since he made a right turn missed approach. Since he had already started a go around I went ahead and landed, turning off at the first intersection. He then let me know over the radio that I had made a mistake and I acknowledged that. I did make a mistake. Also, do not misunderstand, I'm not trying to 'blame' my mistake on the runway numbers. However, I do think that the combination of my unfamiliarity with this airport and the similarity of the runway numbers were contributing factors. I understand that runway numbering is sometimes an inexact science, or that there are cases where the actual runway heading can be so close to halfway between 2 headings that sometimes it is almost a FLIP of a coin which heading a runway will be assigned. I also understand that over time the earth's magnetic field changes, and sometimes therefore runway headings have to be 'renamed.' I would say that if any of these instances were the case at concord airport, that someone look fairly seriously at using any opportunity to change the runway headings to one that does not lend itself to confusion as the existing 2-20 heading. Either 1-19 or 3-21 would present less of an opportunity for this situation to happen again in the future. However, I can assure you that this is one pilot that will never mistake 2 for 20 again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PVT PLT GOT RWYS MIXED UP AND LANDED ON RECIPROCAL OF ACTIVE RWY -- LANDED RWY 02 VERSUS RWY IN USE, RWY 20.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING THE CONCORD, NC, ARPT. CALLED UNICOM FOR TA, AND WAS TOLD RWY 20 WAS LAST USED. I THEN PROCEEDED TO MAKE A 45 DEG ENTRY TO DOWNWIND RWY 20. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO CONCORD, SO I WAS RATHER BUSY AT THIS POINT TRYING TO GET SET UP FOR THE LNDG WHEN I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT CALL IN AN ILS APCH ON RWY 20. I THEN LOOKED DOWN AT THE RWY AND SAW THE #2 ON THE RWY ON THE DIRECTION I WAS FLYING. FOR SOME REASON I HAVE YET TO UNDERSTAND, WHEN I SAW THAT #2 ON THE RWY, I THOUGHT I'D MADE A MISTAKE AND THIS (RWY 2) IS THE ACTIVE RWY. I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE IN MOST CASES THE RWY HDGS ARE NOT OF VERY SIMILAR NUMBERS, IE, RWY 9/27, RWY 5/23 ETC. I RADIOED TO CONCORD TFC THAT I WAS XING MIDFIELD TO ENTER DOWNWIND FOR RWY 20 AND PROCEEDED TO DO SO. ONLY OF COURSE, I WAS REALLY ENTERING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 2. NEXT I TURNED BASE AND RPTED SO OVER THE UNICOM FREQ. THE KING AIR THAT PREVIOUSLY HAD CALLED IN NOW CALLED IN A 6 MI FINAL FOR RWY 20. ALL OF MY ATTN WAS AT ITS TIME BEING DEVOTED TO VISUALLY FINDING THIS ACFT. I HAD A PRETTY GOOD FIELD OF VIEW, AND SINCE THERE WAS NO SIGN OF HIM, I THOUGHT HE MUST BE TOO FAR OUT FOR ME TO SEE SO I TURNED FINAL, RPTED SO OVER UNICOM AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. JUST BEFORE FLARING I SAW THE KING AIR, HEADED TOWARDS ME, LNDG ON THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. HE OBVIOUSLY SAW ME ALSO (I HAD LNDG LIGHTS ON AS DID HE), SINCE HE MADE A R TURN MISSED APCH. SINCE HE HAD ALREADY STARTED A GAR I WENT AHEAD AND LANDED, TURNING OFF AT THE FIRST INTXN. HE THEN LET ME KNOW OVER THE RADIO THAT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT. I DID MAKE A MISTAKE. ALSO, DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND, I'M NOT TRYING TO 'BLAME' MY MISTAKE ON THE RWY NUMBERS. HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT THE COMBINATION OF MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THIS ARPT AND THE SIMILARITY OF THE RWY NUMBERS WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. I UNDERSTAND THAT RWY NUMBERING IS SOMETIMES AN INEXACT SCIENCE, OR THAT THERE ARE CASES WHERE THE ACTUAL RWY HDG CAN BE SO CLOSE TO HALFWAY BTWN 2 HDGS THAT SOMETIMES IT IS ALMOST A FLIP OF A COIN WHICH HDG A RWY WILL BE ASSIGNED. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT OVER TIME THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD CHANGES, AND SOMETIMES THEREFORE RWY HDGS HAVE TO BE 'RENAMED.' I WOULD SAY THAT IF ANY OF THESE INSTANCES WERE THE CASE AT CONCORD ARPT, THAT SOMEONE LOOK FAIRLY SERIOUSLY AT USING ANY OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE RWY HDGS TO ONE THAT DOES NOT LEND ITSELF TO CONFUSION AS THE EXISTING 2-20 HEADING. EITHER 1-19 OR 3-21 WOULD PRESENT LESS OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS SIT TO HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THIS IS ONE PLT THAT WILL NEVER MISTAKE 2 FOR 20 AGAIN.

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.