Narrative:

Early morning predawn flight, conducted on a routine basis to a very familiar airport. IFR flight plan but cleared for visual approach, WX clear skies, no restrs to visibility. Clearance to land on runway 31R at dallas love field about 12+ mi out. Tuned in appropriate localizer and identify okay, tuned nearby ADF (LOM for runway 31L ILS). Visual with the airport from northwest, downwind entry. Approaching base leg saw bright approach lights for runway, turning final (4 mi) both approach lights and runway lights up bright. No other landing or inbound traffic. Short final, no traffic, tower tells another aircraft to hold short of my landing runway (31R). Aircraft lights (landing, taxi, strobes) all on since turning final. I noticed no aircraft on runway or in hold area next to runway, 1/4 mi final, I look more at airport environment besides runway lights and noticed landing on runway 31L, told tower where I was, he cleared to land and told to taxi with him to parking, hold short runway 31R. He also 'wondered where I had been.' failed to utilize all available data for runway of intended use. Possible fatigue from being early morning. I had set up navaids for use, but upon seeing the bright approach lights and then the runway lights I never crosschecked all available navaids and fixated only on approaching the lighted runway (runway 31R lights down dim, unnoticed). Upon hearing tower talk about aircraft holding short of my runway and not being able to locate this aircraft did I look more at my surroundings and verify that I was on the other runway (31L). Contributing factor was the brightly lit runway that was not the intended runway of use. Normally tower does turn up the lights on the runway for easier identify, while leaving the other runway dim. In this case they did just opposite.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT ON SHORT IFR FLT TO DAL. SET NAVAIDS TO CLRED RWY 31R AND IDENT. IN VMC CONDITIONS SAW BRIGHT RWY LIGHTS AND LINED UP WITH RWY 31L. CAUGHT ERROR ON SHORT FINAL AND ADVISED TWR WHO CLRED ACFT TO LAND RWY 31L. NO CONFLICT.

Narrative: EARLY MORNING PREDAWN FLT, CONDUCTED ON A ROUTINE BASIS TO A VERY FAMILIAR ARPT. IFR FLT PLAN BUT CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH, WX CLR SKIES, NO RESTRS TO VISIBILITY. CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 31R AT DALLAS LOVE FIELD ABOUT 12+ MI OUT. TUNED IN APPROPRIATE LOC AND IDENT OKAY, TUNED NEARBY ADF (LOM FOR RWY 31L ILS). VISUAL WITH THE ARPT FROM NW, DOWNWIND ENTRY. APCHING BASE LEG SAW BRIGHT APCH LIGHTS FOR RWY, TURNING FINAL (4 MI) BOTH APCH LIGHTS AND RWY LIGHTS UP BRIGHT. NO OTHER LNDG OR INBOUND TFC. SHORT FINAL, NO TFC, TWR TELLS ANOTHER ACFT TO HOLD SHORT OF MY LNDG RWY (31R). ACFT LIGHTS (LNDG, TAXI, STROBES) ALL ON SINCE TURNING FINAL. I NOTICED NO ACFT ON RWY OR IN HOLD AREA NEXT TO RWY, 1/4 MI FINAL, I LOOK MORE AT ARPT ENVIRONMENT BESIDES RWY LIGHTS AND NOTICED LNDG ON RWY 31L, TOLD TWR WHERE I WAS, HE CLRED TO LAND AND TOLD TO TAXI WITH HIM TO PARKING, HOLD SHORT RWY 31R. HE ALSO 'WONDERED WHERE I HAD BEEN.' FAILED TO UTILIZE ALL AVAILABLE DATA FOR RWY OF INTENDED USE. POSSIBLE FATIGUE FROM BEING EARLY MORNING. I HAD SET UP NAVAIDS FOR USE, BUT UPON SEEING THE BRIGHT APCH LIGHTS AND THEN THE RWY LIGHTS I NEVER XCHKED ALL AVAILABLE NAVAIDS AND FIXATED ONLY ON APCHING THE LIGHTED RWY (RWY 31R LIGHTS DOWN DIM, UNNOTICED). UPON HEARING TWR TALK ABOUT ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF MY RWY AND NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE THIS ACFT DID I LOOK MORE AT MY SURROUNDINGS AND VERIFY THAT I WAS ON THE OTHER RWY (31L). CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE BRIGHTLY LIT RWY THAT WAS NOT THE INTENDED RWY OF USE. NORMALLY TWR DOES TURN UP THE LIGHTS ON THE RWY FOR EASIER IDENT, WHILE LEAVING THE OTHER RWY DIM. IN THIS CASE THEY DID JUST OPPOSITE.

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.