Narrative:

I was cleared to land on runway 28L at myf while on downwind (left traffic). As I was turning from base to final, a helicopter passed under my nose. I was not notified of the presence of the helicopter so it took me by surprise. We couldn't have been more than 100 ft apart. After insuring that there wasn't a collision hazard, I looked forward and saw that I was lined up on what I thought was runway 28L. The glare from the setting sun made it difficult to see anything in front of the airplane. I didn't realize that I was actually lined up with the parallel taxiway until I saw the silhouette of an aircraft pull onto the taxiway in front of me. At that point I looked to the right and saw that the threshold to runway 28L was to the right and in front of me. I still had time to make a sidestep maneuver. I thought about going around but, knowing the airplane well, I decided that a simple turn to the right and turn to the left would put me on the centerline to runway 28L. I made a normal landing and got off at the exit that I usually turn off. I am filing this report because 2 pilots on the ground expressed their concern about my approach to the taxiway. The tower didn't seem concerned and said something to the effect of 'it looked like the pilot made a little s-turn on final.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 CARGO HAULER ALMOST COLLIDES WITH A POLICE HELI OFF THE END OF RWY 28L AT MYF, CA. PLT THEN ALIGNS TO THE TXWY FOR APCH, ALARMING SOME PLTS TAXIING ON THE TXWY.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 28L AT MYF WHILE ON DOWNWIND (L TFC). AS I WAS TURNING FROM BASE TO FINAL, A HELI PASSED UNDER MY NOSE. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PRESENCE OF THE HELI SO IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. WE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 100 FT APART. AFTER INSURING THAT THERE WASN'T A COLLISION HAZARD, I LOOKED FORWARD AND SAW THAT I WAS LINED UP ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 28L. THE GLARE FROM THE SETTING SUN MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE ANYTHING IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I WAS ACTUALLY LINED UP WITH THE PARALLEL TXWY UNTIL I SAW THE SILHOUETTE OF AN ACFT PULL ONTO THE TXWY IN FRONT OF ME. AT THAT POINT I LOOKED TO THE R AND SAW THAT THE THRESHOLD TO RWY 28L WAS TO THE R AND IN FRONT OF ME. I STILL HAD TIME TO MAKE A SIDESTEP MANEUVER. I THOUGHT ABOUT GOING AROUND BUT, KNOWING THE AIRPLANE WELL, I DECIDED THAT A SIMPLE TURN TO THE R AND TURN TO THE L WOULD PUT ME ON THE CTRLINE TO RWY 28L. I MADE A NORMAL LNDG AND GOT OFF AT THE EXIT THAT I USUALLY TURN OFF. I AM FILING THIS RPT BECAUSE 2 PLTS ON THE GND EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN ABOUT MY APCH TO THE TXWY. THE TWR DIDN'T SEEM CONCERNED AND SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF 'IT LOOKED LIKE THE PLT MADE A LITTLE S-TURN ON FINAL.'

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.