An experienced private pilot landed his aircraft on a taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	458102
Time
Date	199912
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dvt.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dvt.tower artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : dvt.tower
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 2675 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	458102
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Subject aircraft was second of 3 in the r-hand pattern for runway 25R at dvt. Tower requested close-in traffic. Subject aircraft turned base to final, both low and slow (to avoid overtaking landing aircraft) over higher terrain. Pilot was concerned with speed and terrain clearance when runway (taxiway) pavement came in sight. Normal landing was made on empty pavement, completely missing the numbers and runway end markings until touchdown. To avoid this incident, the use of a landmark leading to runway 25R would have been useful. Also, extending the downwind leg and holding pattern altitude would have made the runway visible over the higher terrain, but this would have been contrary to making a close-in pattern at the request of tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EXPERIENCED PVT PLT LANDED HIS ACFT ON A TXWY.

Narrative: SUBJECT ACFT WAS SECOND OF 3 IN THE R-HAND PATTERN FOR RWY 25R AT DVT. TWR REQUESTED CLOSE-IN TFC. SUBJECT ACFT TURNED BASE TO FINAL, BOTH LOW AND SLOW (TO AVOID OVERTAKING LNDG ACFT) OVER HIGHER TERRAIN. PLT WAS CONCERNED WITH SPD AND TERRAIN CLRNC WHEN RWY (TXWY) PAVEMENT CAME IN SIGHT. NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE ON EMPTY PAVEMENT, COMPLETELY MISSING THE NUMBERS AND RWY END MARKINGS UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. TO AVOID THIS INCIDENT, THE USE OF A LANDMARK LEADING TO RWY 25R WOULD HAVE BEEN USEFUL. ALSO, EXTENDING THE DOWNWIND LEG AND HOLDING PATTERN ALT WOULD HAVE MADE THE RWY VISIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN, BUT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTRARY TO MAKING A CLOSE-IN PATTERN AT THE REQUEST OF TWR.

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.