Narrative:

Manistee mi, mbl, runway 9 VOR approach. Broke out of clouds appx 3.0 DME. Started lower at 2.8 DME and was back in IMC. At appx 2.0 DME I saw what I thought was runway 9 and proceeded to land on the taxiway parallel to runway. Keyed pilot controled lights on approach, did not come on. (About 5 DME). The taxiway is the old runway 9-27. It is bleached white concrete, as is the other pavement on airport except runway 9-27, which is gray asphalt. 9-27 runway markings are faded ( I checked on departure). Ceiling and visibility were lower than 1800 1/4 mi reported on AWOS. Actual ceiling as visibility seemed appx 900 1/2 mi. Approach plate and AFD airport sketch do not have parallel taxiway shown. Unlit VASI lights still on the left of taxiway. Landscape leading up to taxiway had rocks which gave the visibility illusion of leading to a runway. Landscape leading to runway was grass. The people at the FBO stated this was not the first occurence of this, and stated how the new runway blends in with landscape and taxiway ( old runway) sticks out. Low visibility, poor runway markings, and not having runway lights on along with no indication on airport sketches of parallel taxiway contributed to occurrence. Not being able to turn lights on, they did work when I checked them, not checking runway markings, and single pilot IMC operations all came together during a busy approach into an uncontrolled airfield. The airport is in the process of getting an ILS, which might help. Although all the visibility cues, or lack of cues will remain during low visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-58 PLT LANDED ON A TXWY AT MBL.

Narrative: MANISTEE MI, MBL, RWY 9 VOR APCH. BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS APPX 3.0 DME. STARTED LOWER AT 2.8 DME AND WAS BACK IN IMC. AT APPX 2.0 DME I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 9 AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON THE TXWY PARALLEL TO RWY. KEYED PLT CTLED LIGHTS ON APCH, DID NOT COME ON. (ABOUT 5 DME). THE TXWY IS THE OLD RWY 9-27. IT IS BLEACHED WHITE CONCRETE, AS IS THE OTHER PAVEMENT ON ARPT EXCEPT RWY 9-27, WHICH IS GRAY ASPHALT. 9-27 RWY MARKINGS ARE FADED ( I CHKED ON DEP). CEILING AND VIS WERE LOWER THAN 1800 1/4 MI RPTED ON AWOS. ACTUAL CEILING AS VIS SEEMED APPX 900 1/2 MI. APCH PLATE AND AFD ARPT SKETCH DO NOT HAVE PARALLEL TXWY SHOWN. UNLIT VASI LIGHTS STILL ON THE L OF TXWY. LANDSCAPE LEADING UP TO TXWY HAD ROCKS WHICH GAVE THE VIS ILLUSION OF LEADING TO A RWY. LANDSCAPE LEADING TO RWY WAS GRASS. THE PEOPLE AT THE FBO STATED THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST OCCURENCE OF THIS, AND STATED HOW THE NEW RWY BLENDS IN WITH LANDSCAPE AND TXWY ( OLD RWY) STICKS OUT. LOW VIS, POOR RWY MARKINGS, AND NOT HAVING RWY LIGHTS ON ALONG WITH NO INDICATION ON ARPT SKETCHES OF PARALLEL TXWY CONTRIBUTED TO OCCURRENCE. NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN LIGHTS ON, THEY DID WORK WHEN I CHKED THEM, NOT CHKING RWY MARKINGS, AND SINGLE PLT IMC OPS ALL CAME TOGETHER DURING A BUSY APCH INTO AN UNCONTROLLED AIRFIELD. THE ARPT IS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING AN ILS, WHICH MIGHT HELP. ALTHOUGH ALL THE VIS CUES, OR LACK OF CUES WILL REMAIN DURING LOW VIS.

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.