Narrative:

After flying from bur-sac and dropping off passenger, my copilot and I elected to return to sjc VFR. We descended over rhv at 2500 ft for a right base entry to runway 30L with airport in sight. Normally, I use runway 29, but this time I was allowing the copilot to get in a night landing and opted for the longer runway. We were cleared to land runway 30L, 2 1/2 mi out. (This was verified by the tape review in the tower.) I was talking the copilot through the procedure. He had done at least 10 lndgs prior, but only 1 at night. Confirmed gear, flaps and ignition down and on. Verified checklist complete. I looked up momentarily to verify runway alignment and told him he was slightly right of centerline. I verified the runway was clear and we continued to a normal landing and rollout. I said 'great job!' as we rolled down the runway, I noticed the surroundings weren't familiar. I have flown into sjc hundreds of times over the yrs. ATC then said 'did you realize you just landed on the right runway?' we looked at each other in amazement as I responded 'no, we didn't.' ATC cleared us to taxi and to call tower on a landline. The copilot started to ask questions and I told him to focus on our taxi and shutdown at the ramp. Upon reflection, I realize this incident shouldn't have happened. This was a clear VFR night flying into an airport I've been to hundreds of times. Prior to landing, I dialed in the localizer frequency for runway 30L to give the copilot VNAV references to the runway but didn't follow through by dialing in course heading. We were also following a B737 ahead that we lost in the city lights as we turned final. I looked up to verify it was clear prior to touchdown and noticed it had cleared the runway. (As it turns out he had taxied clear of runway 30L and was taxiing across runway 30R as I looked up.) I believe the total fault lies with me. By allowing a training situation to absorb my total concentration, a potential accident could have happened. Fortunately the runway was clear and no aircraft or personnel were in the area, no danger existed. Contributing factors include my not picking up on the complete ATIS notifying me that runway 30R was open. (Earlier this runway had been closed to night operations). Expecting there only being runway 29 and runway 30L open, I told the copilot to stay on the right runway. I was talking the procedures to the copilot not spending enough time outside. The tower was at least 2 mi away and didn't notice my position until I was on the ground. Let my guard down after a long day of flying and glad to be home. In the future, this is how I believe I can prevent another occurrence: 1) treat each landing as if flying into an unfamiliar airport. 2) always tune the localizer frequency and dial in course heading. 3) listen to ATIS completely, even at the home airport. 4) put into checklist to verify visually and aurally out intended runway in parallel runway operations. 5) keep my head outside even during training operations. 6) share experience with other pilots that after 4000+ hours and 20 yrs of flying it can and will bite you if you're complacent. Supplemental information from acn 534915: having been based out of sjc nearly the entire yr of 2000, I had grown accustomed to runway 30R being under construction and runway 30L actually being the runway on the right side of the complex. With the relatively dim lights of runway 29 compared to the other runways, the airport appeared to have 2 runways just like before.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C501 FLC CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 30L LANDS ON RWY 30R DURING A WRONG RWY APCH AND LNDG DURING A NIGHT OP AT SJC, CA.

Narrative: AFTER FLYING FROM BUR-SAC AND DROPPING OFF PAX, MY COPLT AND I ELECTED TO RETURN TO SJC VFR. WE DSNDED OVER RHV AT 2500 FT FOR A R BASE ENTRY TO RWY 30L WITH ARPT IN SIGHT. NORMALLY, I USE RWY 29, BUT THIS TIME I WAS ALLOWING THE COPLT TO GET IN A NIGHT LNDG AND OPTED FOR THE LONGER RWY. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 30L, 2 1/2 MI OUT. (THIS WAS VERIFIED BY THE TAPE REVIEW IN THE TWR.) I WAS TALKING THE COPLT THROUGH THE PROC. HE HAD DONE AT LEAST 10 LNDGS PRIOR, BUT ONLY 1 AT NIGHT. CONFIRMED GEAR, FLAPS AND IGNITION DOWN AND ON. VERIFIED CHKLIST COMPLETE. I LOOKED UP MOMENTARILY TO VERIFY RWY ALIGNMENT AND TOLD HIM HE WAS SLIGHTLY R OF CTRLINE. I VERIFIED THE RWY WAS CLR AND WE CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG AND ROLLOUT. I SAID 'GREAT JOB!' AS WE ROLLED DOWN THE RWY, I NOTICED THE SURROUNDINGS WEREN'T FAMILIAR. I HAVE FLOWN INTO SJC HUNDREDS OF TIMES OVER THE YRS. ATC THEN SAID 'DID YOU REALIZE YOU JUST LANDED ON THE R RWY?' WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER IN AMAZEMENT AS I RESPONDED 'NO, WE DIDN'T.' ATC CLRED US TO TAXI AND TO CALL TWR ON A LANDLINE. THE COPLT STARTED TO ASK QUESTIONS AND I TOLD HIM TO FOCUS ON OUR TAXI AND SHUTDOWN AT THE RAMP. UPON REFLECTION, I REALIZE THIS INCIDENT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. THIS WAS A CLR VFR NIGHT FLYING INTO AN ARPT I'VE BEEN TO HUNDREDS OF TIMES. PRIOR TO LNDG, I DIALED IN THE LOC FREQ FOR RWY 30L TO GIVE THE COPLT VNAV REFS TO THE RWY BUT DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH BY DIALING IN COURSE HDG. WE WERE ALSO FOLLOWING A B737 AHEAD THAT WE LOST IN THE CITY LIGHTS AS WE TURNED FINAL. I LOOKED UP TO VERIFY IT WAS CLR PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN AND NOTICED IT HAD CLRED THE RWY. (AS IT TURNS OUT HE HAD TAXIED CLR OF RWY 30L AND WAS TAXIING ACROSS RWY 30R AS I LOOKED UP.) I BELIEVE THE TOTAL FAULT LIES WITH ME. BY ALLOWING A TRAINING SIT TO ABSORB MY TOTAL CONCENTRATION, A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. FORTUNATELY THE RWY WAS CLR AND NO ACFT OR PERSONNEL WERE IN THE AREA, NO DANGER EXISTED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE MY NOT PICKING UP ON THE COMPLETE ATIS NOTIFYING ME THAT RWY 30R WAS OPEN. (EARLIER THIS RWY HAD BEEN CLOSED TO NIGHT OPS). EXPECTING THERE ONLY BEING RWY 29 AND RWY 30L OPEN, I TOLD THE COPLT TO STAY ON THE RIGHT RWY. I WAS TALKING THE PROCS TO THE COPLT NOT SPENDING ENOUGH TIME OUTSIDE. THE TWR WAS AT LEAST 2 MI AWAY AND DIDN'T NOTICE MY POS UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND. LET MY GUARD DOWN AFTER A LONG DAY OF FLYING AND GLAD TO BE HOME. IN THE FUTURE, THIS IS HOW I BELIEVE I CAN PREVENT ANOTHER OCCURRENCE: 1) TREAT EACH LNDG AS IF FLYING INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT. 2) ALWAYS TUNE THE LOC FREQ AND DIAL IN COURSE HDG. 3) LISTEN TO ATIS COMPLETELY, EVEN AT THE HOME ARPT. 4) PUT INTO CHKLIST TO VERIFY VISUALLY AND AURALLY OUT INTENDED RWY IN PARALLEL RWY OPS. 5) KEEP MY HEAD OUTSIDE EVEN DURING TRAINING OPS. 6) SHARE EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER PLTS THAT AFTER 4000+ HRS AND 20 YRS OF FLYING IT CAN AND WILL BITE YOU IF YOU'RE COMPLACENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534915: HAVING BEEN BASED OUT OF SJC NEARLY THE ENTIRE YR OF 2000, I HAD GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO RWY 30R BEING UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND RWY 30L ACTUALLY BEING THE RWY ON THE R SIDE OF THE COMPLEX. WITH THE RELATIVELY DIM LIGHTS OF RWY 29 COMPARED TO THE OTHER RWYS, THE ARPT APPEARED TO HAVE 2 RWYS JUST LIKE BEFORE.

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.