Narrative:

I was attempting to fly from roc to N07. I had checked the WX many times that day with FSS. I chose to fly VFR because the MEA of IFR was above the freezing level. I chose a VFR route that would keep me out of the mountains. Prior to departure from roc, I had checked the ATIS. The ATIS said the ceiling was 2100 ft. This was a little lower than what I had hoped for, but still ok for VFR. I called for clearance, arranged for flight following, received a squawk code, and prepared for departure. I departed runway 25. I turned on course at about 400 ft AGL and I found myself immediately in the bottom of the clouds. The bottoms of the clouds were all around me and below me. I still had a good view of the ground, though, while I was at 500 ft AGL. This view was straight down. I started an immediate descent, called the tower, and informed them that I needed to land right away. While I was speaking to them, I was more or less paralleling runway 28, on a l-hand downwind. They told me I was cleared to land on runway 25, and informed me that it was off of my left wing. They asked me if I saw the runway. I responded that I did. I saw the runway, but what I was looking at was runway 28. In roc, the runways are laid out in a different manner than what I have seen before. Runway 28 is bigger, and more obvious. Runway 25 is smaller, and might be mistaken for a taxiway. I came around for the runway and made a landing. I don't remember looking at runway 25. While rolling out, the controller asked me to hold short of a taxiway having a boeing on it, and I did. After the boeing moved, I was taxied in, and the controller asked me if I knew I had landed on the wrong runway. I informed him that I did not. He then proceeded to give me a phone number to call. My perception, which was faulty, was that I was cleared to land on the runway just to my left. My perception did not adequately address the issue of which runway. This perception was buttressed when the tower controller informed me that I was cleared to land on the runway to my left. What I should have heard was that I was cleared to land on a specific runway, and made sure that I landed on the right one by verifying heading on the directional gyro. What interfered with my judgement was my ill wife, the sudden loss of what I thought was an adequate ceiling, the sudden disappointment of not being able to go home, the tower controller informing me that I was cleared to the runway on my left, and finally, the way runway 25 seems to hide among the txwys of the airport, not looking like a runway at all, but a taxiway. In my defense, the controller knew I was in emergent circumstances, I did see that the runway was empty so I could see and avoid, and I did want to avoid entering the clouds without a clearance. I did not know if there was IFR traffic in the clouds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT LANDS ON THE WRONG RWY AT ROC.

Narrative: I WAS ATTEMPTING TO FLY FROM ROC TO N07. I HAD CHKED THE WX MANY TIMES THAT DAY WITH FSS. I CHOSE TO FLY VFR BECAUSE THE MEA OF IFR WAS ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL. I CHOSE A VFR RTE THAT WOULD KEEP ME OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS. PRIOR TO DEP FROM ROC, I HAD CHKED THE ATIS. THE ATIS SAID THE CEILING WAS 2100 FT. THIS WAS A LITTLE LOWER THAN WHAT I HAD HOPED FOR, BUT STILL OK FOR VFR. I CALLED FOR CLRNC, ARRANGED FOR FLT FOLLOWING, RECEIVED A SQUAWK CODE, AND PREPARED FOR DEP. I DEPARTED RWY 25. I TURNED ON COURSE AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL AND I FOUND MYSELF IMMEDIATELY IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUDS. THE BOTTOMS OF THE CLOUDS WERE ALL AROUND ME AND BELOW ME. I STILL HAD A GOOD VIEW OF THE GND, THOUGH, WHILE I WAS AT 500 FT AGL. THIS VIEW WAS STRAIGHT DOWN. I STARTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT, CALLED THE TWR, AND INFORMED THEM THAT I NEEDED TO LAND RIGHT AWAY. WHILE I WAS SPEAKING TO THEM, I WAS MORE OR LESS PARALLELING RWY 28, ON A L-HAND DOWNWIND. THEY TOLD ME I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 25, AND INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS OFF OF MY L WING. THEY ASKED ME IF I SAW THE RWY. I RESPONDED THAT I DID. I SAW THE RWY, BUT WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT WAS RWY 28. IN ROC, THE RWYS ARE LAID OUT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN WHAT I HAVE SEEN BEFORE. RWY 28 IS BIGGER, AND MORE OBVIOUS. RWY 25 IS SMALLER, AND MIGHT BE MISTAKEN FOR A TXWY. I CAME AROUND FOR THE RWY AND MADE A LNDG. I DON'T REMEMBER LOOKING AT RWY 25. WHILE ROLLING OUT, THE CTLR ASKED ME TO HOLD SHORT OF A TXWY HAVING A BOEING ON IT, AND I DID. AFTER THE BOEING MOVED, I WAS TAXIED IN, AND THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I KNEW I HAD LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY. I INFORMED HIM THAT I DID NOT. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO GIVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. MY PERCEPTION, WHICH WAS FAULTY, WAS THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON THE RWY JUST TO MY L. MY PERCEPTION DID NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF WHICH RWY. THIS PERCEPTION WAS BUTTRESSED WHEN THE TWR CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON THE RWY TO MY L. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE HEARD WAS THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON A SPECIFIC RWY, AND MADE SURE THAT I LANDED ON THE RIGHT ONE BY VERIFYING HDG ON THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO. WHAT INTERFERED WITH MY JUDGEMENT WAS MY ILL WIFE, THE SUDDEN LOSS OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN ADEQUATE CEILING, THE SUDDEN DISAPPOINTMENT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO GO HOME, THE TWR CTLR INFORMING ME THAT I WAS CLRED TO THE RWY ON MY L, AND FINALLY, THE WAY RWY 25 SEEMS TO HIDE AMONG THE TXWYS OF THE ARPT, NOT LOOKING LIKE A RWY AT ALL, BUT A TXWY. IN MY DEFENSE, THE CTLR KNEW I WAS IN EMERGENT CIRCUMSTANCES, I DID SEE THAT THE RWY WAS EMPTY SO I COULD SEE AND AVOID, AND I DID WANT TO AVOID ENTERING THE CLOUDS WITHOUT A CLRNC. I DID NOT KNOW IF THERE WAS IFR TFC IN THE CLOUDS.

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.