Narrative:

Checking out in tailwheel aircraft, practice lndgs with instructor on grass runway at ZZZ. Received ATIS and contacted ZZZ unicom for runway information. First landing on runway 35 uneventful. Pwred parachutes and operator noted on ground with dismantled machine clear of right edge of runway 35. Supplemental information from acn 589011: pwred parachutes working on adjacent portion of grass runway. Continuation of narrative acn 589013: on second landing a high approach was made to runway 35 to practice slipping approach in a tailwheel aircraft. After lining up on final for runway 35, I (student) was concentrating on getting the feel of a slip in this aircraft which was new to me. Near end of slip I noted to the instructor that 'the paraglider guy has moved across the runway to the left side.' slip was discontinued and power added to land beyond the location of the pwred parachutes and operator -- now on the left side of the aircraft and about 1/3 the way down runway 35. Instructor and student noted black/white runway markers on the left of the aircraft while watching the pwred parachutes. Safe landing accomplished beyond pwred parachutes. During rollout instructor noted that we had landed to the right of the marked runway. While concentrating on the slipping approach and the 'changing' position of the pwred parachute operator, the aircraft drifted to the right of the marked runway. (The pwred parachute operator had not moved at all!) since both pilots were looking out the left side of the aircraft, we failed to notice the absence of black/white runway markers to the right of the aircraft. We inadvertently had landed beside the marked runway rather than on the runway turf. The landing surface was identical in this case, but an accident could have resulted had the runway berm been soft or rutted. Contributing factors: 1) PIC with few recent hours. 2) PIC new to type -- although had many tailwheel hours many yrs ago. 3) PIC new to this airport. 4) training maneuver on short final distraction both pilots. 5) mowed grass field was symmetrically divided into 1/3 left berm 1/3 runway 35, 1/3 right berm -- all identical dimensions, grass length, color and texture. Corrective actions: 1) don't train at unfamiliar airports. 2) don't get distraction from the task at hand -- landing, if pwred parachute was a distraction we should have gone around! 3) instructors -- always watch your student, they will do stupid things! Students -- always watch your instructor, they don't always catch your stupid mistakes!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR PLTS OF BL8, DISTR BY SLIPPING ALT LOSS PRACTICE DURING LNDG MANEUVER, LANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE MARKED GRASS LNDG STRIP AT SPF.

Narrative: CHKING OUT IN TAILWHEEL ACFT, PRACTICE LNDGS WITH INSTRUCTOR ON GRASS RWY AT ZZZ. RECEIVED ATIS AND CONTACTED ZZZ UNICOM FOR RWY INFO. FIRST LNDG ON RWY 35 UNEVENTFUL. PWRED PARACHUTES AND OPERATOR NOTED ON GND WITH DISMANTLED MACHINE CLR OF R EDGE OF RWY 35. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 589011: PWRED PARACHUTES WORKING ON ADJACENT PORTION OF GRASS RWY. CONTINUATION OF NARRATIVE ACN 589013: ON SECOND LNDG A HIGH APCH WAS MADE TO RWY 35 TO PRACTICE SLIPPING APCH IN A TAILWHEEL ACFT. AFTER LINING UP ON FINAL FOR RWY 35, I (STUDENT) WAS CONCENTRATING ON GETTING THE FEEL OF A SLIP IN THIS ACFT WHICH WAS NEW TO ME. NEAR END OF SLIP I NOTED TO THE INSTRUCTOR THAT 'THE PARAGLIDER GUY HAS MOVED ACROSS THE RWY TO THE L SIDE.' SLIP WAS DISCONTINUED AND PWR ADDED TO LAND BEYOND THE LOCATION OF THE PWRED PARACHUTES AND OPERATOR -- NOW ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND ABOUT 1/3 THE WAY DOWN RWY 35. INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT NOTED BLACK/WHITE RWY MARKERS ON THE L OF THE ACFT WHILE WATCHING THE PWRED PARACHUTES. SAFE LNDG ACCOMPLISHED BEYOND PWRED PARACHUTES. DURING ROLLOUT INSTRUCTOR NOTED THAT WE HAD LANDED TO THE R OF THE MARKED RWY. WHILE CONCENTRATING ON THE SLIPPING APCH AND THE 'CHANGING' POS OF THE PWRED PARACHUTE OPERATOR, THE ACFT DRIFTED TO THE R OF THE MARKED RWY. (THE PWRED PARACHUTE OPERATOR HAD NOT MOVED AT ALL!) SINCE BOTH PLTS WERE LOOKING OUT THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT, WE FAILED TO NOTICE THE ABSENCE OF BLACK/WHITE RWY MARKERS TO THE R OF THE ACFT. WE INADVERTENTLY HAD LANDED BESIDE THE MARKED RWY RATHER THAN ON THE RWY TURF. THE LNDG SURFACE WAS IDENTICAL IN THIS CASE, BUT AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED HAD THE RWY BERM BEEN SOFT OR RUTTED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) PIC WITH FEW RECENT HRS. 2) PIC NEW TO TYPE -- ALTHOUGH HAD MANY TAILWHEEL HRS MANY YRS AGO. 3) PIC NEW TO THIS ARPT. 4) TRAINING MANEUVER ON SHORT FINAL DISTR BOTH PLTS. 5) MOWED GRASS FIELD WAS SYMMETRICALLY DIVIDED INTO 1/3 L BERM 1/3 RWY 35, 1/3 R BERM -- ALL IDENTICAL DIMENSIONS, GRASS LENGTH, COLOR AND TEXTURE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) DON'T TRAIN AT UNFAMILIAR ARPTS. 2) DON'T GET DISTR FROM THE TASK AT HAND -- LNDG, IF PWRED PARACHUTE WAS A DISTR WE SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND! 3) INSTRUCTORS -- ALWAYS WATCH YOUR STUDENT, THEY WILL DO STUPID THINGS! STUDENTS -- ALWAYS WATCH YOUR INSTRUCTOR, THEY DON'T ALWAYS CATCH YOUR STUPID MISTAKES!

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.