Narrative:

In the late afternoon aug/fri/04, a student pilot and I were approaching to land at gabreski (fok) from the southeast. The tower controller cleared us for a left downwind for runway 19. At this point we were heading into the direction of the setting sun at approximately 1200 ft MSL. I thought we were in position for a standard pattern for runway 19. At the abeam position for the runway, which I thought was runway 19, was actually runway 15. Due to the glare from the sun I was unable to read the numbers clearly on the runway. At this point I began a normal descent for landing. When I was on final the controller called to say he had lost visual contact with our aircraft, and asked our position. I responded with we are on final. He then asked if we had crossed over 'the highway.' looking down I saw that we had crossed a highway and were now about short final. The controller then said: land and hold short of runway 24 for a hawker about to touch down. I then responded acknowledging his request. Once we had come to a complete stop he advised me that he had cleared us to land on runway 19 and that we had just landed on runway 15 by mistake and told us to follow the hawker to the ramp and park. As soon as the aircraft was secured I went inside the FBO and called gabreski tower to apologize and explain my mistake. I told him that with the glare I couldn't see the numbers on the runway and that my directional gyroscope was not correctly lined up with the magnetic compass (it was indicating approximately 165 degrees on final). That was the extent of the conversation between the tower and myself following the incident. I feel that this was an honest mistake and that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent the incident. I think the controller assumed that I was familiar with the airport, when in fact it was the first time I have ever been there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT MAKES AN APCH TO RWY 15 WHEN CLRED TO RWY 19 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24 AT FOK. TWR DISCOVERS THE ERROR WHEN THE PA28 STOPS ON RWY 15.

Narrative: IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AUG/FRI/04, A STUDENT PLT AND I WERE APCHING TO LAND AT GABRESKI (FOK) FROM THE SE. THE TWR CTLR CLRED US FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19. AT THIS POINT WE WERE HDG INTO THE DIRECTION OF THE SETTING SUN AT APPROX 1200 FT MSL. I THOUGHT WE WERE IN POS FOR A STANDARD PATTERN FOR RWY 19. AT THE ABEAM POS FOR THE RWY, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS RWY 19, WAS ACTUALLY RWY 15. DUE TO THE GLARE FROM THE SUN I WAS UNABLE TO READ THE NUMBERS CLRLY ON THE RWY. AT THIS POINT I BEGAN A NORMAL DSCNT FOR LNDG. WHEN I WAS ON FINAL THE CTLR CALLED TO SAY HE HAD LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH OUR ACFT, AND ASKED OUR POS. I RESPONDED WITH WE ARE ON FINAL. HE THEN ASKED IF WE HAD CROSSED OVER 'THE HWY.' LOOKING DOWN I SAW THAT WE HAD CROSSED A HWY AND WERE NOW ABOUT SHORT FINAL. THE CTLR THEN SAID: LAND AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24 FOR A HAWKER ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN. I THEN RESPONDED ACKNOWLEDGING HIS REQUEST. ONCE WE HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP HE ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 19 AND THAT WE HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 15 BY MISTAKE AND TOLD US TO FOLLOW THE HAWKER TO THE RAMP AND PARK. AS SOON AS THE ACFT WAS SECURED I WENT INSIDE THE FBO AND CALLED GABRESKI TWR TO APOLOGIZE AND EXPLAIN MY MISTAKE. I TOLD HIM THAT WITH THE GLARE I COULDN'T SEE THE NUMBERS ON THE RWY AND THAT MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE WAS NOT CORRECTLY LINED UP WITH THE MAGNETIC COMPASS (IT WAS INDICATING APPROX 165 DEGS ON FINAL). THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF THE CONVERSATION BTWN THE TWR AND MYSELF FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT. I FEEL THAT THIS WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THE INCIDENT. I THINK THE CTLR ASSUMED THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, WHEN IN FACT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER BEEN THERE.

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.