Pbi ground controller witnessed aircraft land on taxiway left in lieu of assigned runway 27L.

Attributes
ACN	683377
Time
Date	200601
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pbi.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 17
ASRS Report	683377
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was working the ground control position at west palm beach international airport when I observed an aircraft land on taxiway left. The aircraft was idented as a C172; on a VFR flight plan. Aircraft X had been cleared by local control to land on runway 27L. Taxiway left is parallel to runway 9R/27L. There were no aircraft taxiing on taxiway left at the time of the incident. When local control switched communications to ground control; the pilot seemed completely unaware that he had landed on a taxiway. At the time of the incident; the runway 27L reils were operating and the portion of the ATIS warning arriving aircraft to be alert for runway markings; was being broadcasted. This is the second time within a yr that I have observed this occur on this taxiway. The previous incident occurred when a small private aircraft; cleared to land on runway 9R; landed on taxiway left.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PBI GND CTLR WITNESSED ACFT LAND ON TXWY L IN LIEU OF ASSIGNED RWY 27L.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE GND CTL POS AT WEST PALM BEACH INTL ARPT WHEN I OBSERVED AN ACFT LAND ON TXWY L. THE ACFT WAS IDENTED AS A C172; ON A VFR FLT PLAN. ACFT X HAD BEEN CLRED BY LCL CTL TO LAND ON RWY 27L. TXWY L IS PARALLEL TO RWY 9R/27L. THERE WERE NO ACFT TAXIING ON TXWY L AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. WHEN LCL CTL SWITCHED COMS TO GND CTL; THE PLT SEEMED COMPLETELY UNAWARE THAT HE HAD LANDED ON A TXWY. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT; THE RWY 27L REILS WERE OPERATING AND THE PORTION OF THE ATIS WARNING ARRIVING ACFT TO BE ALERT FOR RWY MARKINGS; WAS BEING BROADCASTED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WITHIN A YR THAT I HAVE OBSERVED THIS OCCUR ON THIS TXWY. THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN A SMALL PVT ACFT; CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 9R; LANDED ON TXWY L.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.