Narrative:

I was the PF. It was the captain's first flight pairing after completing IOE. I am in my first yr of employment. Newark had encountered poor WX earlier in the day with low ceilings; poor visibility; and gusty winds. By the time of our arrival; the ceilings and visibility had improved but the wind remained a factor as it was approximately 270 degrees/25 KTS gusting 35 KTS. We briefed an ILS runway 22L prior to top of descent. With the wind additive; we agreed on a target speed of 140 KTS. Upon initial contact with ny approach control; we were assigned the ILS runway 22L circle to land runway 29. I told the captain I had never done this approach before. I looked for a charted procedure and there was none. The captain explained that he had done the approach before and that he would talk me through it. He gave me very good instructions for visual clues to line up with runway 29. I disconnected the autoplt at 3000 ft MSL/GS intercept and flew the aircraft to the runway 22L OM at 170 KTS assigned. At the OM; I turned off the flight director and flew the aircraft based on the instructions the captain had provided. At about 900 ft AGL; we were configured for landing and on speed. I was confused as to whether we were aligned with runway 29 and I asked the captain if the PAPI was on the left side of the runway. He said yes. I noticed I was high on the PAPI (4 white) so I pitched the nose over to get the proper glidepath. I was concerned about the short length of runway 29 and therefore was very focused on the proper speed and glidepath. Just prior to touchdown; the glare shield misted over with rain. I touched down with normal speed; pitch attitude; and sink rate. I did not notice we were on taxiway Z. The captain realized my mistake and immediately took control of the aircraft and brought it to a safe stop. If I had looked at the back side of the newark commercial chart; I would have realized the PAPI was on the right side of the runway. During the landing approach; I never noticed blue taxiway edge lights. Although I thought it unusual that I was aligning the aircraft with green centerline lights; it did not register in my mind that this was a taxiway. I remember thinking that there was no instrument approach to runway 29 and that perhaps the green lights were because aircraft sometimes use runway 29 for taxiing. The main cause of this taxiway landing was that it was nighttime and I was unfamiliar with the approach. I was also preoccupied with the short runway length and the importance of a proper vertical path with good speed and sink rate control. With the gusty/strong wind conditions; I was very focused on making the pitch and power adjustments to maintain the proper flight path. Although; I realized during the approach; that the visual clues did not look right; my preoccupation with the aforementioned factors caused me to land on a taxiway. Supplemental information from acn 715214: poor lighting on the taxiway/runway and non-standard placement of VASI system on the right side of the runway were contributing factors to the error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW WITH LIMITED COMBINED EXPERIENCE LAND ON PARALLEL TXWY VICE RWY 29 AT EWR FOLLOWING DIFFICULT CIRCLING APCH IN STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF. IT WAS THE CAPT'S FIRST FLT PAIRING AFTER COMPLETING IOE. I AM IN MY FIRST YR OF EMPLOYMENT. NEWARK HAD ENCOUNTERED POOR WX EARLIER IN THE DAY WITH LOW CEILINGS; POOR VISIBILITY; AND GUSTY WINDS. BY THE TIME OF OUR ARR; THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY HAD IMPROVED BUT THE WIND REMAINED A FACTOR AS IT WAS APPROX 270 DEGS/25 KTS GUSTING 35 KTS. WE BRIEFED AN ILS RWY 22L PRIOR TO TOP OF DSCNT. WITH THE WIND ADDITIVE; WE AGREED ON A TARGET SPD OF 140 KTS. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH NY APCH CTL; WE WERE ASSIGNED THE ILS RWY 22L CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 29. I TOLD THE CAPT I HAD NEVER DONE THIS APCH BEFORE. I LOOKED FOR A CHARTED PROC AND THERE WAS NONE. THE CAPT EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD DONE THE APCH BEFORE AND THAT HE WOULD TALK ME THROUGH IT. HE GAVE ME VERY GOOD INSTRUCTIONS FOR VISUAL CLUES TO LINE UP WITH RWY 29. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AT 3000 FT MSL/GS INTERCEPT AND FLEW THE ACFT TO THE RWY 22L OM AT 170 KTS ASSIGNED. AT THE OM; I TURNED OFF THE FLT DIRECTOR AND FLEW THE ACFT BASED ON THE INSTRUCTIONS THE CAPT HAD PROVIDED. AT ABOUT 900 FT AGL; WE WERE CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND ON SPD. I WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER WE WERE ALIGNED WITH RWY 29 AND I ASKED THE CAPT IF THE PAPI WAS ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. HE SAID YES. I NOTICED I WAS HIGH ON THE PAPI (4 WHITE) SO I PITCHED THE NOSE OVER TO GET THE PROPER GLIDEPATH. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHORT LENGTH OF RWY 29 AND THEREFORE WAS VERY FOCUSED ON THE PROPER SPD AND GLIDEPATH. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN; THE GLARE SHIELD MISTED OVER WITH RAIN. I TOUCHED DOWN WITH NORMAL SPD; PITCH ATTITUDE; AND SINK RATE. I DID NOT NOTICE WE WERE ON TXWY Z. THE CAPT REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND BROUGHT IT TO A SAFE STOP. IF I HAD LOOKED AT THE BACK SIDE OF THE NEWARK COMMERCIAL CHART; I WOULD HAVE REALIZED THE PAPI WAS ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. DURING THE LNDG APCH; I NEVER NOTICED BLUE TXWY EDGE LIGHTS. ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT IT UNUSUAL THAT I WAS ALIGNING THE ACFT WITH GREEN CTRLINE LIGHTS; IT DID NOT REGISTER IN MY MIND THAT THIS WAS A TXWY. I REMEMBER THINKING THAT THERE WAS NO INST APCH TO RWY 29 AND THAT PERHAPS THE GREEN LIGHTS WERE BECAUSE ACFT SOMETIMES USE RWY 29 FOR TAXIING. THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS TXWY LNDG WAS THAT IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE APCH. I WAS ALSO PREOCCUPIED WITH THE SHORT RWY LENGTH AND THE IMPORTANCE OF A PROPER VERT PATH WITH GOOD SPD AND SINK RATE CTL. WITH THE GUSTY/STRONG WIND CONDITIONS; I WAS VERY FOCUSED ON MAKING THE PITCH AND PWR ADJUSTMENTS TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER FLT PATH. ALTHOUGH; I REALIZED DURING THE APCH; THAT THE VISUAL CLUES DID NOT LOOK RIGHT; MY PREOCCUPATION WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED FACTORS CAUSED ME TO LAND ON A TXWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 715214: POOR LIGHTING ON THE TXWY/RWY AND NON-STANDARD PLACEMENT OF VASI SYS ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ERROR.

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.