Lined up on the wrong runway today

Morgan3820

Morgan3820

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El Conquistador
Took the family for a sightseeing trip today. Back home, got cleared for runway 4, lined up for 14. I caught my mistake at 700 ft. agl. Notified the controller who gave me the option to land on 14 (winds were calm). On the ground I called the tower and they were ok with it, but still. Fortunately, my airport has light traffic and no one else was in the pattern.

Can someone please tell me that I am not the only one who has done this?
 
My first time into KSAV, I got cornfused. KSAV has RWY 1 and RWY 10. I was cleared to land RWY 1 and was heading for 10, the controller and I sorted it out, left me feeling like an idiot… and the airport was busy that day.
 
I've done it, too. Ft Lauderdale in the 90's. Felt like a (dangerous) idiot. Did not get in trouble. Glad it worried out ok for you, too
 
bartmc said:
My first time into KSAV, I got cornfused. KSAV has RWY 1 and RWY 10. I was cleared to land RWY 1 and was heading for 10, the controller and I sorted it out, left me feeling like an idiot… and the airport was busy that day.
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Done the same thing at SAV before. The RWY 1 & 10 can be confusing if you're coming back to land after a long XC. Done it on the ground before as well. Caught my mistakes both times before it got out of hand.
 
Thanks all, I feel a little better. But now apprehensive about going to KSAV. Savannah is top on my wife's list of places to fly to
 
I did that on my first solo cross country and landed on the wrong runway. This was in 1970 and no one got too uptight about it.


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bartmc said:
If you know that it's easy to screw up 1 vs 10, you won't screw it up :D
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The one I screwed up on, and the one I am extra careful with, is runway 2 or 20. KHVN.

To the OP: File a NASA report. It doesn't sound like they filed paperwork on you but the NASA report is more about finding out how we as pilots or controllers screw up, than the proverbial get out of jail free aspect.

-Skip
 
bartmc said:
My first time into KSAV, I got cornfused. KSAV has RWY 1 and RWY 10. I was cleared to land RWY 1 and was heading for 10, the controller and I sorted it out, left me feeling like an idiot… and the airport was busy that day.
Click to expand...

It was much easier before they needed to renumber the runways - and it was N/S/E/W at KSAV . . .
 
Sometimes I create a lot of radio noise confirming and reconfirming runway and crossing assignments at KHWO. 01R and 01L and 10R and 10L - confusing, you know. Heard some interesting variations there "runway Uno-left, cross one-zero left and one-zero-right.."
 
If you lined up on the wrong runway because you heard 14 instead of 4 there's not much you can do about that other than ask for verification if you are not sure what you heard. If you simply got a little disoriented and lined up on the wrong runaway, live and learn but know there are aids out there than can help you quickly sort this out if you need a little help. Most of the major Apps like Foreflight and WingX have runway extension with clearly marked runway identifiers which will help you avoid this type of mistake. Most of the portable GPS's from Garmin also have this feature. If this is just a mistake and you typically don't have problems identifying runways even at unfamiliar airports then don't sweat it. It's happened to many of us.


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Kelvin said:
This is the mistake the commuter made in Kentucky...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comair_Flight_5191

I have a habit of pushing the heading bug once I line up on centerline and comparing that to the runway number.
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Good habit.

I'd love to say I'd never lined up for the wrong runway, but then again, I'd be happy to know my spoor smells sweet. Neither true. It happens, learn and move on.

Indeed, I might even admit the possibility of having briefly confused which airport I was looking at... From the air! :D
 
Not me...yet...

But I was right seat once when our corporate pilot landed on the wrong runway at KC downtown (MKC). Cleared for 01---landed on 03. Controller caught it on short final and cleared us to land on 03.

The moral of the story; it happens even to pros.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Took the family for a sightseeing trip today. Back home, got cleared for runway 4, lined up for 14. I caught my mistake at 700 ft. agl. Notified the controller who gave me the option to land on 14 (winds were calm). On the ground I called the tower and they were ok with it, but still. Fortunately, my airport has light traffic and no one else was in the pattern.

Can someone please tell me that I am not the only one who has done this?
Click to expand...

Yep, you are the only one. :rolleyes: :no:

This is a good lesson about taking passengers and trying very hard to make their trip enjoyable, and diverting your attention from flying. Happens to all of us. Make sure you know where your priorities should be focused. Nuff said.
 
I did it a few weeks ago at night flying into the parallel runways at CMH, and I was flying an extremely low fast tight base to avoid potentially conflicting traffic (made a couple mistakes doing this as well). I felt like a complete idiot but with the controller's help was able to quickly salvage the approach. That airport looks like not much in a sea of city lights - was an awesome learning experience to trust my 10,000 onboard GPSs and patiently wait for the localizer when on a visual approach to parallel runways.

It was my first solo IFR flight plan too. Live and learn. The controller sounded more disappointed than upset.
 
I had ATC line me up for the wrong runway at an adjacent airport. The tower operators figured it out and took care of it. Was on an IFR flight plan.
 
ChrisK said:
I did it a few weeks ago at night flying into the parallel runways at CMH, and I was flying an extremely low fast tight base to avoid potentially conflicting traffic (made a couple mistakes doing this as well). I felt like a complete idiot but with the controller's help was able to quickly salvage the approach. That airport looks like not much in a sea of city lights - was an awesome learning experience to trust my 10,000 onboard GPSs and patiently wait for the localizer when on a visual approach to parallel runways.
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Ha! Yes, I flew into CMH in September, was given the ILS 28L (I think L) but still made sure I could identify the parallel runway before committing to land. Still, those parallels are quite far apart at CMH... I can see how it could happen though, coming in on base.

It's a little embarrassing to admit, but my first landing at CMH a few years back I was cleared to land on 10R, but lined up at first on the parallel taxiway. No one said anything and I corrected my error early on, but still... :redface:
 
azure said:
Ha! Yes, I flew into CMH in September, was given the ILS 28L (I think L) but still made sure I could identify the parallel runway before committing to land. Still, those parallels are quite far apart at CMH... I can see how it could happen though, coming in on base.

It's a little embarrassing to admit, but my first landing at CMH a few years back I was cleared to land on 10R, but lined up at first on the parallel taxiway. No one said anything and I corrected my error early on, but still... :redface:
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Yeah I have had no problem coming in during the day, but at night close in 90 degrees to the airport..... Yikes.
 
some tricks i use that might be helpful are setting the heading bug to the runway heading, using one of your VOR's and setting the runway heading on the OBS, if the runway your using has an ILS, dial in the frequency and make sure your on the right course
 
Solo cross country to Galveston KGLS, was cleared straight-in, land runway 18....lined up, short final,
controller asked me, "Is the runway your landing on 'black'?"...
me nervously, "yes"...
controller, "you need the grey runway, but thats 'ok', cleared to land runway 14".
 
Morgan3820 said:
Took the family for a sightseeing trip today. Back home, got cleared for runway 4, lined up for 14. I caught my mistake at 700 ft. agl. Notified the controller who gave me the option to land on 14 (winds were calm). On the ground I called the tower and they were ok with it, but still. Fortunately, my airport has light traffic and no one else was in the pattern.

Can someone please tell me that I am not the only one who has done this?
Click to expand...

Nope, the guys in Lexington did the same thing, killed em all except the FO IIRC.
 
I bug the departure runway.

On arrivals I load the approach even day VFR on multiple runway airports and follow the line. Saved me a couple of times. Just do something simple like the RNAV with Vectors so the GPS draws a straight line to final.
 
I was taught to bug everything when you have a bug. I don't have a bug. ;)

Can't say I've ever lined up for the wrong thing. Knock on wood.

I do tend to like to always look at the airport diagram carefully for anyplace I'm going. Can't say that's always been the reason for my good "luck" but I've certainly found some things on the diagram that made me pause and think, "That's a little tricky."

I've also never been shy to say that I'm unfamiliar with the airport to controllers. Listening to lost pilots on LiveATC is painful when you know if they'd just say something they'd get all the help in the world at a controlled field.

"Request Progressive Taxi" could fix at least 80% of the recordings and actual live lost pilots I've heard over the years.
 
Kelvin said:
I have a habit of pushing the heading bug once I line up on centerline and comparing that to the runway number.
Click to expand...

I will spin my heading bug upon runway assignment to the runway number as a double check.
 
So I was taxiing along headed for the active runway, 20. Some old geezer that sounded like he had Alzheimer's in a Tri Pacer called for taxi as well.

I got to 20 and was doing my run up. I heard on tower "Tri Pacer is ready for takeoff."

Tower responds "Do you know which runway you happen to be positioned at?"

"Um... yeah, 20!"

"Nooooooo. You happen to be sitting at 34."

"Ummmm..... ok."

"Tri Pacer XXX you are cleared to depart on runway 34."

Sac Arrow: "Arrow XXX is ready to depart 20."

"Which direction would you like?"

"What direction is the Tri Pacer headed?"

"He appears to be going North East."

"I'll do a South West departure then."

"I don't blame you. You're cleared for takeoff."
 
Morgan3820 said:
Can someone please tell me that I am not the only one who has done this?
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Nope .. you're not alone. I did it as a student pilot on one of my early cross countries at KSUX. Tower asked if I wanted an intersection departure (Cessna 150) and I said ok and then left on the wrong runway. Was a nice lesson on verifying the runway with the compass.
Tower told me I used the wrong one .. said not to worry about it. I always made sure they knew I was a student so they'd watch for anything dumb I was about to do.

RT
 
Sac Arrow said:
So I was taxiing along headed for the active runway, 20. Some old geezer that sounded like he had Alzheimer's in a Tri Pacer called for taxi as well.

I got to 20 and was doing my run up. I heard on tower "Tri Pacer is ready for takeoff."

Tower responds "Do you know which runway you happen to be positioned at?"

"Um... yeah, 20!"

"Nooooooo. You happen to be sitting at 34."

"Ummmm..... ok."

"Tri Pacer XXX you are cleared to depart on runway 34."

Sac Arrow: "Arrow XXX is ready to depart 20."

"Which direction would you like?"

"What direction is the Tri Pacer headed?"

"He appears to be going North East."

"I'll do a South West departure then."

"I don't blame you. You're cleared for takeoff."
Click to expand...

To do that, he would have to have turned right instead of left from the terminal, and pretty much reversed all the right/left instructions. Given that, going the opposite direction was probably the wrong choice….

To be fair, KSAC is a friggin' maze if you've never been there before. I got cleared to taxi on B (then M, cross 16 and 12), but headed straight for A. I did know where 20 was, though.
 
Flying VFR only, I bug the runway in use too. As I have at least a VOR onboard, I use the OBS if I dont have bug on the heading indicator.
It's not 100% bulletproof, but it's a good help. Another good trick is to stick a post-it on the instrument panel with runway in use and traffic patern altitude. I've seen that in some airlines cockpit. If it works for them, it can be OK for us GA pilots.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
alright. what are bugs?
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( shamelessly lifted from somewhere via Google... )

The orange thing at top left on the DG. You move it with the knob at bottom right. It stays at that location on the compass card as the aircraft turns.

vadegepa.jpg


Put the bug on the runway heading prior to landing. If it's not at the top of the instrument on final, you're lined up for the wrong runway.
 
Look at your heading indicator to make sure you're lined up on the approximate correct magnetic heading +/10* for what the runway should be (runway 10=100 heading; runway 34=340 heading; runway 22=220 heading)


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As a low time pilot, I just did this a few weeks ago.

We have 13R, 13L, 31R, 31L (joy...). I caught it just before turning base to final for 13R after the controller had directed me to report base for 31L. Brain fart mainly - controller was irritated, but he let it slide since I had probably woke him up from a nap (airport is pretty quiet). Felt like a total idiot and unsafe pilot, and was pretty down on myself for a few weeks afterward.

What helped me out of my funk was a tip a CFI gave me related to the heading bug mentioned above, but with a slight different variation.

He suggested using the DG (and bug) to "visualize" the runway angle. Basically, look at the appropriate heading line on the DG and the angle it is making relative to horizontal. That angle should roughly match the angle the corresponding runway makes relative to the horizon.

Really not that different that what others have said, but it has helped give me better runway awareness from farther away from the airport. Now before I even get near the pattern I have a pretty clear visual of what the intended runway(s) will "look" like (the angle) and helps me see the entry and pattern I will fly for the runway that gets called.
 
Perezhr said:
Most of the major Apps like Foreflight and WingX have runway extension with clearly marked runway identifiers which will help you avoid this type of mistake. Most of the portable GPS's from Garmin also have this feature.
Click to expand...

WingX Pro7 does more to help prevent such incidents - when you are lined up with a runway (or close to lining up), WingX Pro7 will show you which runway you are lining up with as well as the descent rate to that runway's TDZ; together with the runway extensions and the distance to the airport this provides sufficient information (IMHO) to never land on the wrong runway and/or at the wrong airport.

Hilton
 
BTDT and see pilots I fly with do it all the time. It happens.
 
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