Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 101.5; Flight Crew Total 1650; Flight Crew Type 290.5
Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Aircraft; Environment - Non Weather Related
During the flight; my left fuel transfer pump failed to activate and; consequently; did not transfer the fuel from my left nacelle/auxiliary tank to my left main tank. The right aux tank transferred fine. I calculated my fuel burn and concluded that I could land at COS with a little over an hour of fuel. I first tried to transfer the fuel after about 1 hour of flight. I spent the rest of the flight occasionally trying to transfer the fuel and re-calculating my fuel burn and fuel projection. As I approached Colorado Springs; the weather was clear and sunny. Immediately after Springs Approach cleared me for the visual and handed me off to Tower; and; as I was turning to the runway heading; my terrain warning activated. I scanned the area visually as I adjusted my power to ensure that my sink-rate was not too high. I then switched my display to the terrain view (away from the instrument chart that was showing my plane about to intercept the runway centerline) and checked the map for obstructions. Just as I was concluding that I was clear of terrain and verifying that the plane was descending appropriately; my TCAS traffic alert sounded and switched my screen to the dedicated traffic screen. I was able to rapidly conclude that there was no traffic threat. By this time; I was on my intended heading (runway corrected for cross-wind). As I was turning my full attention back to the runway centerline (which; unfortunately and unknown to me at this time; was the centerline of Taxiway C; the taxiway that is parallel to 17R); Tower gave me a 'Caution: wake turbulence' announcement for a C-130 landing on Runway 13. Since I was on short final for 17R and because the C-130 is one of the largest planes I know of; I became alarmed. I saw visions of my plane slamming into the ground when I was less than 50 FT off the ground. Immediately; I started scanning for the C-130. As I did; not only did I find it but I saw that there were no other aircraft; moving or parked; on the ground in the vicinity of my landing area or the C-130's landing area. Because of my concerns about wake turbulence; I decided to try and land short of the C-130's path. As I (wrongly) recalled; Runway 13 started to the right of 17R and crossed 17R about five hundred feet after 17R started. While I was wrong about this mental picture; I saw the same picture out of my windscreen; where 13 crosses Taxiway C. When I land in instrument conditions; I put the airport diagram and approach charts in my lap in case my panel proves unreliable. Because it was VMC; I did not prepare the same way as in IMC. Taxiway C is wide and long; just like the runways that I land on in other places. When I was on short final; I failed to realize that I was lined up on the taxiway. As I descended and when I was about fifty to eighty feet above the ground; I became aware that I was going to land on a taxiway. I confirmed that there were no planes on the taxiway or anywhere to be seen and that the taxiway was plenty long enough to land on. I decided not to go around as I was concerned about the fuel getting out of balance and having an engine fuel-starved at low altitude. I was also aware that my flying skills were not as sharp as they are usually given that I was about to land on the taxiway and that I have never done anything like this before. So; in order to maintain the safety of the flight; I set the airplane down gently. I rapidly decelerated while calling Tower to let them know where I was. To recap; I had no airport diagram in my lap; had no approach chart in my lap; was not in the 'I may have to go-around' mindset that I have in an IMC approach; was concerned about fuel levels; and did not think through the potential consequences of wake turbulence from an intersecting runway before arriving on short final. Going forward; I have learned to treat every landing like an instrument landing in IMC. This should help me be more prepared and more alert. I will also prepare for cross traffic landings andwake turbulence. In the earlier phases of flight; I can ask for an instrument approach which will help mitigate the terrain and traffic distractions. I sincerely regret my mistake. I am embarrassed and humiliated as I have always taken great pride in being an excellent pilot. Now; I will take great pride in learning from my very public mistake while I continue to pursue excellence in flight safety.
A pilot landed on COS Taxiway C because he was distracted by a fuel system transfer malfunction; a terrain warning during approach; and traffic landing on Runway 13.