Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 2900; Flight Crew Type 200
Confusion; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Landing Without Clearance; Ground Incursion Runway
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Procedure
Flying VFR from the west into CHD (Chandler; AZ). Phoenix Approach handed me off to Chandler Tower; who advised me; as I copied; that I would be #2 to land on Runway 22R following another aircraft. If I remember correctly it was 'You're number two behind a Cessna on final...' Approaching the airport from the west (CHD has two parallel runways - 22L and 22R); 22R made sense to me. I identified the traffic ahead and followed it; landing on 22R after the Cessna was off the runway and Tower had cleared me to land. It was a normal landing; until on roll-out Tower advised me that I had landed on the wrong runway - if I remember correctly the Controller said I had been cleared to land on Runway 22L; not 22R. In any case; that would have put me on a different runway than the plane I had been instructed to follow. And remember; I was approaching from the west; so [Runway] 22R was logical and the assignment I thought I got. (Also I don't believe there was anyone else in the ATA at the time.)As I was taxiing off the runway I keyed the mike and apologized - saying this was my first time at the airport. The Tower Controller didn't respond; I switched to Ground and got clearance to taxi to my destination. But in thinking about it later; I decided to file this report to make a suggestion that might make this particular situation absolutely clear. If indeed I landed on the wrong runway; it was because I was told to follow the aircraft ahead and I'd be number 2 to land. In my 40 years of flying I have never been told to follow another aircraft ahead in the pattern if that aircraft was landing on a DIFFERENT runway than I had been be cleared for. So the suggestion: at an airport with parallel runways; if the Tower doesn't want the #2 plane to land on the same runway as the plane he's told to follow; it would be helpful to advise the #2 aircraft that it will NOT be the same runway that the plane he is following is landing on. As for me; in a parallel runway situation when told to follow an aircraft ahead; I will double-double-check my runway assignment on short final. Between Tower clarification and my double-check maybe there won't be any misunderstanding.
After being cleared to land; the pilot of a BE24R was informed by the Tower Controller that he had landed on the wrong runway. The reporter understood he was #2 and was to follow a Cessna on final; and did just that; landing on the same runway after the Cessna had cleared.