Wrong pattern used for touch and go practice.

Attributes
ACN	105021
Time
Date	198902
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lvk
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1400 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lvk
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	105021
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Entered lvk traffic pattern from over sunol (southwest of airport). Cleared to land at lvk. Our base leg, requested 'the option' for touch and go practice. Tower cleared me for the option, runway 25R (at the time I was making left traffic runway 25R). After executing a normal approach and landing, I took off again, upwind, turned to a left crosswind to a left downwind. At the time tower was working several other aircraft in/coming into the pattern. At roughly abeam the tower (on left downwind) I began closing on another aircraft in the pattern and asked tower (advised them) of the closure and what did they want me to do? They stated they had told me right traffic. I said I had not heard that. They reiterated they had said right traffic, then told me to extend my left downwind they would call base. I do not recall they're telling me right traffic and I assumed (as at all the previous times at lvk) that left traffic was necessary. Incidentally, later on, on approach to 25L, cleared to land on short final (approximately 200' AGL), another aircraft in the pattern came from my 9 O'clock high position, landing 25L. Tower told the aircraft to go around and chastised him for landing out of sequence. I was told to sidestep to 25R, which I did, but had to also go around as runway was too short at that point. It seems the tower communication at lvk is lax and confusing, especially in light of the training aircraft frequently using the facility. Tower clearly saw me turn left traffic. Why they didn't call/advise me of conflict earlier is not clear. I listened to ATC clrncs very carefully. I'm not sure how this happened. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states runway 25L was not in use at his arrival and standard pattern with one runway in use is left hand. Reporter feels tower personnel were not aware of his left turn and should have been. Says lvk tower personnel are rather laid back and confusing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG PATTERN USED FOR TOUCH AND GO PRACTICE.

Narrative: ENTERED LVK TFC PATTERN FROM OVER SUNOL (SW OF ARPT). CLRED TO LAND AT LVK. OUR BASE LEG, REQUESTED 'THE OPTION' FOR TOUCH AND GO PRACTICE. TWR CLRED ME FOR THE OPTION, RWY 25R (AT THE TIME I WAS MAKING LEFT TFC RWY 25R). AFTER EXECUTING A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG, I TOOK OFF AGAIN, UPWIND, TURNED TO A LEFT XWIND TO A LEFT DOWNWIND. AT THE TIME TWR WAS WORKING SEVERAL OTHER ACFT IN/COMING INTO THE PATTERN. AT ROUGHLY ABEAM THE TWR (ON LEFT DOWNWIND) I BEGAN CLOSING ON ANOTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN AND ASKED TWR (ADVISED THEM) OF THE CLOSURE AND WHAT DID THEY WANT ME TO DO? THEY STATED THEY HAD TOLD ME RIGHT TFC. I SAID I HAD NOT HEARD THAT. THEY REITERATED THEY HAD SAID RIGHT TFC, THEN TOLD ME TO EXTEND MY LEFT DOWNWIND THEY WOULD CALL BASE. I DO NOT RECALL THEY'RE TELLING ME RIGHT TFC AND I ASSUMED (AS AT ALL THE PREVIOUS TIMES AT LVK) THAT LEFT TFC WAS NECESSARY. INCIDENTALLY, LATER ON, ON APCH TO 25L, CLRED TO LAND ON SHORT FINAL (APPROX 200' AGL), ANOTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN CAME FROM MY 9 O'CLOCK HIGH POS, LNDG 25L. TWR TOLD THE ACFT TO GO AROUND AND CHASTISED HIM FOR LNDG OUT OF SEQUENCE. I WAS TOLD TO SIDESTEP TO 25R, WHICH I DID, BUT HAD TO ALSO GO AROUND AS RWY WAS TOO SHORT AT THAT POINT. IT SEEMS THE TWR COM AT LVK IS LAX AND CONFUSING, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE TRNING ACFT FREQUENTLY USING THE FAC. TWR CLEARLY SAW ME TURN LEFT TFC. WHY THEY DIDN'T CALL/ADVISE ME OF CONFLICT EARLIER IS NOT CLEAR. I LISTENED TO ATC CLRNCS VERY CAREFULLY. I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS HAPPENED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES RWY 25L WAS NOT IN USE AT HIS ARR AND STANDARD PATTERN WITH ONE RWY IN USE IS LEFT HAND. RPTR FEELS TWR PERSONNEL WERE NOT AWARE OF HIS LEFT TURN AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN. SAYS LVK TWR PERSONNEL ARE RATHER LAID BACK AND CONFUSING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.