Narrative:

During a flight from chino airport to orange county airport in 3/89, between xa and xb pm, the following occurred: using a procedure I have used many times before, when near lake irvine, I called coast approach (el toro arsa, 121.3), reported type aircraft, altitude and requested landing, orange county. West/O any confirmation of radar contact, coast approach directed me to 'contact the tower on 126.8.' I contacted the tower as directed, reported my position as about 6 mi north and requested landing on 19L (19L is the GA and non jet runway that parallels the 19R ILS and jet runway). I expected to transferred to 119.9 (frequency used for 19L) but instead the controller directed me to 'turn right and proceed to mile square for full right approach to 19R.' before completing the right turn, the controller called and asked me 'do you see the large transport at your 3 O'clock?' my reply was, 'negative.' as I completed the turn and leveled out, I saw the large transport approximately 1/2 mi away and descending toward me. The controller directed the large transport to 'suspend your descent.' as I cleared the area straight ahead, the large transport continued his approach. No evasive action was required by either aircraft. I estimate vertical clearance to have been approximately 400-500' at 1/2 mi. I reported at milesquare, and at downwind for 19R. I was then directed over the airport to the 19L pattern (119.9). After landing the ground controller asked me to call him at the tower after tie down. During the phone conversation I asked the ground controller why the tower had me turn right, and I was told, 'he didn't know where you were.' I was also told that the large transport pilot reported the minimum clearance distance as 200'. Enclosed is an area sheet from the flight guide showing approximately positioning. The following are some thoughts on this occurrence: a) it appears that the arsa controller was too busy to locate me and handoff properly. B) given 'a)' above, I should have made sure the tower controller knew exactly where I was, instead of assuming what he knew. C) the tower controller (assuming he really did not know where I was) should not have given me directions to turn toward the 19R approach path. D) if an airport doesn't want GA traffic approaching from a certain direction, it should be spelled out in a procedure and published. My personal conclusion is that in the future, I will not just do as a controller directs until I have validated and rationalized the safety aspects in my own mind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF AN APCH THAT HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY CONFUSION IN LOCATION OF THE ACFT AND COM BETWEEN THE TWR AND THE ACFT A CONFLICT OCCURRED BETWEEN THE REPORTER AND AN LGT.

Narrative: DURING A FLT FROM CHINO ARPT TO ORANGE COUNTY ARPT IN 3/89, BTWN XA AND XB PM, THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED: USING A PROC I HAVE USED MANY TIMES BEFORE, WHEN NEAR LAKE IRVINE, I CALLED COAST APCH (EL TORO ARSA, 121.3), RPTED TYPE ACFT, ALT AND REQUESTED LNDG, ORANGE COUNTY. W/O ANY CONFIRMATION OF RADAR CONTACT, COAST APCH DIRECTED ME TO 'CONTACT THE TWR ON 126.8.' I CONTACTED THE TWR AS DIRECTED, RPTED MY POS AS ABOUT 6 MI N AND REQUESTED LNDG ON 19L (19L IS THE GA AND NON JET RWY THAT PARALLELS THE 19R ILS AND JET RWY). I EXPECTED TO TRANSFERRED TO 119.9 (FREQ USED FOR 19L) BUT INSTEAD THE CTLR DIRECTED ME TO 'TURN RIGHT AND PROCEED TO MILE SQUARE FOR FULL RIGHT APCH TO 19R.' BEFORE COMPLETING THE RIGHT TURN, THE CTLR CALLED AND ASKED ME 'DO YOU SEE THE LGT AT YOUR 3 O'CLOCK?' MY REPLY WAS, 'NEGATIVE.' AS I COMPLETED THE TURN AND LEVELED OUT, I SAW THE LGT APPROX 1/2 MI AWAY AND DSNDING TOWARD ME. THE CTLR DIRECTED THE LGT TO 'SUSPEND YOUR DSCNT.' AS I CLRED THE AREA STRAIGHT AHEAD, THE LGT CONTINUED HIS APCH. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED BY EITHER ACFT. I ESTIMATE VERTICAL CLRNC TO HAVE BEEN APPROX 400-500' AT 1/2 MI. I RPTED AT MILESQUARE, AND AT DOWNWIND FOR 19R. I WAS THEN DIRECTED OVER THE ARPT TO THE 19L PATTERN (119.9). AFTER LNDG THE GND CTLR ASKED ME TO CALL HIM AT THE TWR AFTER TIE DOWN. DURING THE PHONE CONVERSATION I ASKED THE GND CTLR WHY THE TWR HAD ME TURN RIGHT, AND I WAS TOLD, 'HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE.' I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE LGT PLT RPTED THE MINIMUM CLRNC DISTANCE AS 200'. ENCLOSED IS AN AREA SHEET FROM THE FLT GUIDE SHOWING APPROX POSITIONING. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS OCCURRENCE: A) IT APPEARS THAT THE ARSA CTLR WAS TOO BUSY TO LOCATE ME AND HDOF PROPERLY. B) GIVEN 'A)' ABOVE, I SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE THE TWR CTLR KNEW EXACTLY WHERE I WAS, INSTEAD OF ASSUMING WHAT HE KNEW. C) THE TWR CTLR (ASSUMING HE REALLY DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS) SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN ME DIRECTIONS TO TURN TOWARD THE 19R APCH PATH. D) IF AN ARPT DOESN'T WANT GA TFC APCHING FROM A CERTAIN DIRECTION, IT SHOULD BE SPELLED OUT IN A PROC AND PUBLISHED. MY PERSONAL CONCLUSION IS THAT IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT JUST DO AS A CTLR DIRECTS UNTIL I HAVE VALIDATED AND RATIONALIZED THE SAFETY ASPECTS IN MY OWN MIND.

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.