Small aircraft without transponder, approach unable to identify, tower unable to locate. Pilot disoriented, but finally identified by tower and set up for approach and landing at mem.

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Attributes
ACN	117866
Time
Date	198907
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mgm
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mgm tower : mgm
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 305 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	117866
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departing dhn and was advised by cairns approach control that my transponder had failed. Proceeded to mgm and contacted approach with transponder failure report. ATC unable to contact on radar. Offered position reports with DME/radial fix. ATC still unable to find me on radar. ATC told me to contact tower after I reported field in sight. Tower unable to find me (visually) and instructed me to squawk XXXX and identify. I advised transponder failure. They assigned a heading and 2 traffic advisories. Request made by tower to report left midfield downwind runway 9. My position was 4 mi southeast of the field. Additional traffic advisories were issued for departing aircraft which I could not find. I eventually got off my assigned heading which led to disorientation of my position, through all of the heading assignments and traffic advisories. Tower finally located me visually and set me up on a right downwind for runway 9, then base leg, and final. They advised me they had to steer another aircraft away from me, which I never saw.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA WITHOUT TRANSPONDER, APCH UNABLE TO IDENTIFY, TWR UNABLE TO LOCATE. PLT DISORIENTED, BUT FINALLY IDENTIFIED BY TWR AND SET UP FOR APCH AND LNDG AT MEM.

Narrative: DEPARTING DHN AND WAS ADVISED BY CAIRNS APCH CTL THAT MY XPONDER HAD FAILED. PROCEEDED TO MGM AND CONTACTED APCH WITH XPONDER FAILURE RPT. ATC UNABLE TO CONTACT ON RADAR. OFFERED POS RPTS WITH DME/RADIAL FIX. ATC STILL UNABLE TO FIND ME ON RADAR. ATC TOLD ME TO CONTACT TWR AFTER I RPTED FIELD IN SIGHT. TWR UNABLE TO FIND ME (VISUALLY) AND INSTRUCTED ME TO SQUAWK XXXX AND IDENT. I ADVISED XPONDER FAILURE. THEY ASSIGNED A HDG AND 2 TFC ADVISORIES. REQUEST MADE BY TWR TO RPT LEFT MIDFIELD DOWNWIND RWY 9. MY POS WAS 4 MI SE OF THE FIELD. ADDITIONAL TFC ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED FOR DEPARTING ACFT WHICH I COULD NOT FIND. I EVENTUALLY GOT OFF MY ASSIGNED HDG WHICH LED TO DISORIENTATION OF MY POS, THROUGH ALL OF THE HDG ASSIGNMENTS AND TFC ADVISORIES. TWR FINALLY LOCATED ME VISUALLY AND SET ME UP ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 9, THEN BASE LEG, AND FINAL. THEY ADVISED ME THEY HAD TO STEER ANOTHER ACFT AWAY FROM ME, WHICH I NEVER SAW.

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.