Narrative:

On initial contact advised tower 10 mi southwest inbound. Was told, in unusual manner and jargon, to report 2 mi left base runway 32. The controller then proceeded to talk, nearly non-stop, to other aircraft. I heard him advise someone to report midfield downwind for runway 32. I felt I may have misunderstood and called him and asked for verification of my instructions and was given, what sounded like an airport advisory. The controller then went on talking to other aircraft with no breaks to allow pilots to enter the communications. I finally broke in with an adamant request to confirm my reporting point. By this time, I was bout 4 mi left base. Once confirmed, I reported 2 mi left base runway 32. There was no reply but the controller was once again talking non-stop. He had the air tied up so completely that I was unable to announce my turn to final, or anything else. While I was on short final, another aircraft was cleared to depart on runway 32. That aircraft was then ordered to 'stop', and advised that there was an unauthorized aircraft on final. At this point, it was clear to me that the controller was way behind what was going on at this airport. He couldn't have looked at the approach to runway 32 without seeing my aircraft. I had wingtip strobes on, had been in contact with the tower for 6-8 minutes and was proceeding as ordered. I live and am based in the indianapolis arsa and know and use proper radio procedures on a regular basis. The controller was not using proper radio procedures or jargon. What I was hearing was unfamiliar and very difficult to decipher. In closing, the aircraft on the ground was in sight for a full 2 or 3 minutes before the controller gave the order to 'stop'. Not hold short, stop? I was very surprised to be informed I had made an unauthorized landing. I fully believe that I was the only one involved who was following proper procedures and proper radio use. When the aircraft on the ground was cleared to depart 32, he never cleared the approach before starting to taxi onto the runway. My instructor would have had a cow if I had made such a basic mistake. Thank you.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT MADE UNAUTHORIZED LNDG. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: ON INITIAL CONTACT ADVISED TWR 10 MI SW INBND. WAS TOLD, IN UNUSUAL MANNER AND JARGON, TO REPORT 2 MI LEFT BASE RWY 32. THE CTLR THEN PROCEEDED TO TALK, NEARLY NON-STOP, TO OTHER ACFT. I HEARD HIM ADVISE SOMEONE TO REPORT MIDFIELD DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32. I FELT I MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD AND CALLED HIM AND ASKED FOR VERIFICATION OF MY INSTRUCTIONS AND WAS GIVEN, WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN ARPT ADVISORY. THE CTLR THEN WENT ON TALKING TO OTHER ACFT WITH NO BREAKS TO ALLOW PLTS TO ENTER THE COMS. I FINALLY BROKE IN WITH AN ADAMANT REQUEST TO CONFIRM MY REPORTING POINT. BY THIS TIME, I WAS BOUT 4 MI LEFT BASE. ONCE CONFIRMED, I REPORTED 2 MI LEFT BASE RWY 32. THERE WAS NO REPLY BUT THE CTLR WAS ONCE AGAIN TALKING NON-STOP. HE HAD THE AIR TIED UP SO COMPLETELY THAT I WAS UNABLE TO ANNOUNCE MY TURN TO FINAL, OR ANYTHING ELSE. WHILE I WAS ON SHORT FINAL, ANOTHER ACFT WAS CLRED TO DEPART ON RWY 32. THAT ACFT WAS THEN ORDERED TO 'STOP', AND ADVISED THAT THERE WAS AN UNAUTHORIZED ACFT ON FINAL. AT THIS POINT, IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE CTLR WAS WAY BEHIND WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THIS ARPT. HE COULDN'T HAVE LOOKED AT THE APCH TO RWY 32 WITHOUT SEEING MY ACFT. I HAD WINGTIP STROBES ON, HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR FOR 6-8 MINUTES AND WAS PROCEEDING AS ORDERED. I LIVE AND AM BASED IN THE INDIANAPOLIS ARSA AND KNOW AND USE PROPER RADIO PROCS ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE CTLR WAS NOT USING PROPER RADIO PROCS OR JARGON. WHAT I WAS HEARING WAS UNFAMILIAR AND VERY DIFFICULT TO DECIPHER. IN CLOSING, THE ACFT ON THE GND WAS IN SIGHT FOR A FULL 2 OR 3 MINUTES BEFORE THE CTLR GAVE THE ORDER TO 'STOP'. NOT HOLD SHORT, STOP? I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO BE INFORMED I HAD MADE AN UNAUTHORIZED LNDG. I FULLY BELIEVE THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE INVOLVED WHO WAS FOLLOWING PROPER PROCS AND PROPER RADIO USE. WHEN THE ACFT ON THE GND WAS CLRED TO DEPART 32, HE NEVER CLRED THE APCH BEFORE STARTING TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY. MY INSTRUCTOR WOULD HAVE HAD A COW IF I HAD MADE SUCH A BASIC MISTAKE. THANK YOU.

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.