Narrative:

Before landing, I checked ATIS which said runway 16 was being used for lndgs. When I called tower, the controllers were very busy--the conditions were wonderfully clear and calm and a lot of airplanes were up. The tower controller told me to fly direct for landing on runway 11 and report 1 mi final. As I approached, another aircraft was turned to final on runway 11, and then another reported 1 mi out for landing, which was then at about my own position. Tower cleared them both. I reported in and the controller said he'd changed his mind and wanted me to turn left for landing on runway 16 when I was about 1/2 mi out from runway 11. I turned as instructed, but the controller was so busy talking to others, he said nothing more to me, even though I was rapidly coming up on the threshold/final area to runway 16. Another aircraft landing on runway was coming at me from 9 O'clock, so I turned to a 160 degree heading and paralleled the runway rather than risk a conflict. Shortly thereafter, the controller came back, agitated, and told me to cross runway 16 and set up for a left downwind and landing, which I did. After landing the controller apologized for losing his cool. I called the tower on their phone later and the same controller again apologized. He said he'd been very busy and had forgotten that I was on final until I asked if I was cleared to land on runway 11. He said he told me then not to turn right downwind for 16. I had turned left, but to a base instead. Normal downwind to 16 is left. When he had wanted was a tight, nearly 180 degree turn to a non standard pattern. He went on to say there had been a lot of problems in the tower, apparently unrelated to traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT RECEIVED CONFUSING LNDG CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS FROM HPN TWR. PLT MADE GO AROUND TO NORMAL LNDG.

Narrative: BEFORE LNDG, I CHKED ATIS WHICH SAID RWY 16 WAS BEING USED FOR LNDGS. WHEN I CALLED TWR, THE CTLRS WERE VERY BUSY--THE CONDITIONS WERE WONDERFULLY CLEAR AND CALM AND A LOT OF AIRPLANES WERE UP. THE TWR CTLR TOLD ME TO FLY DIRECT FOR LNDG ON RWY 11 AND RPT 1 MI FINAL. AS I APCHED, ANOTHER ACFT WAS TURNED TO FINAL ON RWY 11, AND THEN ANOTHER RPTED 1 MI OUT FOR LNDG, WHICH WAS THEN AT ABOUT MY OWN POS. TWR CLRED THEM BOTH. I RPTED IN AND THE CTLR SAID HE'D CHANGED HIS MIND AND WANTED ME TO TURN LEFT FOR LNDG ON RWY 16 WHEN I WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI OUT FROM RWY 11. I TURNED AS INSTRUCTED, BUT THE CTLR WAS SO BUSY TALKING TO OTHERS, HE SAID NOTHING MORE TO ME, EVEN THOUGH I WAS RAPIDLY COMING UP ON THE THRESHOLD/FINAL AREA TO RWY 16. ANOTHER ACFT LNDG ON RWY WAS COMING AT ME FROM 9 O'CLOCK, SO I TURNED TO A 160 DEG HDG AND PARALLELED THE RWY RATHER THAN RISK A CONFLICT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CTLR CAME BACK, AGITATED, AND TOLD ME TO CROSS RWY 16 AND SET UP FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND AND LNDG, WHICH I DID. AFTER LNDG THE CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR LOSING HIS COOL. I CALLED THE TWR ON THEIR PHONE LATER AND THE SAME CTLR AGAIN APOLOGIZED. HE SAID HE'D BEEN VERY BUSY AND HAD FORGOTTEN THAT I WAS ON FINAL UNTIL I ASKED IF I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 11. HE SAID HE TOLD ME THEN NOT TO TURN RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR 16. I HAD TURNED LEFT, BUT TO A BASE INSTEAD. NORMAL DOWNWIND TO 16 IS LEFT. WHEN HE HAD WANTED WAS A TIGHT, NEARLY 180 DEG TURN TO A NON STANDARD PATTERN. HE WENT ON TO SAY THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF PROBS IN THE TWR, APPARENTLY UNRELATED TO TFC.

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.