Narrative:

Small aircraft X came on mathis tower frequency and reported 20 north of the airport for landing. X was instructed to enter and report left base for runway 18 and he acknowledged. About 12 mins later, tower asked aircraft X his position. He reported 10 mi out from the airport. Again he was told to report left base for runway 18. There were numerous aircraft in the close traffic pattern and on instrument approachs to the airport. Tower was looking for X to no avail. Tower kept looking for small aircraft X and asking him his position. X said he was over downtown 4 mi from airport at 3500'. Tower did not see the aircraft. Tower asked X where the airport was from his vantage point. He said 11 O'clock. That meant he was southeast of airport, still not in sight from tower. Then X said the airport was his 1 O'clock (now southwest of airport). He was finally spotted due south of runway 18 departure end. It was a spi flying. X pilot had no concept of giving reporting points accurately, did not understand english, and did not know how to enter a traffic pattern. With radar, we would have helped the situation tremendously.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INBOUND SMA DID NOT MAKE POSITION REPORTS AS INSTRUCTED. WAS LOCATED IN DEP AREA FROM RWY 18. POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: SMA X CAME ON MATHIS TWR FREQ AND RPTED 20 N OF THE ARPT FOR LNDG. X WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER AND RPT LEFT BASE FOR RWY 18 AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED. ABOUT 12 MINS LATER, TWR ASKED ACFT X HIS POS. HE RPTED 10 MI OUT FROM THE ARPT. AGAIN HE WAS TOLD TO RPT LEFT BASE FOR RWY 18. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE CLOSE TFC PATTERN AND ON INSTRUMENT APCHS TO THE ARPT. TWR WAS LOOKING FOR X TO NO AVAIL. TWR KEPT LOOKING FOR SMA X AND ASKING HIM HIS POS. X SAID HE WAS OVER DOWNTOWN 4 MI FROM ARPT AT 3500'. TWR DID NOT SEE THE ACFT. TWR ASKED X WHERE THE ARPT WAS FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT. HE SAID 11 O'CLOCK. THAT MEANT HE WAS SE OF ARPT, STILL NOT IN SIGHT FROM TWR. THEN X SAID THE ARPT WAS HIS 1 O'CLOCK (NOW SW OF ARPT). HE WAS FINALLY SPOTTED DUE S OF RWY 18 DEP END. IT WAS A SPI FLYING. X PLT HAD NO CONCEPT OF GIVING RPTING POINTS ACCURATELY, DID NOT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, AND DID NOT KNOW HOW TO ENTER A TFC PATTERN. WITH RADAR, WE WOULD HAVE HELPED THE SITUATION TREMENDOUSLY.

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.