Narrative:

IFR flight plan ord-sdl. Phx approach terminated radar service approximately 8 mi out. Said to contact sdl tower 119.9 MHZ. We had ATIS information. Above sdl air traffic area we tried to contact tower twice. No reply. West/O stepping on other radio traffic, successful on third try. Tower operator instructions were to fly overhead, enter left downwind for landing runway 31. My immediate response was, 'we are now crossing the center line of runway 21.' tower response was, 'you are cleared for the approach and cleared to land.' at that point in time I lined the aircraft up on final, all the time making sure we were clear of all other aircraft on either right or left base legs and landed. Taxiing in I was requested to phone the tower chief. Our conversation covered the above events with my request that at his convenience we listen to the tower tapes at a later date. I'm very concerned with aviation safety and acutely aware of the high volume of light aircraft traffic (mostly students) along with the fact that a high percentage of sdl tower operators are new or trainees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT HAD TROUBLE IN CONTACTING CONTROL TWR AFTER BEING RELEASED BY TRACON AND HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE VOLUME OF STUDENT TRAINING AT THIS ARPT.

Narrative: IFR FLT PLAN ORD-SDL. PHX APCH TERMINATED RADAR SVC APPROX 8 MI OUT. SAID TO CONTACT SDL TWR 119.9 MHZ. WE HAD ATIS INFO. ABOVE SDL ATA WE TRIED TO CONTACT TWR TWICE. NO REPLY. W/O STEPPING ON OTHER RADIO TFC, SUCCESSFUL ON THIRD TRY. TWR OPERATOR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO FLY OVERHEAD, ENTER LEFT DOWNWIND FOR LNDG RWY 31. MY IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS, 'WE ARE NOW XING THE CENTER LINE OF RWY 21.' TWR RESPONSE WAS, 'YOU ARE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND CLRED TO LAND.' AT THAT POINT IN TIME I LINED THE ACFT UP ON FINAL, ALL THE TIME MAKING SURE WE WERE CLR OF ALL OTHER ACFT ON EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT BASE LEGS AND LANDED. TAXIING IN I WAS REQUESTED TO PHONE THE TWR CHIEF. OUR CONVERSATION COVERED THE ABOVE EVENTS WITH MY REQUEST THAT AT HIS CONVENIENCE WE LISTEN TO THE TWR TAPES AT A LATER DATE. I'M VERY CONCERNED WITH AVIATION SAFETY AND ACUTELY AWARE OF THE HIGH VOLUME OF LIGHT ACFT TFC (MOSTLY STUDENTS) ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF SDL TWR OPERATORS ARE NEW OR TRAINEES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.