Miscom between mry local controller and commuter flight crew.

Attributes
ACN	144936
Time
Date	199005
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : imry airport : mry
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mry
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : circling
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	144936
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Was told by mry approach to expect the ILS 10 mry, circle 28. At the LOM was handed over to mry tower. Broke out of clouds at approximately 1900' on the approach. I told the tower we were making right traffic for 28L. Tower said negative, and directed us to circle south. We circled south and landed 28L west/O event. Upon review of my approach plate, I see south circling is not allowed at mry. I feel south circling is quite unsafe due to rapidly rising terrain. I should not have accepted the clearance, and by the same token feel it should not have been given by ATC. I believe the tower gave us south circling because he was departing traffic off 28R, and allowing us to circle north would have created a traffic conflict with the opp departing traffic. I believe better control/coordination of the departure and arrival traffic would alleviate this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISCOM BETWEEN MRY LCL CTLR AND COMMUTER FLT CREW.

Narrative: WAS TOLD BY MRY APCH TO EXPECT THE ILS 10 MRY, CIRCLE 28. AT THE LOM WAS HANDED OVER TO MRY TWR. BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS AT APPROX 1900' ON THE APCH. I TOLD THE TWR WE WERE MAKING RIGHT TFC FOR 28L. TWR SAID NEGATIVE, AND DIRECTED US TO CIRCLE S. WE CIRCLED S AND LANDED 28L W/O EVENT. UPON REVIEW OF MY APCH PLATE, I SEE S CIRCLING IS NOT ALLOWED AT MRY. I FEEL S CIRCLING IS QUITE UNSAFE DUE TO RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE CLRNC, AND BY THE SAME TOKEN FEEL IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY ATC. I BELIEVE THE TWR GAVE US S CIRCLING BECAUSE HE WAS DEPARTING TFC OFF 28R, AND ALLOWING US TO CIRCLE N WOULD HAVE CREATED A TFC CONFLICT WITH THE OPP DEPARTING TFC. I BELIEVE BETTER CTL/COORD OF THE DEP AND ARR TFC WOULD ALLEVIATE THIS SITUATION.

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.