Narrative:

ZKC reported to us the airport at 12 O'clock and 10 mi. At that time we reported not having it in sight. A few mins later we saw the airport and called it. Center told us to stay with him. On a 5 mi final we questioned him again about going to tower. He told us to stand by, so we slowed up. At about a 3 mi final he advised us about possible traffic slow and to our left and to contact tower. Tower told us to report a 5 mi final. We advised we were on a 3 mi final presently. At the same instant a small aircraft made an abrupt turn in the pattern to avoid us. A second tower controller then advised us to report a final closer in, that we were not in sight. A few seconds later we questioned if we were cleared to land. The first controller then replied no there was an aircraft on the runway. At this point we were on a 1/2 mi final and the other aircraft was still floating down the runway. I executed a go around and told the first officer to report the go around to the tower. As I was cleaning the aircraft up the first officer communicated the situation to the tower. Not hearing what the tower said, I asked the first officer what the tower had said. He replied they wanted us to make a right base to runway 31. I said a right base to 31 is not possible from our present location and to request left traffic. The first officer requested left traffic and between directions to other aircraft from the first controller. A second controller said left traffic was approved. A minute later as we got the aircraft turned the tower questioned as to our position, that they had lost sight of us. We reported we were turning final for 31. They then replied, 'you were cleared to land runway 13, you are now cleared to land 31.' this was the first visit made to this airport by myself, and although I had reviewed the charts, the combination of confusion from the tower, the other aircraft we had not seen, and the misinformed by the first officer, contributed to the incorrect action. Continuing straight out on the go around until things had settled down probably would have prevented the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX COMMUTER-LTT GA-SMA IN TCP AT TOP.

Narrative: ZKC RPTED TO US THE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI. AT THAT TIME WE RPTED NOT HAVING IT IN SIGHT. A FEW MINS LATER WE SAW THE ARPT AND CALLED IT. CENTER TOLD US TO STAY WITH HIM. ON A 5 MI FINAL WE QUESTIONED HIM AGAIN ABOUT GOING TO TWR. HE TOLD US TO STAND BY, SO WE SLOWED UP. AT ABOUT A 3 MI FINAL HE ADVISED US ABOUT POSSIBLE TFC SLOW AND TO OUR LEFT AND TO CONTACT TWR. TWR TOLD US TO RPT A 5 MI FINAL. WE ADVISED WE WERE ON A 3 MI FINAL PRESENTLY. AT THE SAME INSTANT A SMA MADE AN ABRUPT TURN IN THE PATTERN TO AVOID US. A SECOND TWR CTLR THEN ADVISED US TO RPT A FINAL CLOSER IN, THAT WE WERE NOT IN SIGHT. A FEW SECS LATER WE QUESTIONED IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. THE FIRST CTLR THEN REPLIED NO THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE RWY. AT THIS POINT WE WERE ON A 1/2 MI FINAL AND THE OTHER ACFT WAS STILL FLOATING DOWN THE RWY. I EXECUTED A GAR AND TOLD THE F/O TO RPT THE GAR TO THE TWR. AS I WAS CLEANING THE ACFT UP THE F/O COMMUNICATED THE SITUATION TO THE TWR. NOT HEARING WHAT THE TWR SAID, I ASKED THE F/O WHAT THE TWR HAD SAID. HE REPLIED THEY WANTED US TO MAKE A RIGHT BASE TO RWY 31. I SAID A RIGHT BASE TO 31 IS NOT POSSIBLE FROM OUR PRESENT LOCATION AND TO REQUEST LEFT TFC. THE F/O REQUESTED LEFT TFC AND BTWN DIRECTIONS TO OTHER ACFT FROM THE FIRST CTLR. A SECOND CTLR SAID LEFT TFC WAS APPROVED. A MINUTE LATER AS WE GOT THE ACFT TURNED THE TWR QUESTIONED AS TO OUR POS, THAT THEY HAD LOST SIGHT OF US. WE RPTED WE WERE TURNING FINAL FOR 31. THEY THEN REPLIED, 'YOU WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 13, YOU ARE NOW CLRED TO LAND 31.' THIS WAS THE FIRST VISIT MADE TO THIS ARPT BY MYSELF, AND ALTHOUGH I HAD REVIEWED THE CHARTS, THE COMBINATION OF CONFUSION FROM THE TWR, THE OTHER ACFT WE HAD NOT SEEN, AND THE MISINFORMED BY THE F/O, CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCORRECT ACTION. CONTINUING STRAIGHT OUT ON THE GAR UNTIL THINGS HAD SETTLED DOWN PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE 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.