Narrative:

On the late afternoon, almost dusk, my safety pilot in the flight seat and me under the hood of the rented small aircraft X, we were cleared for the localizer (backcourse) runway 06 at pne. Wind was calm. We told the tower we would do a low approach and repeat the procedure. An small aircraft Y landing runway 33 was instructed to land 33 and hold short of runway 06 for a low pass traffic (us). We were cleared for the low approach, and told to turn left to 270 degrees on the departure (or so we were thought). When time ran out, I began a climbing left turn to 270 degrees and reported missed approach to the tower safety pilot was silent. Next on the radio I heard an small aircraft Y report a near miss with us. The safety pilot said it was close but not risky. We couldn't understand what the small aircraft Y was doing airborne considering his clearance. The tower controller then cleared us out, claiming he told us to go to the other end of runway 06 prior to the turnout. Neither of us in the cockpit understood the clearance that way. 'Contact departure.' on the next approach, the controller (tower) asked our intentions. I told him we'd leave the area to the southeast. He said to make a right turn out this time. I replied, 'right turn out, roger.' I assumed he meant on the missed approach, but after the first interaction, I thought better of it and asked the tower if he meant to make a right turnout at the missed approach point. He said no, 'make your turn out now.' so I did, early on the approach. I think this was all communications. On neither approach did the tower tell us clearly what he wanted us to do. Also, the safety pilot should have called out when he saw the small aircraft Y the first time. I think we need to stick to standard jargon and make sure that what we tell or are told is what we mean.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X, ON LOCALIZER BACKCOURSE APCH TO RWY 06 CLEARED FOR LOW APCH TURN LEFT TO 270 DEGREES, STARTS TURN EARLY AT MISSED APCH POINT AND HAS NMAC WITH SMA Y STARTING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 33.

Narrative: ON THE LATE AFTERNOON, ALMOST DUSK, MY SAFETY PLT IN THE FLT SEAT AND ME UNDER THE HOOD OF THE RENTED SMA X, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE LOC (BACKCOURSE) RWY 06 AT PNE. WIND WAS CALM. WE TOLD THE TWR WE WOULD DO A LOW APCH AND REPEAT THE PROC. AN SMA Y LNDG RWY 33 WAS INSTRUCTED TO LAND 33 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 06 FOR A LOW PASS TFC (US). WE WERE CLRED FOR THE LOW APCH, AND TOLD TO TURN LEFT TO 270 DEGS ON THE DEP (OR SO WE WERE THOUGHT). WHEN TIME RAN OUT, I BEGAN A CLBING LEFT TURN TO 270 DEGS AND RPTED MISSED APCH TO THE TWR SAFETY PLT WAS SILENT. NEXT ON THE RADIO I HEARD AN SMA Y RPT A NEAR MISS WITH US. THE SAFETY PLT SAID IT WAS CLOSE BUT NOT RISKY. WE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SMA Y WAS DOING AIRBORNE CONSIDERING HIS CLRNC. THE TWR CTLR THEN CLRED US OUT, CLAIMING HE TOLD US TO GO TO THE OTHER END OF RWY 06 PRIOR TO THE TURNOUT. NEITHER OF US IN THE COCKPIT UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC THAT WAY. 'CONTACT DEP.' ON THE NEXT APCH, THE CTLR (TWR) ASKED OUR INTENTIONS. I TOLD HIM WE'D LEAVE THE AREA TO THE SE. HE SAID TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN OUT THIS TIME. I REPLIED, 'RIGHT TURN OUT, ROGER.' I ASSUMED HE MEANT ON THE MISSED APCH, BUT AFTER THE FIRST INTERACTION, I THOUGHT BETTER OF IT AND ASKED THE TWR IF HE MEANT TO MAKE A RIGHT TURNOUT AT THE MISSED APCH POINT. HE SAID NO, 'MAKE YOUR TURN OUT NOW.' SO I DID, EARLY ON THE APCH. I THINK THIS WAS ALL COMS. ON NEITHER APCH DID THE TWR TELL US CLEARLY WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO. ALSO, THE SAFETY PLT SHOULD HAVE CALLED OUT WHEN HE SAW THE SMA Y THE FIRST TIME. I THINK WE NEED TO STICK TO STANDARD JARGON AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE TELL OR ARE TOLD IS WHAT WE MEAN.

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.