GA small aircraft made a 360 degree turn in the traffic pattern without advising the tower.

Attributes
ACN	148977
Time
Date	199006
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : oak
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 678 flight time type : 520
ASRS Report	148977
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching the oakland airport from the northeast, we were instructed to report an extended right base for runway 27R at oakland. As we continued on base we were cleared to land runway 27R. As we approached the turn to final we were instructed to follow traffic on downwind. As we were starting our turn to final, traffic ahead was just starting his right base turn with traffic inbound for runway 27L and traffic on base to final for runway 27R, it left us on a converging course with the traffic on base. We tried reducing speed and maneuvering ('south' turns), but we were still converging to avoid a dangerous situation, we made a tight 360 degree turn for sep. This turn provided the sep needed, and posed no problems to other traffic. At this time we tried to contact the oakland tower to advise them of the 360. With the tower extremely busy with traffic, congested frequency we were unable to contact them. A short time later they asked if we made a 360 degree turn for spacing. We said affirmative. Something that I felt might prevent another such situation would be to use both of the tower frequencys, one for runway 27L and the other for runway 27R, while performing simultaneous approachs. It seemed the controller was overloaded and sequenced the traffic a little close.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA MADE A 360 DEGREE TURN IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WITHOUT ADVISING THE TWR.

Narrative: APCHING THE OAKLAND ARPT FROM THE NE, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO RPT AN EXTENDED R BASE FOR RWY 27R AT OAKLAND. AS WE CONTINUED ON BASE WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 27R. AS WE APCHED THE TURN TO FINAL WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW TFC ON DOWNWIND. AS WE WERE STARTING OUR TURN TO FINAL, TFC AHEAD WAS JUST STARTING HIS R BASE TURN WITH TFC INBND FOR RWY 27L AND TFC ON BASE TO FINAL FOR RWY 27R, IT LEFT US ON A CONVERGING COURSE WITH THE TFC ON BASE. WE TRIED REDUCING SPD AND MANEUVERING ('S' TURNS), BUT WE WERE STILL CONVERGING TO AVOID A DANGEROUS SITUATION, WE MADE A TIGHT 360 DEG TURN FOR SEP. THIS TURN PROVIDED THE SEP NEEDED, AND POSED NO PROBS TO OTHER TFC. AT THIS TIME WE TRIED TO CONTACT THE OAKLAND TWR TO ADVISE THEM OF THE 360. WITH THE TWR EXTREMELY BUSY WITH TFC, CONGESTED FREQ WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM. A SHORT TIME LATER THEY ASKED IF WE MADE A 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING. WE SAID AFFIRMATIVE. SOMETHING THAT I FELT MIGHT PREVENT ANOTHER SUCH SITUATION WOULD BE TO USE BOTH OF THE TWR FREQS, ONE FOR RWY 27L AND THE OTHER FOR RWY 27R, WHILE PERFORMING SIMULTANEOUS APCHS. IT SEEMED THE CTLR WAS OVERLOADED AND SEQUENCED THE TFC A LITTLE CLOSE.

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.