Pilot doing touch and go is too close to preceding traffic. Unable to get tower response to request ...

Attributes
ACN	150142
Time
Date	199007
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : oak
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : oak
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 420 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	150142
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying left traffic pattern for touch and go's on 27L with 2 other aircraft in the same pattern. During this time, 2 events occurred. During the first event I was following an aircraft on final and determined I was too close to make a safe landing. I requested a left 360 degree turn for spacing 3 times with no reply from tower. I then initiated the turn west/O any acknowledgement from tower. I believe a change in controllers was occurring at this time. I have noted long delays before during controller changes, but cannot offer any solution. The second event occurred on final approach. After I took off on 27L for touch and go's, I turned left downwind and spotted the aircraft I thought was directly ahead of me. After this aircraft turned base to final, I turned left base to final for 27L. I was informed by tower to make an immediate left downwind turn to avoid conflict with another aircraft on same final. Although I was not cleared to land, the controller was frequently not clearing me and the other traffic in the touch and go pattern to land, probably because of increased traffic in the general pattern for 27R. I should not have assumed that I was cleared to land, but was led to this erroneous assumption because of inability of controller to continually track the traffic in the left pattern. Perhaps the touch and go traffic in the left pattern should have been assigned to a second controller on another discrete frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DOING TOUCH AND GO IS TOO CLOSE TO PRECEDING TRAFFIC. UNABLE TO GET TWR RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR 360 DEGREE TURN. MADE 360 DEGREE TURN. INCIDENT 2 OCCURRED WHEN REPORTER TURNED BASE IN FRONT OF OTHER TRAFFIC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING LEFT TFC PATTERN FOR TOUCH AND GO'S ON 27L WITH 2 OTHER ACFT IN THE SAME PATTERN. DURING THIS TIME, 2 EVENTS OCCURRED. DURING THE FIRST EVENT I WAS FOLLOWING AN ACFT ON FINAL AND DETERMINED I WAS TOO CLOSE TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG. I REQUESTED A LEFT 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING 3 TIMES WITH NO REPLY FROM TWR. I THEN INITIATED THE TURN W/O ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM TWR. I BELIEVE A CHANGE IN CTLRS WAS OCCURRING AT THIS TIME. I HAVE NOTED LONG DELAYS BEFORE DURING CTLR CHANGES, BUT CANNOT OFFER ANY SOLUTION. THE SECOND EVENT OCCURRED ON FINAL APCH. AFTER I TOOK OFF ON 27L FOR TOUCH AND GO'S, I TURNED LEFT DOWNWIND AND SPOTTED THE ACFT I THOUGHT WAS DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME. AFTER THIS ACFT TURNED BASE TO FINAL, I TURNED LEFT BASE TO FINAL FOR 27L. I WAS INFORMED BY TWR TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE LEFT DOWNWIND TURN TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON SAME FINAL. ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT CLRED TO LAND, THE CTLR WAS FREQUENTLY NOT CLRING ME AND THE OTHER TFC IN THE TOUCH AND GO PATTERN TO LAND, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF INCREASED TFC IN THE GENERAL PATTERN FOR 27R. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND, BUT WAS LED TO THIS ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTION BECAUSE OF INABILITY OF CTLR TO CONTINUALLY TRACK THE TFC IN THE LEFT PATTERN. PERHAPS THE TOUCH AND GO TFC IN THE LEFT PATTERN SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO A SECOND CTLR ON ANOTHER DISCRETE FREQ.

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.

Pilot doing touch and go is too close to preceding traffic. Unable to get tower response to request for 360 degree turn. Made 360 degree turn. Incident 2 occurred when reporter turned base in front of other traffic.