Narrative:

We departed ith, VFR for bgm, squawking 1200. My first officer picked up the ATIS and then contacted bgm approach with our position and intention to land. Once radar idented, we heard the controller call traffic 12 O'clock and descending through 4000'. As we were still climbing through 4000' for my desired altitude of 4500', this was obviously a problem. I then saw the traffic (no problem, yet). At this point, bgm approach became quite agitated and ordered us to turn right to 090 degrees. As this made no sense to me (we were heading 140 degrees at the time, and a right turn was the long way around and would put us in conflict with the traffic), I wanted to verify the directive; however, there was frequency congestion at the time, and my first officer (who did not see the traffic) was not aware of the problems which I saw to be the case. I forced the nose over and descended to 3500' to ensure a safe miss. The approach controller then said again to turn right and announced traffic alert. This time I was angry at the obviously incorrect directive and questioned the direction of the turn. He said (the controller), 'if I said right, I'm sorry; I meant left.' we were closer to the traffic than I would have liked and might have collided if I had not made a visibility contact. The rough ride upset the passenger, so I told the first officer to use the P/a to feed the passenger the usual pack of lies pilots give to passenger to calm them down. I called approach when on the ground to issue a mild complaint and was told that the tower supervisor would review the tapes. I submit this report to protect myself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACR VFR FLT PLAN AND AN SMA TRAFFIC POSSIBLY HAD NMAC IN PROX OF BGM.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ITH, VFR FOR BGM, SQUAWKING 1200. MY F/O PICKED UP THE ATIS AND THEN CONTACTED BGM APCH WITH OUR POS AND INTENTION TO LAND. ONCE RADAR IDENTED, WE HEARD THE CTLR CALL TFC 12 O'CLOCK AND DSNDING THROUGH 4000'. AS WE WERE STILL CLBING THROUGH 4000' FOR MY DESIRED ALT OF 4500', THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A PROB. I THEN SAW THE TFC (NO PROB, YET). AT THIS POINT, BGM APCH BECAME QUITE AGITATED AND ORDERED US TO TURN RIGHT TO 090 DEGS. AS THIS MADE NO SENSE TO ME (WE WERE HDG 140 DEGS AT THE TIME, AND A RIGHT TURN WAS THE LONG WAY AROUND AND WOULD PUT US IN CONFLICT WITH THE TFC), I WANTED TO VERIFY THE DIRECTIVE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS FREQ CONGESTION AT THE TIME, AND MY F/O (WHO DID NOT SEE THE TFC) WAS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBS WHICH I SAW TO BE THE CASE. I FORCED THE NOSE OVER AND DSNDED TO 3500' TO ENSURE A SAFE MISS. THE APCH CTLR THEN SAID AGAIN TO TURN RIGHT AND ANNOUNCED TFC ALERT. THIS TIME I WAS ANGRY AT THE OBVIOUSLY INCORRECT DIRECTIVE AND QUESTIONED THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN. HE SAID (THE CTLR), 'IF I SAID RIGHT, I'M SORRY; I MEANT LEFT.' WE WERE CLOSER TO THE TFC THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED AND MIGHT HAVE COLLIDED IF I HAD NOT MADE A VIS CONTACT. THE ROUGH RIDE UPSET THE PAX, SO I TOLD THE F/O TO USE THE P/A TO FEED THE PAX THE USUAL PACK OF LIES PLTS GIVE TO PAX TO CALM THEM DOWN. I CALLED APCH WHEN ON THE GND TO ISSUE A MILD COMPLAINT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TWR SUPVR WOULD REVIEW THE TAPES. I SUBMIT THIS RPT TO PROTECT MYSELF.

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.