Narrative:

As part of a biennial flight review this instructor was in the last phase of the chkride. The student had entered too close in on the downwind leg for runway 24 at napa (left traffic), he eventually corrected this error but became distraction and turned base much too close to an small aircraft with some coaching and some 'south' turns we established reasonable spacing. We were cleared to land, after a nice landing and a short rollout the pilot quickly applied full power and we lifted off, at this point somewhat startled by the go around I retracted the flaps from the land position and we completed our unannounced touch and go with a downwind departure. During our right downwind departure the tower called and advised us we were cleared to land not for an option or a touch and go, we acknowledged the error and departed the air traffic area. After returning to our home airport I discussed the situation with the pilot. At this point it became apparent that he had become confused as to the correct runway for landing. He was in fact trying to enter the pattern for runway 18R rather than runway 24. This explained his too close in turn to the downwind for 24. He was in fact making a downwind entry for runway 18. Even after I had turned him to the correct downwind for 24 he apparently did not see the correct runway and was still trying to turn downwind for 18 which explains he turn so close behind the small aircraft. The 2 factors combined to rattle him though he said nothing which resulted in our unannounced touch and go. Lessons learned include not always waiting until on the ground to find out why an inappropriate action was taken. Ask for an immediate explanation when necessary. Since this was a chkride there is a fine line between letting a situation develop to an unsafe point and allowing the pilot to find and correct his mistake in a timely manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CONFUSED MAKES POOR PATTERN, DOES TOUCH AND GO WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AS PART OF A BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW THIS INSTRUCTOR WAS IN THE LAST PHASE OF THE CHKRIDE. THE STUDENT HAD ENTERED TOO CLOSE IN ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 24 AT NAPA (L TFC), HE EVENTUALLY CORRECTED THIS ERROR BUT BECAME DISTR AND TURNED BASE MUCH TOO CLOSE TO AN SMA WITH SOME COACHING AND SOME 'S' TURNS WE ESTABLISHED REASONABLE SPACING. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND, AFTER A NICE LNDG AND A SHORT ROLLOUT THE PLT QUICKLY APPLIED FULL PWR AND WE LIFTED OFF, AT THIS POINT SOMEWHAT STARTLED BY THE GAR I RETRACTED THE FLAPS FROM THE LAND POS AND WE COMPLETED OUR UNANNOUNCED TOUCH AND GO WITH A DOWNWIND DEP. DURING OUR R DOWNWIND DEP THE TWR CALLED AND ADVISED US WE WERE CLRED TO LAND NOT FOR AN OPTION OR A TOUCH AND GO, WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE ERROR AND DEPARTED THE ATA. AFTER RETURNING TO OUR HOME ARPT I DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE PLT. AT THIS POINT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE HAD BECOME CONFUSED AS TO THE CORRECT RWY FOR LNDG. HE WAS IN FACT TRYING TO ENTER THE PATTERN FOR RWY 18R RATHER THAN RWY 24. THIS EXPLAINED HIS TOO CLOSE IN TURN TO THE DOWNWIND FOR 24. HE WAS IN FACT MAKING A DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 18. EVEN AFTER I HAD TURNED HIM TO THE CORRECT DOWNWIND FOR 24 HE APPARENTLY DID NOT SEE THE CORRECT RWY AND WAS STILL TRYING TO TURN DOWNWIND FOR 18 WHICH EXPLAINS HE TURN SO CLOSE BEHIND THE SMA. THE 2 FACTORS COMBINED TO RATTLE HIM THOUGH HE SAID NOTHING WHICH RESULTED IN OUR UNANNOUNCED TOUCH AND GO. LESSONS LEARNED INCLUDE NOT ALWAYS WAITING UNTIL ON THE GND TO FIND OUT WHY AN INAPPROPRIATE ACTION WAS TAKEN. ASK FOR AN IMMEDIATE EXPLANATION WHEN NECESSARY. SINCE THIS WAS A CHKRIDE THERE IS A FINE LINE BTWN LETTING A SITUATION DEVELOP TO AN UNSAFE POINT AND ALLOWING THE PLT TO FIND AND CORRECT HIS MISTAKE IN A TIMELY MANNER.

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.