Narrative:

On 11/sun/92, I planned a flight from my home airport of 1o5 to lvk. I got a WX briefing from rancho murieta FSS, but because the briefer talked rather fast and it sounded like there was fog at my destination, when I got to the airport I asked the FBO (a pilot examiner) for help. He turned on the speaker telephone and got a briefing from rbl FSS that confirmed that lvk was fogged in, but expected to be clearing after XA00 am, although there is no terminal forecast for lvk itself. We discussed my checking with flight watch over nut tree and maybe waiting there if fog persisted. I left 105 about xboo and arrived near lvk about xcoo, but it was still fogged in. I flew back north and landed at O88, but was unable to rent a car there, so took off and flew towards buchanan field at ccr. That is where my problems began. Visibility was not too great and I was unfamiliar with the area, so I tracked to concord VOR (ccr). When I first contacted buchanan tower I gave my position from the VOR rather than from the field, which apparently had them looking in the wrong place for me. It was very busy and I tried hard to comply with a lot of different instructions from the tower. After landing and taxiing clear of the runway and finally contacting ground control, I taxied as directed and was greeted by the tower watch supervisor, name. He was very nice and patiently explained that I had apparently made the following errors: 1. I entered the wrong downwind, opposing traffic. 2. When told to turn left, I turned right, and when told to turn right I turned left. Finally I was given vectors which I followed correctly. 3. I was cleared to land on 32L, but landed on 32R. 4. When I taxied clear, I crossed an active runway and a taxiway before switching to ground control and getting clearance. 5. Lastly, after supervisor explained how to taxi to my destination I thought that was all I needed and did it, without calling up and getting a taxi clearance from ground control. Why did I make these mistakes? How can I avoid repeating them? 1. I am a native of mexico and english is a second language to me. Radio communications had been my biggest challenge since I started learning to fly 5 yrs ago. 2. For this reason I have had control tower experience only at rdd, mfr, lmt, and controller in charge. While I studied lvk thoroughly before planning this flight, my hurried decision to go to ccr didn't allow me enough time to learn enough about its very confusing 2 parallel runways, etc. 3. I am not sure why I confused left and right, but I am going to get additional training in this from my local flight instructors. 4. If I must again deviate from a carefully planned flight, I will settle for diverting to an uncontrolled alternate and not try to land at a very busy, unfamiliar controled field. 5. I now understand that I cannot taxi at a controled field without specific taxi instructions (clearance).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF SMA ACFT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION OPPOSING TFC, TURNED THE ACFT OPPOSITE TO THAT INSTRUCTED BY ATC, LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY, TAXIED ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY AND TAXIWAY WITHOUT CLRNC AND SUBSEQUENT TAXI TO THE DEST ON THE ARPT WITHOUT CLRNC DUE TO AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE BARRIER.

Narrative: ON 11/SUN/92, I PLANNED A FLT FROM MY HOME ARPT OF 1O5 TO LVK. I GOT A WX BRIEFING FROM RANCHO MURIETA FSS, BUT BECAUSE THE BRIEFER TALKED RATHER FAST AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS FOG AT MY DEST, WHEN I GOT TO THE ARPT I ASKED THE FBO (A PLT EXAMINER) FOR HELP. HE TURNED ON THE SPEAKER TELEPHONE AND GOT A BRIEFING FROM RBL FSS THAT CONFIRMED THAT LVK WAS FOGGED IN, BUT EXPECTED TO BE CLRING AFTER XA00 AM, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO TERMINAL FORECAST FOR LVK ITSELF. WE DISCUSSED MY CHKING WITH FLT WATCH OVER NUT TREE AND MAYBE WAITING THERE IF FOG PERSISTED. I LEFT 105 ABOUT XBOO AND ARRIVED NEAR LVK ABOUT XCOO, BUT IT WAS STILL FOGGED IN. I FLEW BACK N AND LANDED AT O88, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RENT A CAR THERE, SO TOOK OFF AND FLEW TOWARDS BUCHANAN FIELD AT CCR. THAT IS WHERE MY PROBLEMS BEGAN. VISIBILITY WAS NOT TOO GREAT AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, SO I TRACKED TO CONCORD VOR (CCR). WHEN I FIRST CONTACTED BUCHANAN TWR I GAVE MY POS FROM THE VOR RATHER THAN FROM THE FIELD, WHICH APPARENTLY HAD THEM LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE FOR ME. IT WAS VERY BUSY AND I TRIED HARD TO COMPLY WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR. AFTER LNDG AND TAXIING CLR OF THE RWY AND FINALLY CONTACTING GND CTL, I TAXIED AS DIRECTED AND WAS GREETED BY THE TWR WATCH SUPVR, NAME. HE WAS VERY NICE AND PATIENTLY EXPLAINED THAT I HAD APPARENTLY MADE THE FOLLOWING ERRORS: 1. I ENTERED THE WRONG DOWNWIND, OPPOSING TFC. 2. WHEN TOLD TO TURN L, I TURNED R, AND WHEN TOLD TO TURN R I TURNED L. FINALLY I WAS GIVEN VECTORS WHICH I FOLLOWED CORRECTLY. 3. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON 32L, BUT LANDED ON 32R. 4. WHEN I TAXIED CLR, I CROSSED AN ACTIVE RWY AND A TAXIWAY BEFORE SWITCHING TO GND CTL AND GETTING CLRNC. 5. LASTLY, AFTER SUPVR EXPLAINED HOW TO TAXI TO MY DEST I THOUGHT THAT WAS ALL I NEEDED AND DID IT, WITHOUT CALLING UP AND GETTING A TAXI CLRNC FROM GND CTL. WHY DID I MAKE THESE MISTAKES? HOW CAN I AVOID REPEATING THEM? 1. I AM A NATIVE OF MEXICO AND ENGLISH IS A SECOND LANGUAGE TO ME. RADIO COMS HAD BEEN MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE SINCE I STARTED LEARNING TO FLY 5 YRS AGO. 2. FOR THIS REASON I HAVE HAD CTL TWR EXPERIENCE ONLY AT RDD, MFR, LMT, AND CIC. WHILE I STUDIED LVK THOROUGHLY BEFORE PLANNING THIS FLT, MY HURRIED DECISION TO GO TO CCR DIDN'T ALLOW ME ENOUGH TIME TO LEARN ENOUGH ABOUT ITS VERY CONFUSING 2 PARALLEL RWYS, ETC. 3. I AM NOT SURE WHY I CONFUSED L AND R, BUT I AM GOING TO GET ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN THIS FROM MY LCL FLT INSTRUCTORS. 4. IF I MUST AGAIN DEVIATE FROM A CAREFULLY PLANNED FLT, I WILL SETTLE FOR DIVERTING TO AN UNCTLED ALTERNATE AND NOT TRY TO LAND AT A VERY BUSY, UNFAMILIAR CTLED FIELD. 5. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT I CANNOT TAXI AT A CTLED FIELD WITHOUT SPECIFIC TAXI INSTRUCTIONS (CLRNC).

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.