Narrative:

My actions were as follows. I was cleared for takeoff runway 13R. I understood right closed traffic. I turned right crosswind at 700 ft. When I was in the right downwind I called tower and stated my position and requested touch and go runway 13R. I understood that I was cleared for touch and go runway 13R, left traffic and read back the same. I then turned by base leg. Later I was informed that actually I had been told to extend my downwind leg because a DC8 was already on final. As a non-native speaker of english I try to read back every call, precisely to avoid this sort of incident. The tower controller on this day was particularly hard to understand. He spoke very quietly, mumbled, and his instructions trailed off at the end. If I did read back an instruction incorrectly, then, as far as I recall, it went unchked. I am a student pilot. If I made a mistake with one of the first instructions issued (apparently he told me left closed traffic in the takeoff clearance) then surely it would have been prudent of him to keep an especially close eye on me when a heavy DC8 was on short final and to have made absolutely sure that all his instructions were understood and read back correctly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT WHOSE NATIVE LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH MISUNDERSTANDS TFC PATTERN DIRECTIONS. FEELS IT COULD CAUSE A NEAR MISS OR AIR COLLISION TO HAPPEN.

Narrative: MY ACTIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 13R. I UNDERSTOOD R CLOSED TFC. I TURNED R XWIND AT 700 FT. WHEN I WAS IN THE RIGHT DOWNWIND I CALLED TWR AND STATED MY POS AND REQUESTED TOUCH AND GO RWY 13R. I UNDERSTOOD THAT I WAS CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO RWY 13R, L TFC AND READ BACK THE SAME. I THEN TURNED BY BASE LEG. LATER I WAS INFORMED THAT ACTUALLY I HAD BEEN TOLD TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND LEG BECAUSE A DC8 WAS ALREADY ON FINAL. AS A NON-NATIVE SPEAKER OF ENGLISH I TRY TO READ BACK EVERY CALL, PRECISELY TO AVOID THIS SORT OF INCIDENT. THE TWR CTLR ON THIS DAY WAS PARTICULARLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. HE SPOKE VERY QUIETLY, MUMBLED, AND HIS INSTRUCTIONS TRAILED OFF AT THE END. IF I DID READ BACK AN INSTRUCTION INCORRECTLY, THEN, AS FAR AS I RECALL, IT WENT UNCHKED. I AM A STUDENT PLT. IF I MADE A MISTAKE WITH ONE OF THE FIRST INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED (APPARENTLY HE TOLD ME L CLOSED TFC IN THE TKOF CLRNC) THEN SURELY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT OF HIM TO KEEP AN ESPECIALLY CLOSE EYE ON ME WHEN A HVY DC8 WAS ON SHORT FINAL AND TO HAVE MADE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT ALL HIS INSTRUCTIONS WERE UNDERSTOOD AND READ BACK CORRECTLY.

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.