Narrative:

On the morning in question, my first officer and I had made up some time going VFR. Even though we had set ourselves up for a VFR entrance into the den TCA from the east, approach gave us clearance from north (busy to east, I suppose). Not a problem, just 'I- 25 south to I-70 east for right downwind runway 25.' I've done it hundreds of times, but I've been a captain in emb-120 for about 2 1/2 months and wanted to keep everything slower than usual. Abeam the tower, approach instructed us to contact tower. Den tower had called out 2 jets as our runway 26L and 26R traffic. We had both in sight and was instructed to 'follow to airport, proceed straight-in runway 25.' so far, everything was normal. The winds at 1500 ft AGL must have blown us towards the runway because my first officer (PF) said he would need to widen downwind a little bit. As we turned right base, tower issued an unusual clearance (partially blocked) to us. '(Atx flight number) turn left heading 360 degrees, contact approach 134.85.' it was busy, and I wanted to verify such an unusual clearance from tower, and replied, 'was that for (flight number)? Unable left turn, we have r-side traffic in sight.' we could not have turned left without passing through the flight path of the air carrier Z jet. My first officer had the plane slowed and we could not get a word in edgewise, so when the jets had cleared our path, we decided to execute our last assigned instructions. We were in landing confign about to turn a 2-3 mi final, but we had no idea what tower was up to. As we were in a left turn (we wanted to go right) tower calls 'traffic 12 O'clock, less than a mi, company beech.' I immediately responded 'in sight, turning north, approach 134.85.' we entered downwind for another runway, landed and called ground for taxi clearance to parking, and were amazed we were not issued a phone number. On the ground, we discussed what had happened with the 'company beech' pilot (it was a brazilia) and figured out that tower had screwed up bad! Although the tower would have given us a number if it was our fault, my gut feeling of situational awareness still says I should have performed a right turn, not a left turn into traffic as we were instructed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX LTT FAILED TO TURN IMMEDIATELY IN COMPLIANCE WITH TWR INSTRUCTIONS DURING APCH CAUSING LTSS FROM ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING IN QUESTION, MY FO AND I HAD MADE UP SOME TIME GOING VFR. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD SET OURSELVES UP FOR A VFR ENTRANCE INTO THE DEN TCA FROM THE E, APCH GAVE US CLRNC FROM N (BUSY TO E, I SUPPOSE). NOT A PROB, JUST 'I- 25 S TO I-70 E FOR R DOWNWIND RWY 25.' I'VE DONE IT HUNDREDS OF TIMES, BUT I'VE BEEN A CAPT IN EMB-120 FOR ABOUT 2 1/2 MONTHS AND WANTED TO KEEP EVERYTHING SLOWER THAN USUAL. ABEAM THE TWR, APCH INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT TWR. DEN TWR HAD CALLED OUT 2 JETS AS OUR RWY 26L AND 26R TFC. WE HAD BOTH IN SIGHT AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'FOLLOW TO ARPT, PROCEED STRAIGHT-IN RWY 25.' SO FAR, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE WINDS AT 1500 FT AGL MUST HAVE BLOWN US TOWARDS THE RWY BECAUSE MY FO (PF) SAID HE WOULD NEED TO WIDEN DOWNWIND A LITTLE BIT. AS WE TURNED R BASE, TWR ISSUED AN UNUSUAL CLRNC (PARTIALLY BLOCKED) TO US. '(ATX FLT NUMBER) TURN L HDG 360 DEGS, CONTACT APCH 134.85.' IT WAS BUSY, AND I WANTED TO VERIFY SUCH AN UNUSUAL CLRNC FROM TWR, AND REPLIED, 'WAS THAT FOR (FLT NUMBER)? UNABLE L TURN, WE HAVE R-SIDE TFC IN SIGHT.' WE COULD NOT HAVE TURNED L WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH THE FLT PATH OF THE ACR Z JET. MY FO HAD THE PLANE SLOWED AND WE COULD NOT GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE, SO WHEN THE JETS HAD CLRED OUR PATH, WE DECIDED TO EXECUTE OUR LAST ASSIGNED INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE IN LNDG CONFIGN ABOUT TO TURN A 2-3 MI FINAL, BUT WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT TWR WAS UP TO. AS WE WERE IN A L TURN (WE WANTED TO GO R) TWR CALLS 'TFC 12 O'CLOCK, LESS THAN A MI, COMPANY BEECH.' I IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED 'IN SIGHT, TURNING N, APCH 134.85.' WE ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR ANOTHER RWY, LANDED AND CALLED GND FOR TAXI CLRNC TO PARKING, AND WERE AMAZED WE WERE NOT ISSUED A PHONE NUMBER. ON THE GND, WE DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH THE 'COMPANY BEECH' PLT (IT WAS A BRAZILIA) AND FIGURED OUT THAT TWR HAD SCREWED UP BAD! ALTHOUGH THE TWR WOULD HAVE GIVEN US A NUMBER IF IT WAS OUR FAULT, MY GUT FEELING OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS STILL SAYS I SHOULD HAVE PERFORMED A R TURN, NOT A L TURN INTO TFC AS WE WERE INSTRUCTED.

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.