Narrative:

On an IFR flight plan in VFR conditions terminating at college station -- easterwood airport near college station, tx, in very heavy traffic due to the texas tech and texas a&M football game, I was cleared down to 2000 ft after a great deal of vectoring for traffic, and was told by ZHU they would bring me in on a downwind leg for runway 34. Before their handoff to tower frequency, just astern of the threshold of runway 34, ZHU handed me off to tower while still at 2000 ft, but was told I could descend to pattern altitude (1300 ft) as radar service was terminated and to contact easterwood tower. At the next possible break in communication, I reported to tower my position and that I could begin an immediate base leg for runway 34. I was told by tower that I would be #2 in line as a cessna was on short final. At this point, I was already over 1 mi past the threshold of runway 34, and began my turn to base and then a few mins later reported my turn to final. Tower a few mins later gave my position much further out than actual. At this time I reported that I was over the ILS sequence lights of runway 34 and about 200 ft above, with another cessna cleared to land ahead of me. Tower then wanted to know who handed me off and also replied to me they 'never heard of me and I had cut in front of another aircraft' I was able to land without incident to my aircraft or aircraft immediately behind me. No evasive action was required. Tower seemed very rattled due to the high volume of traffic and I believe he had my call sign mixed up with another aircraft. I was curious as to why ZHU brought me in so flose then dropped me over to tower so quick, but airport has no radar facilities and with such a high volume of traffic, extremely busy communications and hard to get a word in edgewise even when on final, this was probably the safest way. I was told by the local FBO that the tower's printer which handles the handoffs of incoming traffic from ZHU had crashed and had really thrown the tower into a tailspin of trying to keep up with all the traffic. Hopefully, in the future a failsafe system of handling the handoffs would be developed to prevent being dropped into a no radar airport with such a high volume of expected traffic. Especially after a great deal of vectoring to fit into the traffic stream then a 'free for all' at the last min. I believe everyone was doing the best they could under the load and circumstances of data failure between tower and center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARR LNDG SEQUENCE.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS TERMINATING AT COLLEGE STATION -- EASTERWOOD ARPT NEAR COLLEGE STATION, TX, IN VERY HVY TFC DUE TO THE TEXAS TECH AND TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL GAME, I WAS CLRED DOWN TO 2000 FT AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF VECTORING FOR TFC, AND WAS TOLD BY ZHU THEY WOULD BRING ME IN ON A DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 34. BEFORE THEIR HDOF TO TWR FREQ, JUST ASTERN OF THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 34, ZHU HANDED ME OFF TO TWR WHILE STILL AT 2000 FT, BUT WAS TOLD I COULD DSND TO PATTERN ALT (1300 FT) AS RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED AND TO CONTACT EASTERWOOD TWR. AT THE NEXT POSSIBLE BREAK IN COM, I RPTED TO TWR MY POS AND THAT I COULD BEGIN AN IMMEDIATE BASE LEG FOR RWY 34. I WAS TOLD BY TWR THAT I WOULD BE #2 IN LINE AS A CESSNA WAS ON SHORT FINAL. AT THIS POINT, I WAS ALREADY OVER 1 MI PAST THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 34, AND BEGAN MY TURN TO BASE AND THEN A FEW MINS LATER RPTED MY TURN TO FINAL. TWR A FEW MINS LATER GAVE MY POS MUCH FURTHER OUT THAN ACTUAL. AT THIS TIME I RPTED THAT I WAS OVER THE ILS SEQUENCE LIGHTS OF RWY 34 AND ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE, WITH ANOTHER CESSNA CLRED TO LAND AHEAD OF ME. TWR THEN WANTED TO KNOW WHO HANDED ME OFF AND ALSO REPLIED TO ME THEY 'NEVER HEARD OF ME AND I HAD CUT IN FRONT OF ANOTHER ACFT' I WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT TO MY ACFT OR ACFT IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED. TWR SEEMED VERY RATTLED DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF TFC AND I BELIEVE HE HAD MY CALL SIGN MIXED UP WITH ANOTHER ACFT. I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHY ZHU BROUGHT ME IN SO FLOSE THEN DROPPED ME OVER TO TWR SO QUICK, BUT ARPT HAS NO RADAR FACILITIES AND WITH SUCH A HIGH VOLUME OF TFC, EXTREMELY BUSY COMS AND HARD TO GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE EVEN WHEN ON FINAL, THIS WAS PROBABLY THE SAFEST WAY. I WAS TOLD BY THE LCL FBO THAT THE TWR'S PRINTER WHICH HANDLES THE HDOFS OF INCOMING TFC FROM ZHU HAD CRASHED AND HAD REALLY THROWN THE TWR INTO A TAILSPIN OF TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE TFC. HOPEFULLY, IN THE FUTURE A FAILSAFE SYS OF HANDLING THE HDOFS WOULD BE DEVELOPED TO PREVENT BEING DROPPED INTO A NO RADAR ARPT WITH SUCH A HIGH VOLUME OF EXPECTED TFC. ESPECIALLY AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF VECTORING TO FIT INTO THE TFC STREAM THEN A 'FREE FOR ALL' AT THE LAST MIN. I BELIEVE EVERYONE WAS DOING THE BEST THEY COULD UNDER THE LOAD AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF DATA FAILURE BTWN TWR AND CTR.

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.