Pilot disoriented in traffic pattern at night. Possible near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	318762
Time
Date	199510
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cak
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cak
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 281 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	318762
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I am a CFI who needed to get night current. It had obviously been a while since I had flown at night so I thought I'd head into a little controled airspace for a workout with ATC. I have no fear of flying at night, but I do try to be a bit more cautious. I headed down to cak and was cleared straight in for a touch-and-go on runway 19. I was told that I should maintain runway heading and make right traffic for runway 19. On climb out, approach wanted to expedite things so they decided to have me make right traffic for runway 14. I began to turn and must have gotten disoriented because they then had me make left traffic for runway 23. The controller said if I didn't understand his instructions that I should ask. To be safe, I asked for a vector to the runway. I was issued a clearance to land and hold short of runway 19 which I did. I wanted to get one more stop and go, so I could head back to kent state for a full stop and that would be 3 for my night currency. I took off and ATC asked for my intentions. I told them I wanted one more. I remember being vectored around and becoming confused at all the directions while trying to find the proper runway at night. I came on the runway and couldn't recall being cleared to land, so I went around. I was then told to follow traffic inbound because they would be low approach only and I could land. I followed what I thought was my traffic and when I was about to turn final, I was issued instruction to immediately execute right turn because of other traffic on final. I never saw this aircraft but I turned hard right and ATC asked me to depart the area so I went back to ksu for 2 full stop lndgs. I have done all of my flying in this area and am very familiar with cak and its layout, but I think that darkness and the controller's wanting to 'expedite' things proved to be a bad combination. I am a CFI and got disoriented so I'm sure it could happen to a student or a private. Maybe controllers could improvise less at night.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DISORIENTED IN TFC PATTERN AT NIGHT. POSSIBLE NMAC.

Narrative: I AM A CFI WHO NEEDED TO GET NIGHT CURRENT. IT HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN A WHILE SINCE I HAD FLOWN AT NIGHT SO I THOUGHT I'D HEAD INTO A LITTLE CTLED AIRSPACE FOR A WORKOUT WITH ATC. I HAVE NO FEAR OF FLYING AT NIGHT, BUT I DO TRY TO BE A BIT MORE CAUTIOUS. I HEADED DOWN TO CAK AND WAS CLRED STRAIGHT IN FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO ON RWY 19. I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD MAINTAIN RWY HDG AND MAKE R TFC FOR RWY 19. ON CLBOUT, APCH WANTED TO EXPEDITE THINGS SO THEY DECIDED TO HAVE ME MAKE R TFC FOR RWY 14. I BEGAN TO TURN AND MUST HAVE GOTTEN DISORIENTED BECAUSE THEY THEN HAD ME MAKE L TFC FOR RWY 23. THE CTLR SAID IF I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HIS INSTRUCTIONS THAT I SHOULD ASK. TO BE SAFE, I ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO THE RWY. I WAS ISSUED A CLRNC TO LAND AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19 WHICH I DID. I WANTED TO GET ONE MORE STOP AND GO, SO I COULD HEAD BACK TO KENT STATE FOR A FULL STOP AND THAT WOULD BE 3 FOR MY NIGHT CURRENCY. I TOOK OFF AND ATC ASKED FOR MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD THEM I WANTED ONE MORE. I REMEMBER BEING VECTORED AROUND AND BECOMING CONFUSED AT ALL THE DIRECTIONS WHILE TRYING TO FIND THE PROPER RWY AT NIGHT. I CAME ON THE RWY AND COULDN'T RECALL BEING CLRED TO LAND, SO I WENT AROUND. I WAS THEN TOLD TO FOLLOW TFC INBOUND BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE LOW APCH ONLY AND I COULD LAND. I FOLLOWED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY TFC AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO TURN FINAL, I WAS ISSUED INSTRUCTION TO IMMEDIATELY EXECUTE R TURN BECAUSE OF OTHER TFC ON FINAL. I NEVER SAW THIS ACFT BUT I TURNED HARD R AND ATC ASKED ME TO DEPART THE AREA SO I WENT BACK TO KSU FOR 2 FULL STOP LNDGS. I HAVE DONE ALL OF MY FLYING IN THIS AREA AND AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH CAK AND ITS LAYOUT, BUT I THINK THAT DARKNESS AND THE CTLR'S WANTING TO 'EXPEDITE' THINGS PROVED TO BE A BAD COMBINATION. I AM A CFI AND GOT DISORIENTED SO I'M SURE IT COULD HAPPEN TO A STUDENT OR A PVT. MAYBE CTLRS COULD IMPROVISE LESS AT NIGHT.

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.