Narrative:

I was coming from fvx, va, VFR to cho, my home base, and reported to cho tower prior to entering the air traffic area. Approximately 10 mi south of cho, I called tower giving a position report and my intentions. Immediately upon reporting, tower advised me to report a 2 mi right base for runway 3. When I was approximately 3 mi out on right base, I was called by tower and they requested a position report which I gave, and was advised to look for traffic southwest of the airport. I reported back that I had no traffic in sight southwest. Tower subsequently questioned my inability to see my traffic to the southwest, and I continued to advise tower that I did not see the traffic. Tower asked me to look off my right wingtip to look for traffic, at which time I advised tower that I did not have any traffic off my right wingtip that was visible to me. I subsequently saw traffic above and behind me and advised the tower that there was traffic behind me. I now believe that that traffic was heavy traffic, and heard the tower advise him to take evasive action by turning in a different direction. Tower then gave me clearance to land, but prior to landing, in a rude tone asked me if I had an instructor on board which I felt was a direct insult inasmuch as I am a private pilot with substantial time. He then advised me to call the tower on landing. By this time I was very nervous and upset but was well able to control the aircraft. I did not call the tower on landing. With respect to the chain of events listed below, I believe this problem arose because 1) either the controller or the pilot of the other aircraft gave an incorrect position report in reference to the airport and to my position, and 2) that because the other aircraft was a larger and heavier aircraft with a high approach speed that the controller misjudged the closure rate and had planned to clear the heavier aircraft for landing prior to me and realized his error only too late. As to human performance considerations, I believe that the controller misperceived the true distances and relation of the 2 aircraft in an apparent attempt to give the larger aircraft priority in the landing and that he failed to take appropriate action until there was a safety concern. I further believe that the controller's antagonistic attitude toward me as a pilot was created by his own error and that his expression of his antagonism and his request to call the tower upon landing could have created a situation where a pilot with possibly less experience and being nervous over the situation might have had difficulty in landing or possibly threatened life or damaged property. I further note that I have been flying from this airport for a period of approximately 10 yrs, am very familiar with the airport and the surroundings, and have never had a problem with ATC at this airport until this event and I note also that recently the tower has become a contract tower and is no longer FAA operated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL FAILED TO CALL TWR AS REQUESTED AFTER POSSIBLE NMAC WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. RPTR CRITICAL OF CTLR TECHNIQUE AND SEQUENCING.

Narrative: I WAS COMING FROM FVX, VA, VFR TO CHO, MY HOME BASE, AND RPTED TO CHO TWR PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ATA. APPROX 10 MI S OF CHO, I CALLED TWR GIVING A POS RPT AND MY INTENTIONS. IMMEDIATELY UPON RPTING, TWR ADVISED ME TO RPT A 2 MI R BASE FOR RWY 3. WHEN I WAS APPROX 3 MI OUT ON R BASE, I WAS CALLED BY TWR AND THEY REQUESTED A POS RPT WHICH I GAVE, AND WAS ADVISED TO LOOK FOR TFC SW OF THE ARPT. I RPTED BACK THAT I HAD NO TFC IN SIGHT SW. TWR SUBSEQUENTLY QUESTIONED MY INABILITY TO SEE MY TFC TO THE SW, AND I CONTINUED TO ADVISE TWR THAT I DID NOT SEE THE TFC. TWR ASKED ME TO LOOK OFF MY R WINGTIP TO LOOK FOR TFC, AT WHICH TIME I ADVISED TWR THAT I DID NOT HAVE ANY TFC OFF MY R WINGTIP THAT WAS VISIBLE TO ME. I SUBSEQUENTLY SAW TFC ABOVE AND BEHIND ME AND ADVISED THE TWR THAT THERE WAS TFC BEHIND ME. I NOW BELIEVE THAT THAT TFC WAS HVY TFC, AND HEARD THE TWR ADVISE HIM TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION BY TURNING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. TWR THEN GAVE ME CLRNC TO LAND, BUT PRIOR TO LNDG, IN A RUDE TONE ASKED ME IF I HAD AN INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD WHICH I FELT WAS A DIRECT INSULT INASMUCH AS I AM A PVT PLT WITH SUBSTANTIAL TIME. HE THEN ADVISED ME TO CALL THE TWR ON LNDG. BY THIS TIME I WAS VERY NERVOUS AND UPSET BUT WAS WELL ABLE TO CTL THE ACFT. I DID NOT CALL THE TWR ON LNDG. WITH RESPECT TO THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LISTED BELOW, I BELIEVE THIS PROB AROSE BECAUSE 1) EITHER THE CTLR OR THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT GAVE AN INCORRECT POS RPT IN REF TO THE ARPT AND TO MY POS, AND 2) THAT BECAUSE THE OTHER ACFT WAS A LARGER AND HEAVIER ACFT WITH A HIGH APCH SPD THAT THE CTLR MISJUDGED THE CLOSURE RATE AND HAD PLANNED TO CLR THE HEAVIER ACFT FOR LNDG PRIOR TO ME AND REALIZED HIS ERROR ONLY TOO LATE. AS TO HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS, I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR MISPERCEIVED THE TRUE DISTANCES AND RELATION OF THE 2 ACFT IN AN APPARENT ATTEMPT TO GIVE THE LARGER ACFT PRIORITY IN THE LNDG AND THAT HE FAILED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION UNTIL THERE WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. I FURTHER BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR'S ANTAGONISTIC ATTITUDE TOWARD ME AS A PLT WAS CREATED BY HIS OWN ERROR AND THAT HIS EXPRESSION OF HIS ANTAGONISM AND HIS REQUEST TO CALL THE TWR UPON LNDG COULD HAVE CREATED A SIT WHERE A PLT WITH POSSIBLY LESS EXPERIENCE AND BEING NERVOUS OVER THE SIT MIGHT HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY IN LNDG OR POSSIBLY THREATENED LIFE OR DAMAGED PROPERTY. I FURTHER NOTE THAT I HAVE BEEN FLYING FROM THIS ARPT FOR A PERIOD OF APPROX 10 YRS, AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND THE SURROUNDINGS, AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROB WITH ATC AT THIS ARPT UNTIL THIS EVENT AND I NOTE ALSO THAT RECENTLY THE TWR HAS BECOME A CONTRACT TWR AND IS NO LONGER FAA OPERATED.

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.