Narrative:

12 mi west of airport and after listening to ATIS, the very competent primary student, flying his personal aircraft, reported his position and requested entry into the traffic pattern for the purpose of making touch-and-go lndgs. (It was our plan to terminate our practice landing program with a full- stop for lunch.) ATIS indicated that runway 24 was the active runway. Since we were approaching from the west we were surprised to have the tower controller request we report a left downwind for runway 24. (At least, we both understood 'left'.) (see diagram.) I suggested to the student that he request a r-turn downwind entry for our initial landing, which he did, and the controller said, 'I gave you a right downwind.' after reporting a right downwind we were requested to report a right base, referencing a jet on final. The student reported the right base and was cleared for a touch-and-go, immediately followed by a request to land on runway 29, due to traffic on runway 24. The student turned left to enter a right downwind for runway 29. Immediately the controller comments were, to the best of our understanding, as follows: 'why are you doing a 360 degree, is there an instructor on board? If so, he should take over when a student is confused, cleared to land on any runway, since I don't know what your intentions are!' at this point my student handed me a hand microphone. Since I was as confused as he was, I simply asked the tower what he wanted us to do. He said 'land on any runway -- cleared to land on runway 24.' I acknowledged this and we proceeded toward runway 24, which was by now right in front of us. As we came over the fence, the controller said something about 'landing clearance' which we disregarded and landed. I instructed the student to forget the touch-and-go and advised the tower we were full-stop and requested to proceed to the terminal for lunch. We were requested to depart the runway at 'charley' and proceed to gate. During lunch we drew diagrams, etc, trying to determine what all of this was about. We were unable. There was no other traffic except the jet that was never a factor. The whole thing went from a ho-hum routine traffic and landing procedure to this peculiar situation. The controller appeared to be all alone, as his voice was on all frequencys. There was never a conflict with other aircraft. When we left everything was routine and no mention of the previous activity was made by us or the controller, who appeared to be the same fellow.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APPARENT MISCOM BTWN TWR AND FLC ON PATTERN ENTRY AND LNDG RWY. FROM RPTR'S DESCRIPTION, THE FLC FOLLOWED ALL CORRECT PROCS, BUT TWR DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

Narrative: 12 MI W OF ARPT AND AFTER LISTENING TO ATIS, THE VERY COMPETENT PRIMARY STUDENT, FLYING HIS PERSONAL ACFT, RPTED HIS POS AND REQUESTED ENTRY INTO THE TFC PATTERN FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS. (IT WAS OUR PLAN TO TERMINATE OUR PRACTICE LNDG PROGRAM WITH A FULL- STOP FOR LUNCH.) ATIS INDICATED THAT RWY 24 WAS THE ACTIVE RWY. SINCE WE WERE APCHING FROM THE W WE WERE SURPRISED TO HAVE THE TWR CTLR REQUEST WE RPT A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24. (AT LEAST, WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD 'L'.) (SEE DIAGRAM.) I SUGGESTED TO THE STUDENT THAT HE REQUEST A R-TURN DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR OUR INITIAL LNDG, WHICH HE DID, AND THE CTLR SAID, 'I GAVE YOU A R DOWNWIND.' AFTER RPTING A R DOWNWIND WE WERE REQUESTED TO RPT A R BASE, REFING A JET ON FINAL. THE STUDENT RPTED THE R BASE AND WAS CLRED FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A REQUEST TO LAND ON RWY 29, DUE TO TFC ON RWY 24. THE STUDENT TURNED L TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29. IMMEDIATELY THE CTLR COMMENTS WERE, TO THE BEST OF OUR UNDERSTANDING, AS FOLLOWS: 'WHY ARE YOU DOING A 360 DEG, IS THERE AN INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD? IF SO, HE SHOULD TAKE OVER WHEN A STUDENT IS CONFUSED, CLRED TO LAND ON ANY RWY, SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR INTENTIONS ARE!' AT THIS POINT MY STUDENT HANDED ME A HAND MIKE. SINCE I WAS AS CONFUSED AS HE WAS, I SIMPLY ASKED THE TWR WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO. HE SAID 'LAND ON ANY RWY -- CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 24.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND WE PROCEEDED TOWARD RWY 24, WHICH WAS BY NOW RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. AS WE CAME OVER THE FENCE, THE CTLR SAID SOMETHING ABOUT 'LNDG CLRNC' WHICH WE DISREGARDED AND LANDED. I INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO FORGET THE TOUCH-AND-GO AND ADVISED THE TWR WE WERE FULL-STOP AND REQUESTED TO PROCEED TO THE TERMINAL FOR LUNCH. WE WERE REQUESTED TO DEPART THE RWY AT 'CHARLEY' AND PROCEED TO GATE. DURING LUNCH WE DREW DIAGRAMS, ETC, TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT ALL OF THIS WAS ABOUT. WE WERE UNABLE. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC EXCEPT THE JET THAT WAS NEVER A FACTOR. THE WHOLE THING WENT FROM A HO-HUM ROUTINE TFC AND LNDG PROC TO THIS PECULIAR SIT. THE CTLR APPEARED TO BE ALL ALONE, AS HIS VOICE WAS ON ALL FREQS. THERE WAS NEVER A CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT. WHEN WE LEFT EVERYTHING WAS ROUTINE AND NO MENTION OF THE PREVIOUS ACTIVITY WAS MADE BY US OR THE CTLR, WHO APPEARED TO BE THE SAME FELLOW.

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.