A GA pilot reports that a busy ATCT local controller became too busy to work him for a practice appr...

Attributes
ACN	329830
Time
Date	199603
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lvk
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sck tower : lvk
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 1176 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	329830
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was handed off from stockton approach to livermore tower on a practice VFR ILS approach runway 25R about 1 mi prior to LOM. Due to the very busy traffic at lvk I was not able to contact tower until about 1 mi past LOM inbound. When I received a reply it was very rapid and what I remember was at 3 mi turn left (runway 07 was active). Due to the amount of traffic at lvk I called tower and requested to break off the approach and turn left to san jose. This was about 3 mi from lvk. Lvk tower handling runway 07L and the ILS and me. Never did get my call sign correct and seemed confused as to who and where I was. He responded for me to turn right now and contact the other tower operator handling runway 07R. I contacted him and he cleared me through the class D airspace and toward san jose. He then called me and wanted to know who authority/authorized me into lvk, when was I and where was I when sck approach control handed me off to lvk. He also wanted to know what clearance I was given from lvk and where I was. I told him and he then said thank you and I asked for a frequency change he gave it to me and I went to sjc. Due to the heavy traffic load at lvk and with the active runways 07L and 07R there is not much time for conversation especially when there is confusion as to call signs and where traffic is located. I don't think there was any conflict but there was confusion by the tower as to who and where I was. Everything was sorted out once I was switched to the other tower operator.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA PLT RPTS THAT A BUSY ATCT LCL CTLR BECAME TOO BUSY TO WORK HIM FOR A PRACTICE APCH TO RWY 07L AND HE WAS SWITCHED TO THE RWY 07R. AFTER CONTACTING THE CTLR FOR RWY 07R HE WAS ALLOWED TO BREAK OFF THE APCH AND DEPART FOR SJC THROUGH THE CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS HANDED OFF FROM STOCKTON APCH TO LIVERMORE TWR ON A PRACTICE VFR ILS APCH RWY 25R ABOUT 1 MI PRIOR TO LOM. DUE TO THE VERY BUSY TFC AT LVK I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTACT TWR UNTIL ABOUT 1 MI PAST LOM INBOUND. WHEN I RECEIVED A REPLY IT WAS VERY RAPID AND WHAT I REMEMBER WAS AT 3 MI TURN L (RWY 07 WAS ACTIVE). DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TFC AT LVK I CALLED TWR AND REQUESTED TO BREAK OFF THE APCH AND TURN L TO SAN JOSE. THIS WAS ABOUT 3 MI FROM LVK. LVK TWR HANDLING RWY 07L AND THE ILS AND ME. NEVER DID GET MY CALL SIGN CORRECT AND SEEMED CONFUSED AS TO WHO AND WHERE I WAS. HE RESPONDED FOR ME TO TURN R NOW AND CONTACT THE OTHER TWR OPERATOR HANDLING RWY 07R. I CONTACTED HIM AND HE CLRED ME THROUGH THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AND TOWARD SAN JOSE. HE THEN CALLED ME AND WANTED TO KNOW WHO AUTH ME INTO LVK, WHEN WAS I AND WHERE WAS I WHEN SCK APCH CTL HANDED ME OFF TO LVK. HE ALSO WANTED TO KNOW WHAT CLRNC I WAS GIVEN FROM LVK AND WHERE I WAS. I TOLD HIM AND HE THEN SAID THANK YOU AND I ASKED FOR A FREQ CHANGE HE GAVE IT TO ME AND I WENT TO SJC. DUE TO THE HVY TFC LOAD AT LVK AND WITH THE ACTIVE RWYS 07L AND 07R THERE IS NOT MUCH TIME FOR CONVERSATION ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS CONFUSION AS TO CALL SIGNS AND WHERE TFC IS LOCATED. I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANY CONFLICT BUT THERE WAS CONFUSION BY THE TWR AS TO WHO AND WHERE I WAS. EVERYTHING WAS SORTED OUT ONCE I WAS SWITCHED TO THE OTHER TWR OPERATOR.

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.

A GA pilot reports that a busy ATCT local controller became too busy to work him for a practice approach to runway 07L and he was switched to the runway 07R. After contacting the controller for runway 07R he was allowed to break off the approach and depart for sjc through the class D airspace.