Small transport pilot receives and follows tower instructions then is chastised by tower for not und...

Attributes
ACN	341240
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fxe
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fxe
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff descent : approach landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	341240
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The controller instructed me to enter left downwind for runway 8 and follow a single engine cessna. He explained that the cessna was going to be doing a touch-and-go. The controller instructed me to start my base and square up my turns, before the cessna had turned on his final. There seemed to be ample separation since the cessna was not going to spend a significant amount of time on the runway. The next transmission from the controller occurred on short final and he was irate! He said 'what part of 'follow that cessna' don't you understand? Go around.' I think that I followed his instructions. Neither I nor another pilot and student pilot on board understood why the controller seemed to change his mind. None of us were aware of any other planes in the pattern. Contributing factors: I can only speculate that the controller on duty suddenly decided that he had sequenced the 2 aircraft too closely and canceled my landing clearance. There was no indication other than the controller's anger that anything was wrong. How it was discovered: unexpected instruction from tower to 'go around' when on short final. I was then sent on a long right downwind to runway 8 with the instruction, 'I will call your base.' I attempted to contact the tower for clarification the next day. The controller who answered the phone refused to identify the controller on duty at the time of the event and refused to identify himself as well. This made it impossible to review the event from the controller's perspective.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT RECEIVES AND FOLLOWS TWR INSTRUCTIONS THEN IS CHASTISED BY TWR FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING CLRNC AND GIVEN A GAR BY AN ANGRY CTLR. ATC HANDLING PROB.

Narrative: THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 AND FOLLOW A SINGLE ENG CESSNA. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE CESSNA WAS GOING TO BE DOING A TOUCH-AND-GO. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO START MY BASE AND SQUARE UP MY TURNS, BEFORE THE CESSNA HAD TURNED ON HIS FINAL. THERE SEEMED TO BE AMPLE SEPARATION SINCE THE CESSNA WAS NOT GOING TO SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME ON THE RWY. THE NEXT XMISSION FROM THE CTLR OCCURRED ON SHORT FINAL AND HE WAS IRATE! HE SAID 'WHAT PART OF 'FOLLOW THAT CESSNA' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? GAR.' I THINK THAT I FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS. NEITHER I NOR ANOTHER PLT AND STUDENT PLT ON BOARD UNDERSTOOD WHY THE CTLR SEEMED TO CHANGE HIS MIND. NONE OF US WERE AWARE OF ANY OTHER PLANES IN THE PATTERN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I CAN ONLY SPECULATE THAT THE CTLR ON DUTY SUDDENLY DECIDED THAT HE HAD SEQUENCED THE 2 ACFT TOO CLOSELY AND CANCELED MY LNDG CLRNC. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OTHER THAN THE CTLR'S ANGER THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: UNEXPECTED INSTRUCTION FROM TWR TO 'GAR' WHEN ON SHORT FINAL. I WAS THEN SENT ON A LONG R DOWNWIND TO RWY 8 WITH THE INSTRUCTION, 'I WILL CALL YOUR BASE.' I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR CLARIFICATION THE NEXT DAY. THE CTLR WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE REFUSED TO IDENT THE CTLR ON DUTY AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT AND REFUSED TO IDENT HIMSELF AS WELL. THIS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REVIEW THE EVENT FROM THE CTLR'S PERSPECTIVE.

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.

Small transport pilot receives and follows tower instructions then is chastised by tower for not understanding clearance and given a go around by an angry controller. ATC handling problem.