Narrative:

Going to FAA safety seminar at lzu. I own a cessna 172 and am based at pdk (a very busy GA airport with many big jets). 10 mi west of lzu I announced my position. I am cleared by the controller (lzu has been class D airspace for several months now and it is a non federally controled tower). I periodically report my position and at approximately 3 mi out am cleared to land. All is going normally when on a 1/4 mi final the controller tells me to do a go around as a jet needs to land. I begin executing my go around and jet lands. The controller now explains that the tower is closed, that I am to do left traffic, that there is a jet 4 or 5 mi out to the north of the field and that there are several planes in right traffic, goodbye. While I am coming into downwind a jet pulls onto the runway and sits there. I sequence myself with the jet that is 4 or 5 mi out. Let's call the jet on the runway jet #2 and the jet coming into the pattern jet #3. Repeatedly I speak to jet #2 on the runway and jet #2 does not respond. I do base and final. I now announce that if jet #2 does not depart I will be executing a go around to his right. As this plane has not been communicating with anyone else in the pattern, I don't expect any acknowledgment but am hoping that jet #2 takes off so that I can land. I hold my plane at 60 mph and a little lower as I don't know what is more dangerous, whether to do an immediate go around when there may be someone in the right downwind, and or jet #2 might decide to takeoff and do a right turnout into me, plus jet #3 may also be forced to do a go around and would quickly overtake me, or to fly as slow as I can in the C172 clearing the electrical wires and hope that jet #2 takes off so I can land. My husband is sitting in the right seat and has been transmitting to jet #2 (he is also a pilot). Jet #2 takes off and my husband is screaming at me to watch the stall speed. I land and quickly roll out. Now jet #3 starts complaining about me taking too long on the runway. I taxi off the active and go to the FAA safety seminar. In the northeast my home tower (worcester orh) would broadcast a 10 min warning of tower closing, a 5 min warning and then a 1 min warning. Never would I be executing a go around, and the tower would close without any warning and then leave some planes in both right and left traffic. (Also who expects a tower to close at XA30 pm?) lawrenceville tower gave no warning of closing. I often sequence myself with other traffic, but not while I am doing a go around. I start 10 mi out talking with the other aircraft when I know I am entering an uncontrolled field. I spoke with mr X of the FAA in atlanta and I told him what happened and how much it scared me. He called lawrenceville tower and left a message for the tower chief to call my home number and leave me a message. Mr X also explained to me that if it is XA30 and XA30 is quitting time, then non contract employees have the right to go home. In fact they are required to go home. They have the right to leave planes in imminent conflicting sits? Do they have the right to create a non standard uncontrolled field instantly (remember left and right traffic simultaneously). I know that lawrenceville is proud of getting a tower, but if they don't become more professional about it, I predict that someone will be killed there in the next 6 months. I, for one, will never, ever go near lawrenceville when their tower is about to close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON FEDERAL TWR CLOSES DOWN WITH TFC ON L DOWNWIND, R DOWNWIND, JET ON STRAIGHT IN, AND A JET IN POS AND HOLD ON THE RWY. SEPARATION COMPROMISED.

Narrative: GOING TO FAA SAFETY SEMINAR AT LZU. I OWN A CESSNA 172 AND AM BASED AT PDK (A VERY BUSY GA ARPT WITH MANY BIG JETS). 10 MI W OF LZU I ANNOUNCED MY POS. I AM CLRED BY THE CTLR (LZU HAS BEEN CLASS D AIRSPACE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW AND IT IS A NON FEDERALLY CTLED TWR). I PERIODICALLY RPT MY POS AND AT APPROX 3 MI OUT AM CLRED TO LAND. ALL IS GOING NORMALLY WHEN ON A 1/4 MI FINAL THE CTLR TELLS ME TO DO A GAR AS A JET NEEDS TO LAND. I BEGIN EXECUTING MY GAR AND JET LANDS. THE CTLR NOW EXPLAINS THAT THE TWR IS CLOSED, THAT I AM TO DO L TFC, THAT THERE IS A JET 4 OR 5 MI OUT TO THE N OF THE FIELD AND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL PLANES IN R TFC, GOODBYE. WHILE I AM COMING INTO DOWNWIND A JET PULLS ONTO THE RWY AND SITS THERE. I SEQUENCE MYSELF WITH THE JET THAT IS 4 OR 5 MI OUT. LET'S CALL THE JET ON THE RWY JET #2 AND THE JET COMING INTO THE PATTERN JET #3. REPEATEDLY I SPEAK TO JET #2 ON THE RWY AND JET #2 DOES NOT RESPOND. I DO BASE AND FINAL. I NOW ANNOUNCE THAT IF JET #2 DOES NOT DEPART I WILL BE EXECUTING A GAR TO HIS R. AS THIS PLANE HAS NOT BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH ANYONE ELSE IN THE PATTERN, I DON'T EXPECT ANY ACKNOWLEDGMENT BUT AM HOPING THAT JET #2 TAKES OFF SO THAT I CAN LAND. I HOLD MY PLANE AT 60 MPH AND A LITTLE LOWER AS I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS MORE DANGEROUS, WHETHER TO DO AN IMMEDIATE GAR WHEN THERE MAY BE SOMEONE IN THE R DOWNWIND, AND OR JET #2 MIGHT DECIDE TO TKOF AND DO A R TURNOUT INTO ME, PLUS JET #3 MAY ALSO BE FORCED TO DO A GAR AND WOULD QUICKLY OVERTAKE ME, OR TO FLY AS SLOW AS I CAN IN THE C172 CLRING THE ELECTRICAL WIRES AND HOPE THAT JET #2 TAKES OFF SO I CAN LAND. MY HUSBAND IS SITTING IN THE R SEAT AND HAS BEEN XMITTING TO JET #2 (HE IS ALSO A PLT). JET #2 TAKES OFF AND MY HUSBAND IS SCREAMING AT ME TO WATCH THE STALL SPD. I LAND AND QUICKLY ROLL OUT. NOW JET #3 STARTS COMPLAINING ABOUT ME TAKING TOO LONG ON THE RWY. I TAXI OFF THE ACTIVE AND GO TO THE FAA SAFETY SEMINAR. IN THE NE MY HOME TWR (WORCESTER ORH) WOULD BROADCAST A 10 MIN WARNING OF TWR CLOSING, A 5 MIN WARNING AND THEN A 1 MIN WARNING. NEVER WOULD I BE EXECUTING A GAR, AND THE TWR WOULD CLOSE WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THEN LEAVE SOME PLANES IN BOTH R AND L TFC. (ALSO WHO EXPECTS A TWR TO CLOSE AT XA30 PM?) LAWRENCEVILLE TWR GAVE NO WARNING OF CLOSING. I OFTEN SEQUENCE MYSELF WITH OTHER TFC, BUT NOT WHILE I AM DOING A GAR. I START 10 MI OUT TALKING WITH THE OTHER ACFT WHEN I KNOW I AM ENTERING AN UNCTLED FIELD. I SPOKE WITH MR X OF THE FAA IN ATLANTA AND I TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW MUCH IT SCARED ME. HE CALLED LAWRENCEVILLE TWR AND LEFT A MESSAGE FOR THE TWR CHIEF TO CALL MY HOME NUMBER AND LEAVE ME A MESSAGE. MR X ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IF IT IS XA30 AND XA30 IS QUITTING TIME, THEN NON CONTRACT EMPLOYEES HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO HOME. IN FACT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO GO HOME. THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO LEAVE PLANES IN IMMINENT CONFLICTING SITS? DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CREATE A NON STANDARD UNCTLED FIELD INSTANTLY (REMEMBER L AND R TFC SIMULTANEOUSLY). I KNOW THAT LAWRENCEVILLE IS PROUD OF GETTING A TWR, BUT IF THEY DON'T BECOME MORE PROFESSIONAL ABOUT IT, I PREDICT THAT SOMEONE WILL BE KILLED THERE IN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS. I, FOR ONE, WILL NEVER, EVER GO NEAR LAWRENCEVILLE WHEN THEIR TWR IS ABOUT TO CLOSE.

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.