Narrative:

Departed bct AM00 local on IFR flight plan to vrb, simulated hood IFR cross country, with practice approach at vrb. Instructional flight, with my cfii aboard. VFR conditions entire trip. Arrived in vrb and completed full approach to NDB runway 11. After missed approach, vrb tower handed us back to ZMA. Center then gave us vectors for NDB runway 29 approach. No other aircraft were on that approach, ahead or behind us. I was under the hood and had intercepted the NDB on final approach course, inbound. Center did not give me a handoff to vrb tower. My instructor then called center and on the second try, was told to contact tower. Vrb radio traffic was congested and there were several airplanes approaching vrb in the pattern for landing. We could not get vrb tower to answer our call. I was still under the hood. Rather than allowing me to fly into the pattern (NDB is on the field), instructor took the controls and executed a 360 degree turn, since we were still unable to establish communication with the tower. During the turn, the vrb tower finally acknowledged. The controller was very upset about the 360 degree turn, citing traffic separation standards, saying we couldn't do that without clearance. However, the alternative would have been worse -- flying into a busy traffic pattern without communicating with the tower. (We were probably 2 mi from the airport when the instructor decided to break off the approach.) the real problem was ZMA's failure to give a timely handoff to vrb tower, then due to the workload of the controller at vrb, the inability to establish communication with the tower. We did land at vrb, then returned VFR to bct without any other problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28-161 TRAINING FLT PERFORMS A 360 DEG TURN WHILE CLRED TO THE NDB WHICH WAS ON THE FIELD AT VRB, FL. INSTRUCTOR PLT UNABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH TWR, ELECTED TO MAKE THE TURN TO AVOID ANY CONFLICTS IN THE TFC PATTERN. TWR CTLR CAME ON FREQ AND WAS UPSET. EVENT STARTED WITH A LATE HDOF FROM ZMA.

Narrative: DEPARTED BCT AM00 LCL ON IFR FLT PLAN TO VRB, SIMULATED HOOD IFR XCOUNTRY, WITH PRACTICE APCH AT VRB. INSTRUCTIONAL FLT, WITH MY CFII ABOARD. VFR CONDITIONS ENTIRE TRIP. ARRIVED IN VRB AND COMPLETED FULL APCH TO NDB RWY 11. AFTER MISSED APCH, VRB TWR HANDED US BACK TO ZMA. CTR THEN GAVE US VECTORS FOR NDB RWY 29 APCH. NO OTHER ACFT WERE ON THAT APCH, AHEAD OR BEHIND US. I WAS UNDER THE HOOD AND HAD INTERCEPTED THE NDB ON FINAL APCH COURSE, INBOUND. CTR DID NOT GIVE ME A HDOF TO VRB TWR. MY INSTRUCTOR THEN CALLED CTR AND ON THE SECOND TRY, WAS TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. VRB RADIO TFC WAS CONGESTED AND THERE WERE SEVERAL AIRPLANES APCHING VRB IN THE PATTERN FOR LNDG. WE COULD NOT GET VRB TWR TO ANSWER OUR CALL. I WAS STILL UNDER THE HOOD. RATHER THAN ALLOWING ME TO FLY INTO THE PATTERN (NDB IS ON THE FIELD), INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CTLS AND EXECUTED A 360 DEG TURN, SINCE WE WERE STILL UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THE TWR. DURING THE TURN, THE VRB TWR FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED. THE CTLR WAS VERY UPSET ABOUT THE 360 DEG TURN, CITING TFC SEPARATION STANDARDS, SAYING WE COULDN'T DO THAT WITHOUT CLRNC. HOWEVER, THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE -- FLYING INTO A BUSY TFC PATTERN WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWR. (WE WERE PROBABLY 2 MI FROM THE ARPT WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR DECIDED TO BREAK OFF THE APCH.) THE REAL PROB WAS ZMA'S FAILURE TO GIVE A TIMELY HDOF TO VRB TWR, THEN DUE TO THE WORKLOAD OF THE CTLR AT VRB, THE INABILITY TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THE TWR. WE DID LAND AT VRB, THEN RETURNED VFR TO BCT WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBS.

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.