Narrative:

My student, mr X, and I were coming back into sna after some instrument training where I was the safety pilot. We were VMC with mr X flying the aircraft. Tower instructed us to enter right traffic for runway 19R and we did so. We had to call the tower twice to report 'downwind' and they seemed distracted and busy. When tower called us back they instructed us to 'extend downwind, I'll call your base.' we acknowledged. Tower then told us to turn base and we did. We then received another instruction that sounded like 'continue straight.' since we were on base this didn't sound right but my student acknowledged that we would continue straight (on base) and we did. This resulted in us flying over into the pattern for runway 19L. Tower then called and complained that we were far left of centerline and asked if we had the airport in sight. We replied that we did and executed a sharp correcting turn and landed runway 19L without incident. Ground told us to call tower on land line. I called and explained that we had heard 'continue straight' while we were on base, tower said, thank you, and no problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INST PLT WITH STUDENT HAS PROB ON APCH WITH MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC WHEN TURNING BASE AND OVERSHOT RWY CTRLINE ENCROACHING ON PARALLEL RWY APCH AREA.

Narrative: MY STUDENT, MR X, AND I WERE COMING BACK INTO SNA AFTER SOME INST TRAINING WHERE I WAS THE SAFETY PLT. WE WERE VMC WITH MR X FLYING THE ACFT. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO ENTER R TFC FOR RWY 19R AND WE DID SO. WE HAD TO CALL THE TWR TWICE TO RPT 'DOWNWIND' AND THEY SEEMED DISTRACTED AND BUSY. WHEN TWR CALLED US BACK THEY INSTRUCTED US TO 'EXTEND DOWNWIND, I'LL CALL YOUR BASE.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED. TWR THEN TOLD US TO TURN BASE AND WE DID. WE THEN RECEIVED ANOTHER INSTRUCTION THAT SOUNDED LIKE 'CONTINUE STRAIGHT.' SINCE WE WERE ON BASE THIS DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT BUT MY STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE STRAIGHT (ON BASE) AND WE DID. THIS RESULTED IN US FLYING OVER INTO THE PATTERN FOR RWY 19L. TWR THEN CALLED AND COMPLAINED THAT WE WERE FAR L OF CTRLINE AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE REPLIED THAT WE DID AND EXECUTED A SHARP CORRECTING TURN AND LANDED RWY 19L WITHOUT INCIDENT. GND TOLD US TO CALL TWR ON LAND LINE. I CALLED AND EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD HEARD 'CONTINUE STRAIGHT' WHILE WE WERE ON BASE, TWR SAID, THANK YOU, AND NO PROB.

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.