Narrative:

At 17 NM north of koa, I contacted koa tower, gave position, koa told me to contact at 5 NM. At 8 DME, airport was approaching, contacted koa. Koa told me to contact at 5 mi. At 5 DME, nearly abeam airport, contacted tower. Tower told me to continue along road to 2 mi. At 2 DME contacted tower, as a bonanza zoomed by at near altitude to me on approach to koa. Tower asked me if I could see the airport because couldn't see me. I said I see airport and have overflown it per tower instructions. Tower thinks I'm at wrong airport. I say I'm looking at runway 35. Another aircraft sees me and requests to do a 360 degree turn. Then I'm given instructions to approach downwind runway 17 for landing. As I'm flying downwind, tower asks me if there's anyone else in my airplane. (My impression is he wants to talk to my CFI.) I inform tower I'm carrying a passenger but I'm the PIC. I then land -- no further incident. What did I do wrong? I gave relative bearing position reports which led to a relative confusion. Next time I will support my position reports with landmark references. Also, I relied on DME/VOR but it is offset from airport by 4 mi or so. I also assumed that the tower knew where I was and was taking me to runway 35 on purpose. Next time I'm going to ask the tower, 'do you see me because I see you!'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT ON APCH TO KOA ARPT HAS COM CONFUSION REGARDING POS AND NMAC WITH A BONANZA AT 2 MI. ATC DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AWARE OF RPTR POS WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN BASED ON VOR DISTANCES VERSUS ARPT DISTANCE.

Narrative: AT 17 NM N OF KOA, I CONTACTED KOA TWR, GAVE POS, KOA TOLD ME TO CONTACT AT 5 NM. AT 8 DME, ARPT WAS APCHING, CONTACTED KOA. KOA TOLD ME TO CONTACT AT 5 MI. AT 5 DME, NEARLY ABEAM ARPT, CONTACTED TWR. TWR TOLD ME TO CONTINUE ALONG ROAD TO 2 MI. AT 2 DME CONTACTED TWR, AS A BONANZA ZOOMED BY AT NEAR ALT TO ME ON APCH TO KOA. TWR ASKED ME IF I COULD SEE THE ARPT BECAUSE COULDN'T SEE ME. I SAID I SEE ARPT AND HAVE OVERFLOWN IT PER TWR INSTRUCTIONS. TWR THINKS I'M AT WRONG ARPT. I SAY I'M LOOKING AT RWY 35. ANOTHER ACFT SEES ME AND REQUESTS TO DO A 360 DEG TURN. THEN I'M GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO APCH DOWNWIND RWY 17 FOR LNDG. AS I'M FLYING DOWNWIND, TWR ASKS ME IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE IN MY AIRPLANE. (MY IMPRESSION IS HE WANTS TO TALK TO MY CFI.) I INFORM TWR I'M CARRYING A PAX BUT I'M THE PIC. I THEN LAND -- NO FURTHER INCIDENT. WHAT DID I DO WRONG? I GAVE RELATIVE BEARING POS RPTS WHICH LED TO A RELATIVE CONFUSION. NEXT TIME I WILL SUPPORT MY POS RPTS WITH LANDMARK REFS. ALSO, I RELIED ON DME/VOR BUT IT IS OFFSET FROM ARPT BY 4 MI OR SO. I ALSO ASSUMED THAT THE TWR KNEW WHERE I WAS AND WAS TAKING ME TO RWY 35 ON PURPOSE. NEXT TIME I'M GOING TO ASK THE TWR, 'DO YOU SEE ME BECAUSE I SEE YOU!'

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.