Narrative:

Atl approach put me on a heading of 280 degrees as I approached pdk from the east. When I had the airport in sight, they xferred me to pdk tower. I was #3, according to the tower, with #1 on short final. I told tower I did not have #2 in sight. My heading had put me on an extended right base to runway 2R. I requested runway 2L, which the tower denied due to traffic on approach to runway 2L. Tower requested I extend my downwind so I turned 20 degrees to the left. A short time later, with #2 now about to touch down, I started to turn onto final. Tower yelled at me 'don't you know what it means to extend a downwind?' at this point I had crossed the extended centerline of runway 2R and could not turn left without violating the runway 2L approach. Tower cleared me to land on runway 2L and asked the traffic, rolling out on runway 2L to expedite its exit from the runway. I pointed out to tower that I had the #2 traffic on runway 2R in sight and apologized for cutting it close. I doubt tower realized I would fly final at 80 KTS. A clearer instruction would have been to turn left. Extending downwind when on base is unclr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ON BASE MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO PDK RWY 2R IS INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO EXTEND DOWNWIND LEG TO INCREASE SPACING ON TFC AHEAD FOR THE SAME RWY. AFTER A SLIGHT TURN OF 20 DEGS TO THE L, THE PLT TURNED INBOUND AND WAS STILL TOO CLOSE TO TFC LNDG ON RWY 2R. THE TWR RECLRED THE PLT TO LAND ON RWY 2L AND TOLD THE TFC LNDG TO EXPEDITE OFF THE RWY.

Narrative: ATL APCH PUT ME ON A HDG OF 280 DEGS AS I APCHED PDK FROM THE E. WHEN I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, THEY XFERRED ME TO PDK TWR. I WAS #3, ACCORDING TO THE TWR, WITH #1 ON SHORT FINAL. I TOLD TWR I DID NOT HAVE #2 IN SIGHT. MY HDG HAD PUT ME ON AN EXTENDED R BASE TO RWY 2R. I REQUESTED RWY 2L, WHICH THE TWR DENIED DUE TO TFC ON APCH TO RWY 2L. TWR REQUESTED I EXTEND MY DOWNWIND SO I TURNED 20 DEGS TO THE L. A SHORT TIME LATER, WITH #2 NOW ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN, I STARTED TO TURN ONTO FINAL. TWR YELLED AT ME 'DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO EXTEND A DOWNWIND?' AT THIS POINT I HAD CROSSED THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 2R AND COULD NOT TURN L WITHOUT VIOLATING THE RWY 2L APCH. TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 2L AND ASKED THE TFC, ROLLING OUT ON RWY 2L TO EXPEDITE ITS EXIT FROM THE RWY. I POINTED OUT TO TWR THAT I HAD THE #2 TFC ON RWY 2R IN SIGHT AND APOLOGIZED FOR CUTTING IT CLOSE. I DOUBT TWR REALIZED I WOULD FLY FINAL AT 80 KTS. A CLEARER INSTRUCTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO TURN L. EXTENDING DOWNWIND WHEN ON BASE IS UNCLR.

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.