Narrative:

I (aircraft X) was departing from eyw in a C172. I was sitting in the right seat. I requested to tower, while I was taxiing from the tamp, to taxi to runway 9, and if I could take a scenic flight of the island at 1000 ft. Tower controller gave me a right turn after takeoff to heading 270 degrees and told to report when I was going to turn to the north. He pointed out traffic (helicopter bell 206, aircraft Z) operating over a cruise ship at 500 ft below, and another aircraft Y approaching the airport in the opposite direction than mine. That day there was a good crosswind from the south. So after I departed and turned to heading 270 degrees, I noticed that I was continuously correcting my heading to the left to stay on the shoreline. The tower (ATC) was very busy and I didn't have too much time to speak to him. I was trying to turn to the north, but planes kept coming into the frequency, asking and overloading the ATC frequency. So I continued my flight to heading 270 degrees. At that point, the island was on my tail and I didn't have any visual reference for my ground path. I think the wind drifted me close to the final approach for runway 9, while a big turboprop (probably an ATR Y model) was on final approach, descending from a higher altitude. He notified the tower of my presence and he declared the missed approach. I saw the airplane when he was about 300-400 ft over me, almost in my back (tail) about 1/2 - 1 mi distance. I talked with the tower and asked them to allow me to overfly, at 1000 ft, the coast guard station. That is about 30-40 degrees off the extended centerline from runway 9. He cleared me and instructed me to advise him when I was in the vicinity. I tried 2 or 3 times, but he never answered me. I could hear that the airspace was getting saturated. He cleared some other aircraft to land. At that moment, I was over the coast guard station. I was turning northbound in a left turn while I heard another aircraft saying that he had a C172 in front of him and he couldn't land. I thought that that airplane was talking about me. In fact, I saw the airplane on my left where I finished my left turn. The tower questioned who was the mentioned aircraft on final for runway 9? I answered with my n-number and my position and altitude. Then the tower asked me to proceed northbound to my destination because I was getting busy. I told them that I tried to call and I proceeded in my flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA C172 PLT DEPARTS AND COMES INTO CONFLICT WITH AN ATR ON FINAL APCH WHILE CONDUCTING A VFR SCENIC FLT.

Narrative: I (ACFT X) WAS DEPARTING FROM EYW IN A C172. I WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT. I REQUESTED TO TWR, WHILE I WAS TAXIING FROM THE TAMP, TO TAXI TO RWY 9, AND IF I COULD TAKE A SCENIC FLT OF THE ISLAND AT 1000 FT. TWR CTLR GAVE ME A R TURN AFTER TKOF TO HDG 270 DEGS AND TOLD TO RPT WHEN I WAS GOING TO TURN TO THE N. HE POINTED OUT TFC (HELI BELL 206, ACFT Z) OPERATING OVER A CRUISE SHIP AT 500 FT BELOW, AND ANOTHER ACFT Y APCHING THE ARPT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION THAN MINE. THAT DAY THERE WAS A GOOD XWIND FROM THE S. SO AFTER I DEPARTED AND TURNED TO HDG 270 DEGS, I NOTICED THAT I WAS CONTINUOUSLY CORRECTING MY HDG TO THE L TO STAY ON THE SHORELINE. THE TWR (ATC) WAS VERY BUSY AND I DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH TIME TO SPEAK TO HIM. I WAS TRYING TO TURN TO THE N, BUT PLANES KEPT COMING INTO THE FREQ, ASKING AND OVERLOADING THE ATC FREQ. SO I CONTINUED MY FLT TO HDG 270 DEGS. AT THAT POINT, THE ISLAND WAS ON MY TAIL AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY VISUAL REF FOR MY GND PATH. I THINK THE WIND DRIFTED ME CLOSE TO THE FINAL APCH FOR RWY 9, WHILE A BIG TURBOPROP (PROBABLY AN ATR Y MODEL) WAS ON FINAL APCH, DSNDING FROM A HIGHER ALT. HE NOTIFIED THE TWR OF MY PRESENCE AND HE DECLARED THE MISSED APCH. I SAW THE AIRPLANE WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 300-400 FT OVER ME, ALMOST IN MY BACK (TAIL) ABOUT 1/2 - 1 MI DISTANCE. I TALKED WITH THE TWR AND ASKED THEM TO ALLOW ME TO OVERFLY, AT 1000 FT, THE COAST GUARD STATION. THAT IS ABOUT 30-40 DEGS OFF THE EXTENDED CTRLINE FROM RWY 9. HE CLRED ME AND INSTRUCTED ME TO ADVISE HIM WHEN I WAS IN THE VICINITY. I TRIED 2 OR 3 TIMES, BUT HE NEVER ANSWERED ME. I COULD HEAR THAT THE AIRSPACE WAS GETTING SATURATED. HE CLRED SOME OTHER ACFT TO LAND. AT THAT MOMENT, I WAS OVER THE COAST GUARD STATION. I WAS TURNING NBOUND IN A L TURN WHILE I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT SAYING THAT HE HAD A C172 IN FRONT OF HIM AND HE COULDN'T LAND. I THOUGHT THAT THAT AIRPLANE WAS TALKING ABOUT ME. IN FACT, I SAW THE AIRPLANE ON MY L WHERE I FINISHED MY L TURN. THE TWR QUESTIONED WHO WAS THE MENTIONED ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 9? I ANSWERED WITH MY N-NUMBER AND MY POS AND ALT. THEN THE TWR ASKED ME TO PROCEED NBOUND TO MY DEST BECAUSE I WAS GETTING BUSY. I TOLD THEM THAT I TRIED TO CALL AND I PROCEEDED IN MY FLT.

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.