Narrative:

I was giving a student pilot flight instruction and we were on the way back to rvs. We were VFR over the town of sapulpa and made radio and radar contact with tul approach class C service. We were about 6-7 NM southwest of the airport at 2000 ft MSL (about 1300 ft AGL). The winds were 150 degrees at about 10 KTS. The ILS approach is to runway 1L, with a r-hand circle to land on runway 19R if you were landing after the ILS on that day. The controller gave me a clearance to 'enter midfield right downwind for runway 19R,' and I acknowledged. A few seconds later he gave another clearance 'do a left 360 degree turn on downwind for traffic spacing on the ILS.' I was confused by his clearance so I asked the controller 'do you want me to do the left 360 degree turn now or on downwind?' I meant downwind once established in the traffic pattern. The controller answered something like 'left 360 degree turn then continue the downwind.' we started a left 360 degree turn over the eastern edge of sapulpa, about 1-2 NM southwest of rvs class D airspace. After about 30 degrees of turn, I told my student to stop the turn, and we turned back to our inbound heading to rvs. I was still confused by the controller's clearance. Sometimes the tower controller picks up the approach controller's previous clearance to me and reissues it. I thought that would happen here, and I thought I needed to do a 360 degree turn on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern after I was established on downwind. I thought the ILS traffic was breaking off the approach early and circling to land, and would be in front of us. We penetrated rvs class D without being told to contact the tower and still on tul approach frequency. I was not concerned too much about this because it happens regularly during heavy traffic periods. Usually I tell tul approach I have rvs in sight and they clear me to contact rvs tower. About 4-5 NM from rvs, tul approach asked 'have you done that left 360 degree turn yet?' I answered 'negative' and chose not to elaborate because of the situation and because at the same time my student and I saw a single engine low wing airplane climbing out about 400-500 ft above us and about 100 ft in front of us, from about our 1-2 O'clock position. It was obviously the traffic that was on the ILS on missed approach. We first saw it when it was about 1/4 mi away. After a brief moment (I assume he was talking to someone else), the controller issued a clearance to 'do the left 360 degree turn immediately.' we acknowledged and after we completed it he handed us off to rvs tower and told us to have a good day (I was surprised). I told him, thanks and sorry for the trouble. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT FLYING A C172 RECEIVED CONFUSING INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC AT TUL THAT WAS NOT RESOLVED PRIOR TO AN NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING A STUDENT PLT FLT INSTRUCTION AND WE WERE ON THE WAY BACK TO RVS. WE WERE VFR OVER THE TOWN OF SAPULPA AND MADE RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WITH TUL APCH CLASS C SVC. WE WERE ABOUT 6-7 NM SW OF THE ARPT AT 2000 FT MSL (ABOUT 1300 FT AGL). THE WINDS WERE 150 DEGS AT ABOUT 10 KTS. THE ILS APCH IS TO RWY 1L, WITH A R-HAND CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 19R IF YOU WERE LNDG AFTER THE ILS ON THAT DAY. THE CTLR GAVE ME A CLRNC TO 'ENTER MIDFIELD R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19R,' AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. A FEW SECONDS LATER HE GAVE ANOTHER CLRNC 'DO A L 360 DEG TURN ON DOWNWIND FOR TFC SPACING ON THE ILS.' I WAS CONFUSED BY HIS CLRNC SO I ASKED THE CTLR 'DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THE L 360 DEG TURN NOW OR ON DOWNWIND?' I MEANT DOWNWIND ONCE ESTABLISHED IN THE TFC PATTERN. THE CTLR ANSWERED SOMETHING LIKE 'L 360 DEG TURN THEN CONTINUE THE DOWNWIND.' WE STARTED A L 360 DEG TURN OVER THE EASTERN EDGE OF SAPULPA, ABOUT 1-2 NM SW OF RVS CLASS D AIRSPACE. AFTER ABOUT 30 DEGS OF TURN, I TOLD MY STUDENT TO STOP THE TURN, AND WE TURNED BACK TO OUR INBOUND HDG TO RVS. I WAS STILL CONFUSED BY THE CTLR'S CLRNC. SOMETIMES THE TWR CTLR PICKS UP THE APCH CTLR'S PREVIOUS CLRNC TO ME AND REISSUES IT. I THOUGHT THAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE, AND I THOUGHT I NEEDED TO DO A 360 DEG TURN ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TFC PATTERN AFTER I WAS ESTABLISHED ON DOWNWIND. I THOUGHT THE ILS TFC WAS BREAKING OFF THE APCH EARLY AND CIRCLING TO LAND, AND WOULD BE IN FRONT OF US. WE PENETRATED RVS CLASS D WITHOUT BEING TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR AND STILL ON TUL APCH FREQ. I WAS NOT CONCERNED TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT HAPPENS REGULARLY DURING HVY TFC PERIODS. USUALLY I TELL TUL APCH I HAVE RVS IN SIGHT AND THEY CLR ME TO CONTACT RVS TWR. ABOUT 4-5 NM FROM RVS, TUL APCH ASKED 'HAVE YOU DONE THAT L 360 DEG TURN YET?' I ANSWERED 'NEGATIVE' AND CHOSE NOT TO ELABORATE BECAUSE OF THE SIT AND BECAUSE AT THE SAME TIME MY STUDENT AND I SAW A SINGLE ENG LOW WING AIRPLANE CLBING OUT ABOUT 400-500 FT ABOVE US AND ABOUT 100 FT IN FRONT OF US, FROM ABOUT OUR 1-2 O'CLOCK POS. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY THE TFC THAT WAS ON THE ILS ON MISSED APCH. WE FIRST SAW IT WHEN IT WAS ABOUT 1/4 MI AWAY. AFTER A BRIEF MOMENT (I ASSUME HE WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE), THE CTLR ISSUED A CLRNC TO 'DO THE L 360 DEG TURN IMMEDIATELY.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND AFTER WE COMPLETED IT HE HANDED US OFF TO RVS TWR AND TOLD US TO HAVE A GOOD DAY (I WAS SURPRISED). I TOLD HIM, THANKS AND SORRY FOR THE TROUBLE. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.