Narrative:

I called the control tower as instructed by ny approach control. I was approaching from the east in very good WX conditions. The tower acknowledged my first call and instructed me to enter the downwind leg (runway 16) at mid-field. Upon accomplishing this, I called the tower to report mid-field, downwind, runway 16. There was no reply. Soon thereafter there were several calls to the tower from an aircraft on the ground and others in the air. None were answered. I again reported downwind (now abeam the runway threshold) with no reply. My thought: was this now an 'uncontrolled' airport? Other aircraft were calling the tower with no reply. There was no 'control' tower. On final, I made one last call, executed a missed approach with the appropriate call and started a climb to 1000 ft above the field. At this point, the tower suddenly came alive and literally shouted words closely approximating these: 'XXX, you don't do that, not at this airport or at any airport I've ever worked at. Now you go back to the downwind leg and try it again. You're going to do this over and over again until you get it right.' dumbfounded, I answered, 'tower, this is XXX, you watch your mouth.' tower then directed me to execute 2 360 degree turns on the downwind leg. Since tower failed to specify the degree of bank, the altitude and the airspeed to be maintained during these turns, I presume that they were for 'traffic control' rather than for punishment or training exercises. Suddenly, the tower voice changed, and landing was uneventful. I am very concerned, not because there was any traffic hazard, or even a potential conflict. I am concerned because I witnessed the most outrageous behavior I have ever seen or heard in my 46 yrs of flying in more than 40 countries. The tower's outburst could easily have pushed a less experienced person into a thoughtless act. I will admit that my thick skin was shaken to the core.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROFESSIONAL PLT ENCOUNTERS UNPROFESSIONAL TWR CTLR.

Narrative: I CALLED THE CTL TWR AS INSTRUCTED BY NY APCH CTL. I WAS APCHING FROM THE E IN VERY GOOD WX CONDITIONS. THE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED MY FIRST CALL AND INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG (RWY 16) AT MID-FIELD. UPON ACCOMPLISHING THIS, I CALLED THE TWR TO RPT MID-FIELD, DOWNWIND, RWY 16. THERE WAS NO REPLY. SOON THEREAFTER THERE WERE SEVERAL CALLS TO THE TWR FROM AN ACFT ON THE GND AND OTHERS IN THE AIR. NONE WERE ANSWERED. I AGAIN RPTED DOWNWIND (NOW ABEAM THE RWY THRESHOLD) WITH NO REPLY. MY THOUGHT: WAS THIS NOW AN 'UNCTLED' ARPT? OTHER ACFT WERE CALLING THE TWR WITH NO REPLY. THERE WAS NO 'CTL' TWR. ON FINAL, I MADE ONE LAST CALL, EXECUTED A MISSED APCH WITH THE APPROPRIATE CALL AND STARTED A CLB TO 1000 FT ABOVE THE FIELD. AT THIS POINT, THE TWR SUDDENLY CAME ALIVE AND LITERALLY SHOUTED WORDS CLOSELY APPROXIMATING THESE: 'XXX, YOU DON'T DO THAT, NOT AT THIS ARPT OR AT ANY ARPT I'VE EVER WORKED AT. NOW YOU GO BACK TO THE DOWNWIND LEG AND TRY IT AGAIN. YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT.' DUMBFOUNDED, I ANSWERED, 'TWR, THIS IS XXX, YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH.' TWR THEN DIRECTED ME TO EXECUTE 2 360 DEG TURNS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. SINCE TWR FAILED TO SPECIFY THE DEG OF BANK, THE ALT AND THE AIRSPD TO BE MAINTAINED DURING THESE TURNS, I PRESUME THAT THEY WERE FOR 'TFC CTL' RATHER THAN FOR PUNISHMENT OR TRAINING EXERCISES. SUDDENLY, THE TWR VOICE CHANGED, AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I AM VERY CONCERNED, NOT BECAUSE THERE WAS ANY TFC HAZARD, OR EVEN A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE I WITNESSED THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOR I HAVE EVER SEEN OR HEARD IN MY 46 YRS OF FLYING IN MORE THAN 40 COUNTRIES. THE TWR'S OUTBURST COULD EASILY HAVE PUSHED A LESS EXPERIENCED PERSON INTO A THOUGHTLESS ACT. I WILL ADMIT THAT MY THICK SKIN WAS SHAKEN TO THE CORE.

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.