Narrative:

On a training flight in the pattern of republic airport (frg), farmingdale, ny, I was with a student trying to get some touch and goes (with a strong crosswind). After takeoff we turned as cleared right, and when we were abeam the tower, on right downwind, I instructed my student to report our position to the tower, which he did. We received the following clearance, aircraft X #3 behind a cherokee (I am not sure whether it was a cherokee or another low wing airplane) on left base to a 2 mi final. I saw the cherokee when it turned final, approximately 2 mi from the threshold, in a 2 O'clock position in relation to my downwind. I had a chance to call the tower when we were abeam the cherokee but received no answer (aircraft X has traffic in sight), I tried a second time and then a third time before proceeding behind my traffic. I was above the lie, about 4 mi north of the airport and 2-3 mi behind my traffic which I had in sight. When I was established on final the tower suddenly remembered me and asked about my position, which I reported. In an urgent call they told me I had not been cleared to turn base, without issuing any further clearance. Obviously the fact that I had not been cleared was more important to them than resolving the situation with a clearance. Under the impression that I was in a dangerous position for myself and for others I turned back to downwind in a 180 degree shallow right turn. Fully aware that it might not be a good decision, but since the tower was making a priority from the fact that I had not been cleared, I was left with no further instruction. While beginning the maneuver I called tower to inform them and expected an immediate answer. In the meantime they had lost interest in me and once more I was in a no-clearance situation. After a while (about 2 mins), they came back to me and gave me some instructions taking me to an 8 mi final, way out of their class D airspace. When I finally made it to the airport they asked me to discontinue touch and goes since I was not able to fly the pattern. And I must agree that I cannot fly such an unpredictable pattern that extends out of their controled airspace. Supposedly I interfered with the normal flow and other airplanes (which is possible). Had tower given me a clearance rather than a lecture it would have been better for everybody. Frg has a limited radar service (BRITE) and should be able to better serve the pilots. Not answering a call 3 times is not acceptable, and when a pilot does not answer 3 times they get really upset. How come they don't live by their own rules? More important: regardless of any mistake I might or might not have done, the right priority is to issue a clearance, continue on final, turn right 180 degrees, fly a heading of...and then only to inform the pilot that he was not cleared. Radio frequencys and patterns are not the place for misplaced pride or authority/authorized contest: regardless of how upset I may be with ATC I never ever argue on the frequency. This report is not an isolated fact but it is a trend in frg where anything smaller than a citation is barely tolerated. I fly from this airport about 5 days a week, 3 flts a day, and hear many similar problems. On the other hand, long island airport (isp) 15 mi to the east where I go almost as often and do my touch and goes between airliners never had a problem of this type. Make your own conclusion. I am not sure I made a mistake but continuing on downwind might not have been a better course of action. I may have not acted as well as I could have but I still believe that frg tower did not do its job correctly: answering my calls, giving instruction as soon as possible, leaving the complaints for a more appropriate time (off the air).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR QUESTIONS THE FRG LCL CTLR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE INCIDENT, WHETHER THEY RECEIVED A CLRNC TO TURN BASE.

Narrative: ON A TRAINING FLT IN THE PATTERN OF REPUBLIC ARPT (FRG), FARMINGDALE, NY, I WAS WITH A STUDENT TRYING TO GET SOME TOUCH AND GOES (WITH A STRONG XWIND). AFTER TKOF WE TURNED AS CLRED R, AND WHEN WE WERE ABEAM THE TWR, ON R DOWNWIND, I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO RPT OUR POS TO THE TWR, WHICH HE DID. WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC, ACFT X #3 BEHIND A CHEROKEE (I AM NOT SURE WHETHER IT WAS A CHEROKEE OR ANOTHER LOW WING AIRPLANE) ON L BASE TO A 2 MI FINAL. I SAW THE CHEROKEE WHEN IT TURNED FINAL, APPROX 2 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD, IN A 2 O'CLOCK POS IN RELATION TO MY DOWNWIND. I HAD A CHANCE TO CALL THE TWR WHEN WE WERE ABEAM THE CHEROKEE BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER (ACFT X HAS TFC IN SIGHT), I TRIED A SECOND TIME AND THEN A THIRD TIME BEFORE PROCEEDING BEHIND MY TFC. I WAS ABOVE THE LIE, ABOUT 4 MI N OF THE ARPT AND 2-3 MI BEHIND MY TFC WHICH I HAD IN SIGHT. WHEN I WAS ESTABLISHED ON FINAL THE TWR SUDDENLY REMEMBERED ME AND ASKED ABOUT MY POS, WHICH I RPTED. IN AN URGENT CALL THEY TOLD ME I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO TURN BASE, WITHOUT ISSUING ANY FURTHER CLRNC. OBVIOUSLY THE FACT THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN RESOLVING THE SIT WITH A CLRNC. UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT I WAS IN A DANGEROUS POS FOR MYSELF AND FOR OTHERS I TURNED BACK TO DOWNWIND IN A 180 DEG SHALLOW R TURN. FULLY AWARE THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD DECISION, BUT SINCE THE TWR WAS MAKING A PRIORITY FROM THE FACT THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED, I WAS LEFT WITH NO FURTHER INSTRUCTION. WHILE BEGINNING THE MANEUVER I CALLED TWR TO INFORM THEM AND EXPECTED AN IMMEDIATE ANSWER. IN THE MEANTIME THEY HAD LOST INTEREST IN ME AND ONCE MORE I WAS IN A NO-CLRNC SIT. AFTER A WHILE (ABOUT 2 MINS), THEY CAME BACK TO ME AND GAVE ME SOME INSTRUCTIONS TAKING ME TO AN 8 MI FINAL, WAY OUT OF THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE. WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT TO THE ARPT THEY ASKED ME TO DISCONTINUE TOUCH AND GOES SINCE I WAS NOT ABLE TO FLY THE PATTERN. AND I MUST AGREE THAT I CANNOT FLY SUCH AN UNPREDICTABLE PATTERN THAT EXTENDS OUT OF THEIR CTLED AIRSPACE. SUPPOSEDLY I INTERFERED WITH THE NORMAL FLOW AND OTHER AIRPLANES (WHICH IS POSSIBLE). HAD TWR GIVEN ME A CLRNC RATHER THAN A LECTURE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR EVERYBODY. FRG HAS A LIMITED RADAR SVC (BRITE) AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO BETTER SERVE THE PLTS. NOT ANSWERING A CALL 3 TIMES IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND WHEN A PLT DOES NOT ANSWER 3 TIMES THEY GET REALLY UPSET. HOW COME THEY DON'T LIVE BY THEIR OWN RULES? MORE IMPORTANT: REGARDLESS OF ANY MISTAKE I MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE, THE RIGHT PRIORITY IS TO ISSUE A CLRNC, CONTINUE ON FINAL, TURN R 180 DEGS, FLY A HEADING OF...AND THEN ONLY TO INFORM THE PLT THAT HE WAS NOT CLRED. RADIO FREQS AND PATTERNS ARE NOT THE PLACE FOR MISPLACED PRIDE OR AUTH CONTEST: REGARDLESS OF HOW UPSET I MAY BE WITH ATC I NEVER EVER ARGUE ON THE FREQ. THIS RPT IS NOT AN ISOLATED FACT BUT IT IS A TREND IN FRG WHERE ANYTHING SMALLER THAN A CITATION IS BARELY TOLERATED. I FLY FROM THIS ARPT ABOUT 5 DAYS A WK, 3 FLTS A DAY, AND HEAR MANY SIMILAR PROBS. ON THE OTHER HAND, LONG ISLAND ARPT (ISP) 15 MI TO THE E WHERE I GO ALMOST AS OFTEN AND DO MY TOUCH AND GOES BTWN AIRLINERS NEVER HAD A PROB OF THIS TYPE. MAKE YOUR OWN CONCLUSION. I AM NOT SURE I MADE A MISTAKE BUT CONTINUING ON DOWNWIND MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION. I MAY HAVE NOT ACTED AS WELL AS I COULD HAVE BUT I STILL BELIEVE THAT FRG TWR DID NOT DO ITS JOB CORRECTLY: ANSWERING MY CALLS, GIVING INSTRUCTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, LEAVING THE COMPLAINTS FOR A MORE APPROPRIATE TIME (OFF THE AIR).

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.