Narrative:

I was conducting an FAA instrument practical test on an actual IFR flight plan at zweibrucken, germany (edrz). The flight was under the radar control of the frankfurt, germany, ATC. We had been cleared for an NDB/DME 21 approach by frankfurt with the understanding the approach would end in a full stop landing. During the approach I had the applicant inform frankfurt we would not make a full stop landing, but would make a low approach and requested a clearance back to mannheim, germany (edfm). The controller issued the return clearance. As we needed to do a circling approach, when frankfurt released us to the zweibrucken control tower, I asked the tower for permission to make a visual l-hand 360 degree turn upon overflying the runway to simulate a circling procedure followed by a missed approach. I also informed the tower we had our missed approach instructions and IFR clearance back to mannheim. The tower asked if we had coordinated this with frankfurt, and I said 'yes' as I understood the question to be had we coordinated to remain IFR and not make a full stop landing which would have terminated our IFR flight plan. The tower then granted us permission to perform the visual circling maneuver as requested and told us to make it to the left. Upon reaching the runway we did as instructed. Upon completing the turn we began the missed approach and contacted radar, whereon we were asked by the controller what kind of a maneuver was this. We told him and he informed us we did not have permission to do this and doing so was an 'airspace violation.' I informed him we did have permission from the tower to do it, and he said, 'no, the tower asked if you had permission to do this from frankfurt, you said you did, and you did not.' I informed the controller there must be some misunderstanding. We performed the procedure in the traffic pattern which to my understanding is the airspace controled by the tower, not frankfurt center, so I cannot see how we could have made an 'airspace violation.' I do not know if the controller will file a violation. He didn't say he was going to do so, he only stated we had made one. The flight returned to mannheim IFR without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT EXAMINER FAILED TO OBTAIN CLRNC TO CIRCLE AFTER MAKING A NON PRECISION APCH TO A FOREIGN ARPT DURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF A PLT INST RATING EXAMINATION.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING AN FAA INST PRACTICAL TEST ON AN ACTUAL IFR FLT PLAN AT ZWEIBRUCKEN, GERMANY (EDRZ). THE FLT WAS UNDER THE RADAR CTL OF THE FRANKFURT, GERMANY, ATC. WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR AN NDB/DME 21 APCH BY FRANKFURT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THE APCH WOULD END IN A FULL STOP LNDG. DURING THE APCH I HAD THE APPLICANT INFORM FRANKFURT WE WOULD NOT MAKE A FULL STOP LNDG, BUT WOULD MAKE A LOW APCH AND REQUESTED A CLRNC BACK TO MANNHEIM, GERMANY (EDFM). THE CTLR ISSUED THE RETURN CLRNC. AS WE NEEDED TO DO A CIRCLING APCH, WHEN FRANKFURT RELEASED US TO THE ZWEIBRUCKEN CTL TWR, I ASKED THE TWR FOR PERMISSION TO MAKE A VISUAL L-HAND 360 DEG TURN UPON OVERFLYING THE RWY TO SIMULATE A CIRCLING PROC FOLLOWED BY A MISSED APCH. I ALSO INFORMED THE TWR WE HAD OUR MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS AND IFR CLRNC BACK TO MANNHEIM. THE TWR ASKED IF WE HAD COORDINATED THIS WITH FRANKFURT, AND I SAID 'YES' AS I UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION TO BE HAD WE COORDINATED TO REMAIN IFR AND NOT MAKE A FULL STOP LNDG WHICH WOULD HAVE TERMINATED OUR IFR FLT PLAN. THE TWR THEN GRANTED US PERMISSION TO PERFORM THE VISUAL CIRCLING MANEUVER AS REQUESTED AND TOLD US TO MAKE IT TO THE L. UPON REACHING THE RWY WE DID AS INSTRUCTED. UPON COMPLETING THE TURN WE BEGAN THE MISSED APCH AND CONTACTED RADAR, WHEREON WE WERE ASKED BY THE CTLR WHAT KIND OF A MANEUVER WAS THIS. WE TOLD HIM AND HE INFORMED US WE DID NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO DO THIS AND DOING SO WAS AN 'AIRSPACE VIOLATION.' I INFORMED HIM WE DID HAVE PERMISSION FROM THE TWR TO DO IT, AND HE SAID, 'NO, THE TWR ASKED IF YOU HAD PERMISSION TO DO THIS FROM FRANKFURT, YOU SAID YOU DID, AND YOU DID NOT.' I INFORMED THE CTLR THERE MUST BE SOME MISUNDERSTANDING. WE PERFORMED THE PROC IN THE TFC PATTERN WHICH TO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE AIRSPACE CTLED BY THE TWR, NOT FRANKFURT CTR, SO I CANNOT SEE HOW WE COULD HAVE MADE AN 'AIRSPACE VIOLATION.' I DO NOT KNOW IF THE CTLR WILL FILE A VIOLATION. HE DIDN'T SAY HE WAS GOING TO DO SO, HE ONLY STATED WE HAD MADE ONE. THE FLT RETURNED TO MANNHEIM IFR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.