Narrative:

After completing a training flight I began setting up for my return to airport. I had been listening to the tower frequency and knew the pattern was busy so I reported well north of the class D airspace. Tower told me to report 2 mi north, right traffic runway 23. When I was approximately 4 mi north, a cessna aircraft that initially reported 8 mi north and inbound was discovered to be inbound from the south, not the north. On initial call up the cessna was told to report 2 mi north for right traffic runway 23. So upon reaching the field from the south the cessna entered what the pilot thought was right traffic for runway 23 when he was actually flying right traffic for the reciprocal runway 5. The cessna flew the wrong way on the left downwind for runway 23. For a very short time before the tower realized what was happening and vectored the cessna north, into my path. We, my instructor and I, spotted the traffic and did not need to take any evasive action. After passing the traffic I reported 2 mi south, to which there was no reply. At 1 mi north the tower asked me for a position report. I reported 1 mi north to a reply of 'roger.' I could not request a turn onto downwind due to frequency congestion. To avoid overflying the field my instructor took the controls and we made a steep turn to enter the right downwind without clearance. Tower called shortly thereafter to ask if we were on final. The poor visibility coupled with the wayward cessna could explain the tower's inability to find me. The use of radar could have prevented this situation by verifying that the cessna was south, not north, and that I was dangerously close to the airport. Unfortunately, the airport is not equipped with radar. This equipment would be very beneficial at such a high volume training airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POOR VISIBILITY, LACK OF RADAR, AND INEXPERIENCED PLTS RESULT IN TFC PATTERN CONFUSION AT LAF, IN.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING A TRAINING FLT I BEGAN SETTING UP FOR MY RETURN TO ARPT. I HAD BEEN LISTENING TO THE TWR FREQ AND KNEW THE PATTERN WAS BUSY SO I RPTED WELL N OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. TWR TOLD ME TO RPT 2 MI N, R TFC RWY 23. WHEN I WAS APPROX 4 MI N, A CESSNA ACFT THAT INITIALLY RPTED 8 MI N AND INBOUND WAS DISCOVERED TO BE INBOUND FROM THE S, NOT THE N. ON INITIAL CALL UP THE CESSNA WAS TOLD TO RPT 2 MI N FOR R TFC RWY 23. SO UPON REACHING THE FIELD FROM THE S THE CESSNA ENTERED WHAT THE PLT THOUGHT WAS R TFC FOR RWY 23 WHEN HE WAS ACTUALLY FLYING R TFC FOR THE RECIPROCAL RWY 5. THE CESSNA FLEW THE WRONG WAY ON THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 23. FOR A VERY SHORT TIME BEFORE THE TWR REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND VECTORED THE CESSNA N, INTO MY PATH. WE, MY INSTRUCTOR AND I, SPOTTED THE TFC AND DID NOT NEED TO TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION. AFTER PASSING THE TFC I RPTED 2 MI S, TO WHICH THERE WAS NO REPLY. AT 1 MI N THE TWR ASKED ME FOR A POS RPT. I RPTED 1 MI N TO A REPLY OF 'ROGER.' I COULD NOT REQUEST A TURN ONTO DOWNWIND DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. TO AVOID OVERFLYING THE FIELD MY INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CTLS AND WE MADE A STEEP TURN TO ENTER THE R DOWNWIND WITHOUT CLRNC. TWR CALLED SHORTLY THEREAFTER TO ASK IF WE WERE ON FINAL. THE POOR VISIBILITY COUPLED WITH THE WAYWARD CESSNA COULD EXPLAIN THE TWR'S INABILITY TO FIND ME. THE USE OF RADAR COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT BY VERIFYING THAT THE CESSNA WAS S, NOT N, AND THAT I WAS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE ARPT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ARPT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH RADAR. THIS EQUIP WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL AT SUCH A HIGH VOLUME TRAINING ARPT.

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.