Narrative:

I was instructing a post solo student in a new airplane (C172) at a new airport (his 4TH flight at jvl). After 50 mins of air work, we returned for touch-and-goes on runway 22. After climb out from the first touch-and-go, ATC asked to make right traffic. The student missed the call, so I read it back. The pattern was normal until base (approximately 1 mi north of airport) where the student had not started his descent to the runway from pattern altitude. Since we had not received clearance for another touch-and-go and the student was behind the airplane, I called ATC advising right base. At this point, ATC told us to make a left turn, ' I have traffic at black, I told you to report before turning base.' the student asked me what the controller wanted, as the controller finished the transmission and since a left turn would have turned us in to the traffic on final, I asked the controller to say again. ATC stated 'fly through final and enter an extended left downwind, I told you to report midfield right downwind. Didn't you hear I had king air traffic at black.?' before I could respond, the student asked me what 'black' was. I responded to ATC, 'no sir you did not.' ATC responded 'I told you to report before turning right base when I told you to make right traffic.' rather than argue over the radio, I asked for the controller's initials. ATC responded with initials and cleared us to follow the bonanza (second airplane) over 'black,' which I acknowledged. The student asked what 'black' was. I asked the student what he would do if I wasn't there. The student asked ATC what 'black' was. ATC answered it's an intersection 5 mi northeast of the airport. (Black is the FAF for the VOR/DME 22.) the student followed the second airplane (5 mi final) to another touch-and-go, followed by a full stop. As luck would have it, one of the local controllers (I think a supervisor) was at the FBO when we landed. I told him about the situation. He said it didn't sound right. Since I was on base and the king air at 'black' there was at least 4 mi separation. 'You could have been back on downwind by the time the king touched down.' I asked him if it was SOP to report traffic at an IFR intersection. He said no, that approach isn't used often and besides no VFR pilot knowas where it is. (My point exactly.) I told him about the turning base report the controller insisted he gave me, but I don't think he did. He told me some of the controllers around here tell aircraft to report base all the time and he may have thought he gave you that. He said he would listen to the tape and get back to me. This tower is run by a contract service not by the FAA. Many of my colleagues have had several problems here. Most of the sits are the result of loss of situational awareness on the part of the local controllers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR QUESTIONS JVL CTLR WHEN ADVISED THAT C172, IN TFC PATTERN, WAS IN CONFLICT WITH BE90 ON VOR 22 APCH 5 MI N OF ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTING A POST SOLO STUDENT IN A NEW AIRPLANE (C172) AT A NEW ARPT (HIS 4TH FLT AT JVL). AFTER 50 MINS OF AIR WORK, WE RETURNED FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES ON RWY 22. AFTER CLBOUT FROM THE FIRST TOUCH-AND-GO, ATC ASKED TO MAKE R TFC. THE STUDENT MISSED THE CALL, SO I READ IT BACK. THE PATTERN WAS NORMAL UNTIL BASE (APPROX 1 MI N OF ARPT) WHERE THE STUDENT HAD NOT STARTED HIS DSCNT TO THE RWY FROM PATTERN ALT. SINCE WE HAD NOT RECEIVED CLRNC FOR ANOTHER TOUCH-AND-GO AND THE STUDENT WAS BEHIND THE AIRPLANE, I CALLED ATC ADVISING R BASE. AT THIS POINT, ATC TOLD US TO MAKE A L TURN, ' I HAVE TFC AT BLACK, I TOLD YOU TO RPT BEFORE TURNING BASE.' THE STUDENT ASKED ME WHAT THE CTLR WANTED, AS THE CTLR FINISHED THE XMISSION AND SINCE A L TURN WOULD HAVE TURNED US IN TO THE TFC ON FINAL, I ASKED THE CTLR TO SAY AGAIN. ATC STATED 'FLY THROUGH FINAL AND ENTER AN EXTENDED L DOWNWIND, I TOLD YOU TO RPT MIDFIELD R DOWNWIND. DIDN'T YOU HEAR I HAD KING AIR TFC AT BLACK.?' BEFORE I COULD RESPOND, THE STUDENT ASKED ME WHAT 'BLACK' WAS. I RESPONDED TO ATC, 'NO SIR YOU DID NOT.' ATC RESPONDED 'I TOLD YOU TO RPT BEFORE TURNING R BASE WHEN I TOLD YOU TO MAKE R TFC.' RATHER THAN ARGUE OVER THE RADIO, I ASKED FOR THE CTLR'S INITIALS. ATC RESPONDED WITH INITIALS AND CLRED US TO FOLLOW THE BONANZA (SECOND AIRPLANE) OVER 'BLACK,' WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. THE STUDENT ASKED WHAT 'BLACK' WAS. I ASKED THE STUDENT WHAT HE WOULD DO IF I WASN'T THERE. THE STUDENT ASKED ATC WHAT 'BLACK' WAS. ATC ANSWERED IT'S AN INTXN 5 MI NE OF THE ARPT. (BLACK IS THE FAF FOR THE VOR/DME 22.) THE STUDENT FOLLOWED THE SECOND AIRPLANE (5 MI FINAL) TO ANOTHER TOUCH-AND-GO, FOLLOWED BY A FULL STOP. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, ONE OF THE LCL CTLRS (I THINK A SUPVR) WAS AT THE FBO WHEN WE LANDED. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE SIT. HE SAID IT DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT. SINCE I WAS ON BASE AND THE KING AIR AT 'BLACK' THERE WAS AT LEAST 4 MI SEPARATION. 'YOU COULD HAVE BEEN BACK ON DOWNWIND BY THE TIME THE KING TOUCHED DOWN.' I ASKED HIM IF IT WAS SOP TO RPT TFC AT AN IFR INTXN. HE SAID NO, THAT APCH ISN'T USED OFTEN AND BESIDES NO VFR PLT KNOWAS WHERE IT IS. (MY POINT EXACTLY.) I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE TURNING BASE RPT THE CTLR INSISTED HE GAVE ME, BUT I DON'T THINK HE DID. HE TOLD ME SOME OF THE CTLRS AROUND HERE TELL ACFT TO RPT BASE ALL THE TIME AND HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT HE GAVE YOU THAT. HE SAID HE WOULD LISTEN TO THE TAPE AND GET BACK TO ME. THIS TWR IS RUN BY A CONTRACT SVC NOT BY THE FAA. MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBS HERE. MOST OF THE SITS ARE THE RESULT OF LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON THE PART OF THE LCL CTLRS.

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.