Narrative:

Departing the west VFR corridor, 7 NM southeast of dvt at 2500 ft I attempted to contact dvt tower. Tower was extremely busy and a frustrated controller was admonishing pilots for apparent errors. I was able to establish communication at about 3 NM out and was told to wait. No further instructions were given. I circled 5 times and attempted another contact with tower. I was told 'aircraft X, I said wait.' 2 more circles and I was told to make right downwind for runway 7R. When on right base a mooney appeared about 500 ft in front of me. I modified my base with an south turn and avoided the mooney. As the mooney was off our right wing, we could see the pilot's eyes, then tower told me to look for traffic, a mooney. The frequency was very busy and I am not sure when or if I was able to acknowledge mooney in sight before tower came back and told me to go around overflying the north runway. I immediately gave power, acknowledged and followed the instruction. On downwind again past the approach end of runway 7R I was told to follow the other plane turning final. (There were 3 planes in the pattern and the controller was mistaking one for the other and mixing up the call signs when giving instructions.) we were cleared to land #2 behind the plane. I slowed the plane to 80 KTS and followed. I was on short final after #1 landed when tower told me to go around again. I immediately gave full power, acknowledged, and went around again. Upon turning right base, in the pattern for runway 7R, I was told to circle while they got out multiple departures. (Throughout my entire residence on tower frequency there were also multiple airplanes being told to stay clear of the area and wait.) after circling 2 or 3 times I was told to turn right base for runway 7L and to change frequency. As I began to comply, the controller also mentioned to watch for traffic turning left base for the same runway 7L that was just instructed for us to land on. I did not see traffic so I made one more turn while I established contact with the other controller. On establishing contact I was immediately admonished for the extra turn and then cleared to land. I replied cleared to land and landed without incident. I was fully off the runway stopped before the parallel taxiway and contacted ground being overly cautious now. I taxied to the ramp without incident, and was told to call tower after parking. I believe the true cause of the problem was simply due to the controller being completely overwhelmed, as was the controller that was relieved. I recognized it at the time, as did my fellow pilot who was in the aircraft with me, so I simply continued to follow instructions as traffic allowed. In answering how to prevent a reoccurrence, I would have to suggest the controller use a technique they use at van nuys, ca, and ask if traffic is in sight before giving instruction to follow or proceed toward other aircraft. Of course more runways would lighten the load and allow more time for the controller to think.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT FOUND AN OVERLOADED ATCT LCL CTLR AT DVT AND THEN HAD LESS THAN LEGAL SEPARATION WITH A MOONEY.

Narrative: DEPARTING THE W VFR CORRIDOR, 7 NM SE OF DVT AT 2500 FT I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DVT TWR. TWR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND A FRUSTRATED CTLR WAS ADMONISHING PLTS FOR APPARENT ERRORS. I WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM AT ABOUT 3 NM OUT AND WAS TOLD TO WAIT. NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN. I CIRCLED 5 TIMES AND ATTEMPTED ANOTHER CONTACT WITH TWR. I WAS TOLD 'ACFT X, I SAID WAIT.' 2 MORE CIRCLES AND I WAS TOLD TO MAKE R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 7R. WHEN ON R BASE A MOONEY APPEARED ABOUT 500 FT IN FRONT OF ME. I MODIFIED MY BASE WITH AN S TURN AND AVOIDED THE MOONEY. AS THE MOONEY WAS OFF OUR R WING, WE COULD SEE THE PLT'S EYES, THEN TWR TOLD ME TO LOOK FOR TFC, A MOONEY. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND I AM NOT SURE WHEN OR IF I WAS ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MOONEY IN SIGHT BEFORE TWR CAME BACK AND TOLD ME TO GO AROUND OVERFLYING THE N RWY. I IMMEDIATELY GAVE PWR, ACKNOWLEDGED AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTION. ON DOWNWIND AGAIN PAST THE APCH END OF RWY 7R I WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW THE OTHER PLANE TURNING FINAL. (THERE WERE 3 PLANES IN THE PATTERN AND THE CTLR WAS MISTAKING ONE FOR THE OTHER AND MIXING UP THE CALL SIGNS WHEN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS.) WE WERE CLRED TO LAND #2 BEHIND THE PLANE. I SLOWED THE PLANE TO 80 KTS AND FOLLOWED. I WAS ON SHORT FINAL AFTER #1 LANDED WHEN TWR TOLD ME TO GO AROUND AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY GAVE FULL PWR, ACKNOWLEDGED, AND WENT AROUND AGAIN. UPON TURNING R BASE, IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 7R, I WAS TOLD TO CIRCLE WHILE THEY GOT OUT MULTIPLE DEPS. (THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE RESIDENCE ON TWR FREQ THERE WERE ALSO MULTIPLE AIRPLANES BEING TOLD TO STAY CLR OF THE AREA AND WAIT.) AFTER CIRCLING 2 OR 3 TIMES I WAS TOLD TO TURN R BASE FOR RWY 7L AND TO CHANGE FREQ. AS I BEGAN TO COMPLY, THE CTLR ALSO MENTIONED TO WATCH FOR TFC TURNING L BASE FOR THE SAME RWY 7L THAT WAS JUST INSTRUCTED FOR US TO LAND ON. I DID NOT SEE TFC SO I MADE ONE MORE TURN WHILE I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE OTHER CTLR. ON ESTABLISHING CONTACT I WAS IMMEDIATELY ADMONISHED FOR THE EXTRA TURN AND THEN CLRED TO LAND. I REPLIED CLRED TO LAND AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS FULLY OFF THE RWY STOPPED BEFORE THE PARALLEL TXWY AND CONTACTED GND BEING OVERLY CAUTIOUS NOW. I TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND WAS TOLD TO CALL TWR AFTER PARKING. I BELIEVE THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS SIMPLY DUE TO THE CTLR BEING COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED, AS WAS THE CTLR THAT WAS RELIEVED. I RECOGNIZED IT AT THE TIME, AS DID MY FELLOW PLT WHO WAS IN THE ACFT WITH ME, SO I SIMPLY CONTINUED TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AS TFC ALLOWED. IN ANSWERING HOW TO PREVENT A REOCCURRENCE, I WOULD HAVE TO SUGGEST THE CTLR USE A TECHNIQUE THEY USE AT VAN NUYS, CA, AND ASK IF TFC IS IN SIGHT BEFORE GIVING INSTRUCTION TO FOLLOW OR PROCEED TOWARD OTHER ACFT. OF COURSE MORE RWYS WOULD LIGHTEN THE LOAD AND ALLOW MORE TIME FOR THE CTLR TO THINK.

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.