Narrative:

I was flying a C152 at montgomery airport (myf), and I was on a downwind at 1500 ft MSL when ATC gave me a clearance for a touch and go, #2 on runway 28R. I replied, cleared for touch and go, #2 and looking. I looked for my traffic and saw 2 airplanes on final, the first on short final about 1/2 mi and the second about 2 mi final. I replied, have contact with traffic about 30 seconds after the initial landing clearance. The controller amended his original clearance to cleared for touch and go #3, which made sense since there were 2 airplanes on final, not 1. While monitoring ATC, I also heard the controller give clearance to a 4TH airplane, but for runway 28L, not runway 28R. When the second airplane on final was off my right wing, I waited a few seconds, checked for additional traffic and made my turn to base. When I was established on base, there was a third airplane on final directly in front of me. It appeared that he was lined up for runway 28L, and I assumed he was the traffic that was cleared to land on runway 28L, so I decided to start my turn to final a little early for spacing, since the parallel runways at myf are very close together. When I was established on final, aircraft #3 was lined up for runway 28L, and I was lined up for runway 28R. Since I was making a right turn I watched him very closely and never lost sight of him. I was concerned about the other airplane, but saw no danger, they land planes at myf in this manner often. I proceeded to land like normal. I then get a call from ATC asking me where I was, I replied short final 700 ft MSL. ATC replied are you climbing. I replied no, do you want me to go around? ATC replied no, land and go to parking. While all this was going on, I also heard a plane going on a missed approach for runway 28R, and another going around. I don't know, if these additional 2 aircraft were the 3RD airplane or 2 additional airplanes. When I landed, I took the initiative and called him on the phone. I tried to explain my actions to him, but he wasn't interested in discussing it. He gave me a short lecture on looking for traffic and invited me to go back up and practice some more lndgs. I took him up on his offer, but changed my mind because I was sitting on the ground for 1/2 hour wasting money trying to get back up because they were extremely busy that day. I don't blame ATC entirely for the incident. To be honest I'm not exactly sure what happened up there that day. I think they were overloaded. I should have not taken ATC's traffic alert in stone. When I saw the 3RD aircraft, I should have questioned them on his intentions. According to ATC, he wasn't supposed to be there or was he cleared to runway 28L?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 PLT, OUT OF SEQUENCE ON SHORT FINAL AT MYF, WAS ACCUSED BY TWR OF CAUSING GAR.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A C152 AT MONTGOMERY ARPT (MYF), AND I WAS ON A DOWNWIND AT 1500 FT MSL WHEN ATC GAVE ME A CLRNC FOR A TOUCH AND GO, #2 ON RWY 28R. I REPLIED, CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO, #2 AND LOOKING. I LOOKED FOR MY TFC AND SAW 2 AIRPLANES ON FINAL, THE FIRST ON SHORT FINAL ABOUT 1/2 MI AND THE SECOND ABOUT 2 MI FINAL. I REPLIED, HAVE CONTACT WITH TFC ABOUT 30 SECONDS AFTER THE INITIAL LNDG CLRNC. THE CTLR AMENDED HIS ORIGINAL CLRNC TO CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO #3, WHICH MADE SENSE SINCE THERE WERE 2 AIRPLANES ON FINAL, NOT 1. WHILE MONITORING ATC, I ALSO HEARD THE CTLR GIVE CLRNC TO A 4TH AIRPLANE, BUT FOR RWY 28L, NOT RWY 28R. WHEN THE SECOND AIRPLANE ON FINAL WAS OFF MY R WING, I WAITED A FEW SECONDS, CHKED FOR ADDITIONAL TFC AND MADE MY TURN TO BASE. WHEN I WAS ESTABLISHED ON BASE, THERE WAS A THIRD AIRPLANE ON FINAL DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. IT APPEARED THAT HE WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 28L, AND I ASSUMED HE WAS THE TFC THAT WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 28L, SO I DECIDED TO START MY TURN TO FINAL A LITTLE EARLY FOR SPACING, SINCE THE PARALLEL RWYS AT MYF ARE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER. WHEN I WAS ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, ACFT #3 WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 28L, AND I WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 28R. SINCE I WAS MAKING A R TURN I WATCHED HIM VERY CLOSELY AND NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HIM. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER AIRPLANE, BUT SAW NO DANGER, THEY LAND PLANES AT MYF IN THIS MANNER OFTEN. I PROCEEDED TO LAND LIKE NORMAL. I THEN GET A CALL FROM ATC ASKING ME WHERE I WAS, I REPLIED SHORT FINAL 700 FT MSL. ATC REPLIED ARE YOU CLBING. I REPLIED NO, DO YOU WANT ME TO GO AROUND? ATC REPLIED NO, LAND AND GO TO PARKING. WHILE ALL THIS WAS GOING ON, I ALSO HEARD A PLANE GOING ON A MISSED APCH FOR RWY 28R, AND ANOTHER GOING AROUND. I DON'T KNOW, IF THESE ADDITIONAL 2 ACFT WERE THE 3RD AIRPLANE OR 2 ADDITIONAL AIRPLANES. WHEN I LANDED, I TOOK THE INITIATIVE AND CALLED HIM ON THE PHONE. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS TO HIM, BUT HE WASN'T INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING IT. HE GAVE ME A SHORT LECTURE ON LOOKING FOR TFC AND INVITED ME TO GO BACK UP AND PRACTICE SOME MORE LNDGS. I TOOK HIM UP ON HIS OFFER, BUT CHANGED MY MIND BECAUSE I WAS SITTING ON THE GND FOR 1/2 HR WASTING MONEY TRYING TO GET BACK UP BECAUSE THEY WERE EXTREMELY BUSY THAT DAY. I DON'T BLAME ATC ENTIRELY FOR THE INCIDENT. TO BE HONEST I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT HAPPENED UP THERE THAT DAY. I THINK THEY WERE OVERLOADED. I SHOULD HAVE NOT TAKEN ATC'S TFC ALERT IN STONE. WHEN I SAW THE 3RD ACFT, I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THEM ON HIS INTENTIONS. ACCORDING TO ATC, HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE OR WAS HE CLRED TO RWY 28L?

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.