Narrative:

The WX was unseasonably warm for december at 61 degrees F. The wind was from the west from 5-10 KTS. At about 10 mi out from ilg at 1500 ft with transponder on, I called the tower and was told to report right downwind. I read back 'right base.' the tower corrected my mistake. So I did a routine descent and flew a nice right downwind. I slowed the plane to my pattern speed of 80 mph. I reported right downwind. There was a lot of traffic, maybe four aircraft, all in a left pattern for runway 27. I couldn't see any of them. I was told to follow the second diamond katana. I reported right base and looked for him. I couldn't see him. Then I turned final. I still didn't see him. Then I made him out, off to the left, low and slow. It looked like he was cutting corners doing touch and goes. Anyway, I came up behind him high and to the right. I was waiting for the tower to clear me for landing. He was so slow I couldn't help overtaking him. The tower finally instructed me, 'execute a right 360 immediately!' so I gave her the gun and did a go around with a hard right climbing turn. I flew far downwind almost to the river. I requested another runway say runway 32, because I felt annoyed at trying to enter this left pattern from the right. Finally I was told that I was clear to land on runway 27. Tower instructed me to contact ground. I taxied back to the hangar and the last thing ground told me was to phone the tower. As I was tying the plane down, the pilot of the katana stormed over. 'You have no situational awareness!' I went over to the FBO to call the tower. They already had him on the line and handed the phone over to me. I talked with the katana pilot some more. Sure enough, he had been doing touch and goes. Not a great idea on a congested day. I finally got to talk with the tower. I said things like, 'I didn't see the katana.' I didn't see any of the planes. But I did see him from behind. The katana pilot must have been scared to see a plane above him, not knowing if it would descend on top of him. And the tower obviously couldn't see much more than two planes coming in on final. I think my actions were good. I had a nice long stabilized approach, and easily initiated a go around when it looked like things wouldn't work out. I wish I could have been slower or the katana had been faster. Also, katanas are harder to spot than cessnas. The katana could have helped things by having a longer approach and not cutting corners. I think the controller was working a difficult day and he might have had me extend my downwind to the river in the very beginning. Or he could have not approved touch and goes when the workload was so full!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TFC CONFLICT IN THE TFC PATTERN IS RESOLVED BY A TWR ORDERED GO AROUND. ONE PLT IS UPSET, THE OTHER IS CONFUSED.

Narrative: THE WX WAS UNSEASONABLY WARM FOR DECEMBER AT 61 DEGS F. THE WIND WAS FROM THE WEST FROM 5-10 KTS. AT ABOUT 10 MI OUT FROM ILG AT 1500 FT WITH TRANSPONDER ON, I CALLED THE TWR AND WAS TOLD TO RPT RIGHT DOWNWIND. I READ BACK 'RIGHT BASE.' THE TWR CORRECTED MY MISTAKE. SO I DID A ROUTINE DSCNT AND FLEW A NICE RIGHT DOWNWIND. I SLOWED THE PLANE TO MY PATTERN SPD OF 80 MPH. I RPTED RIGHT DOWNWIND. THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC, MAYBE FOUR ACFT, ALL IN A LEFT PATTERN FOR RWY 27. I COULDN'T SEE ANY OF THEM. I WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW THE SECOND DIAMOND KATANA. I RPTED RIGHT BASE AND LOOKED FOR HIM. I COULDN'T SEE HIM. THEN I TURNED FINAL. I STILL DIDN'T SEE HIM. THEN I MADE HIM OUT, OFF TO THE LEFT, LOW AND SLOW. IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS CUTTING CORNERS DOING TOUCH AND GOES. ANYWAY, I CAME UP BEHIND HIM HIGH AND TO THE RIGHT. I WAS WAITING FOR THE TWR TO CLR ME FOR LNDG. HE WAS SO SLOW I COULDN'T HELP OVERTAKING HIM. THE TWR FINALLY INSTRUCTED ME, 'EXECUTE A RIGHT 360 IMMEDIATELY!' SO I GAVE HER THE GUN AND DID A GAR WITH A HARD RIGHT CLBING TURN. I FLEW FAR DOWNWIND ALMOST TO THE RIVER. I REQUESTED ANOTHER RWY SAY RWY 32, BECAUSE I FELT ANNOYED AT TRYING TO ENTER THIS LEFT PATTERN FROM THE RIGHT. FINALLY I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS CLR TO LAND ON RWY 27. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT GND. I TAXIED BACK TO THE HANGAR AND THE LAST THING GND TOLD ME WAS TO PHONE THE TWR. AS I WAS TYING THE PLANE DOWN, THE PLT OF THE KATANA STORMED OVER. 'YOU HAVE NO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS!' I WENT OVER TO THE FBO TO CALL THE TWR. THEY ALREADY HAD HIM ON THE LINE AND HANDED THE PHONE OVER TO ME. I TALKED WITH THE KATANA PLT SOME MORE. SURE ENOUGH, HE HAD BEEN DOING TOUCH AND GOES. NOT A GREAT IDEA ON A CONGESTED DAY. I FINALLY GOT TO TALK WITH THE TWR. I SAID THINGS LIKE, 'I DIDN'T SEE THE KATANA.' I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THE PLANES. BUT I DID SEE HIM FROM BEHIND. THE KATANA PLT MUST HAVE BEEN SCARED TO SEE A PLANE ABOVE HIM, NOT KNOWING IF IT WOULD DESCEND ON TOP OF HIM. AND THE TWR OBVIOUSLY COULDN'T SEE MUCH MORE THAN TWO PLANES COMING IN ON FINAL. I THINK MY ACTIONS WERE GOOD. I HAD A NICE LONG STABILIZED APCH, AND EASILY INITIATED A GAR WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE THINGS WOULDN'T WORK OUT. I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN SLOWER OR THE KATANA HAD BEEN FASTER. ALSO, KATANAS ARE HARDER TO SPOT THAN CESSNAS. THE KATANA COULD HAVE HELPED THINGS BY HAVING A LONGER APCH AND NOT CUTTING CORNERS. I THINK THE CTLR WAS WORKING A DIFFICULT DAY AND HE MIGHT HAVE HAD ME EXTEND MY DOWNWIND TO THE RIVER IN THE VERY BEGINNING. OR HE COULD HAVE NOT APPROVED TOUCH AND GOES WHEN THE WORKLOAD WAS SO FULL!

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.