Narrative:

VFR 3500 ft vnc direct lal. Late release from tpa approach (VFR flight following) due to frequency congestion. Contacted lal tower as soon as possible at '5.5 GPS south (we were on the 195 degree radial lal at the time), inbound for touch-and-go.' tower's response, 'call 2.5 mi right base runway 5.' frequency was congested with aircraft on approach to runway 5 and runway 9. Made base call early (2.7 mi). No response. Next opportunity made a call turning final for runway 5. Twin on final reported 'that cessna just out in front of me.' tower issued me go around instructions. If I had reported radial and distance south, situation might not have occurred. I called lal tower on landing at clw and spoke to the controller. He suggested that a more specific and accurate position report would have been helpful. He also stated that early monitoring of his frequency would aid situational awareness. I concur. However, both tpa approach and lal tower frequencys were so congested that there was not enough time to either transmit in a timely manner or to question the right base assignment when a final runway 5 (straight-in) seemed marginally more appropriate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR SENDS C172 AROUND DUE TO SEPARATION NEEDED WITH LNDG TFC AHEAD. C172 RPTR UNABLE TO MAKE TIMELY ATC REQUESTED POS RPTS DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: VFR 3500 FT VNC DIRECT LAL. LATE RELEASE FROM TPA APCH (VFR FLT FOLLOWING) DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. CONTACTED LAL TWR ASAP AT '5.5 GPS S (WE WERE ON THE 195 DEG RADIAL LAL AT THE TIME), INBOUND FOR TOUCH-AND-GO.' TWR'S RESPONSE, 'CALL 2.5 MI R BASE RWY 5.' FREQ WAS CONGESTED WITH ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 5 AND RWY 9. MADE BASE CALL EARLY (2.7 MI). NO RESPONSE. NEXT OPPORTUNITY MADE A CALL TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 5. TWIN ON FINAL RPTED 'THAT CESSNA JUST OUT IN FRONT OF ME.' TWR ISSUED ME GAR INSTRUCTIONS. IF I HAD RPTED RADIAL AND DISTANCE S, SIT MIGHT NOT HAVE OCCURRED. I CALLED LAL TWR ON LNDG AT CLW AND SPOKE TO THE CTLR. HE SUGGESTED THAT A MORE SPECIFIC AND ACCURATE POS RPT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. HE ALSO STATED THAT EARLY MONITORING OF HIS FREQ WOULD AID SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I CONCUR. HOWEVER, BOTH TPA APCH AND LAL TWR FREQS WERE SO CONGESTED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO EITHER XMIT IN A TIMELY MANNER OR TO QUESTION THE R BASE ASSIGNMENT WHEN A FINAL RWY 5 (STRAIGHT-IN) SEEMED MARGINALLY MORE APPROPRIATE.

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.