Narrative:

On my second solo cross country flight, I was planning on turning towards apc (napa airport) about 15 mi away. However, I ended up turning much closer, and when I sighted the airport I was still at 4000 ft AGL, and probably about 3-4 mi away. Contacting apc tower, I was given, and acknowledged, runway 18L (left traffic) as a runway, but I mis-visualized the airport and was setting up for right traffic on runway 18R. The tower contacted me and instructed me to turn around and try again for runway 18L. I reset up for the pattern correctly, however I did not correctly judge the descent rate and ended up too high for a safe landing, so I executed a go around. Tower contacted me again and requested me to go straight out and 'get my act together,' a completely correct act on their part, as at this point, I was a bit frazzled. After calming down and reentering the pattern, I landed and taxied to transient at which point ground requested me to phone the tower. I called the tower and discussed the situation. He expressed the unsafe nature of my actions (which I agree with) and we discussed some correct procedures. One follow-up on to this event was after going home and trying to explain to my 2 and 3 yr olds that I was put into a 'time-out' by ATC for not paying attention. In the future I need to better visualize the runways and patterns as they will appear from my point of view before starting out, and will take more time to communicate with the tower when I am not where they expect. These were both good suggestions made by the tower controller and will be adopted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNCOORD AIRSPACE INCURSION OF CLASS D AIRSPACE BEFORE THE STUDENT PLT GETS A LECTURE FROM TWR CTLR WHEN PLT FAILED TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN IN THE PRESCRIBED FASHION AT APC, CA.

Narrative: ON MY SECOND SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT, I WAS PLANNING ON TURNING TOWARDS APC (NAPA ARPT) ABOUT 15 MI AWAY. HOWEVER, I ENDED UP TURNING MUCH CLOSER, AND WHEN I SIGHTED THE ARPT I WAS STILL AT 4000 FT AGL, AND PROBABLY ABOUT 3-4 MI AWAY. CONTACTING APC TWR, I WAS GIVEN, AND ACKNOWLEDGED, RWY 18L (L TFC) AS A RWY, BUT I MIS-VISUALIZED THE ARPT AND WAS SETTING UP FOR R TFC ON RWY 18R. THE TWR CONTACTED ME AND INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN AROUND AND TRY AGAIN FOR RWY 18L. I RESET UP FOR THE PATTERN CORRECTLY, HOWEVER I DID NOT CORRECTLY JUDGE THE DSCNT RATE AND ENDED UP TOO HIGH FOR A SAFE LNDG, SO I EXECUTED A GAR. TWR CONTACTED ME AGAIN AND REQUESTED ME TO GO STRAIGHT OUT AND 'GET MY ACT TOGETHER,' A COMPLETELY CORRECT ACT ON THEIR PART, AS AT THIS POINT, I WAS A BIT FRAZZLED. AFTER CALMING DOWN AND REENTERING THE PATTERN, I LANDED AND TAXIED TO TRANSIENT AT WHICH POINT GND REQUESTED ME TO PHONE THE TWR. I CALLED THE TWR AND DISCUSSED THE SIT. HE EXPRESSED THE UNSAFE NATURE OF MY ACTIONS (WHICH I AGREE WITH) AND WE DISCUSSED SOME CORRECT PROCS. ONE FOLLOW-UP ON TO THIS EVENT WAS AFTER GOING HOME AND TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO MY 2 AND 3 YR OLDS THAT I WAS PUT INTO A 'TIME-OUT' BY ATC FOR NOT PAYING ATTN. IN THE FUTURE I NEED TO BETTER VISUALIZE THE RWYS AND PATTERNS AS THEY WILL APPEAR FROM MY POINT OF VIEW BEFORE STARTING OUT, AND WILL TAKE MORE TIME TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TWR WHEN I AM NOT WHERE THEY EXPECT. THESE WERE BOTH GOOD SUGGESTIONS MADE BY THE TWR CTLR AND WILL BE ADOPTED.

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.