Narrative:

Landing at lou, visual approach runway 24, IFR flight plan, VMC, ATIS reported visibility 4 mi haze. Louisville approach tells me to expect runway 24 at lou, that they have recently changed runways from runway 6 to runway 24 (lou ATIS not yet updated). Handed off to lou tower. Lou instructed me to 'enter the pattern, runway 24.' I ask for a right base entry to clarify. Tower approves that. Nothing further heard from tower to me until I initiate it. As I enter the pattern, I become aware of a discussion occurring between tower and an aircraft waiting to take off. I can clearly see 2 aircraft holding short of runway 24. Tower instructs the aircraft to 'taxi into position and hold.' I see nothing happening. I continue the visual approach, at this point about 1/2 mi final runway 24. Then I see a cessna taxiing into position on runway 6. I immediately say to tower, 'am I cleared to land?' tower tells cessna to taxi off runway 6. As I cross the numbers, just about to advance the throttle for a go around, and at about 50 ft AGL, I am cleared to land. After landing, I observe a takeoff of the cessna from runway 6 straight into a landing aircraft on runway 24. From my perspective at the FBO, it is difficult to tell how close the 2 aircraft came. Were I the pilot of the low wing, I would have been upset. Tower used unclr instructions. He did not say 'runway 6.' had he, I would immediately have been clued into a potential conflict a crucial 20 seconds earlier in my visual approach. Tower did a poor job managing a single piece of pavement. He lost situational awareness of my inbound. He quite possibly caused a safety issue with the runway 6 outbound against the next runway 24 inbound. From my perspective, a chain of events had started here that could easily have ended with 2 aircraft colliding. It is quite possible my inquiring of tower, was the one thing that broke the chain and forced one of two right decisions to be made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 QUESTIONS LNDG CLRNC AS TWR CLRS A C172 TO TAXI INTO POS FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION TKOF.

Narrative: LNDG AT LOU, VISUAL APCH RWY 24, IFR FLT PLAN, VMC, ATIS RPTED VISIBILITY 4 MI HAZE. LOUISVILLE APCH TELLS ME TO EXPECT RWY 24 AT LOU, THAT THEY HAVE RECENTLY CHANGED RWYS FROM RWY 6 TO RWY 24 (LOU ATIS NOT YET UPDATED). HANDED OFF TO LOU TWR. LOU INSTRUCTED ME TO 'ENTER THE PATTERN, RWY 24.' I ASK FOR A R BASE ENTRY TO CLARIFY. TWR APPROVES THAT. NOTHING FURTHER HEARD FROM TWR TO ME UNTIL I INITIATE IT. AS I ENTER THE PATTERN, I BECOME AWARE OF A DISCUSSION OCCURRING BTWN TWR AND AN ACFT WAITING TO TAKE OFF. I CAN CLRLY SEE 2 ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 24. TWR INSTRUCTS THE ACFT TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' I SEE NOTHING HAPPENING. I CONTINUE THE VISUAL APCH, AT THIS POINT ABOUT 1/2 MI FINAL RWY 24. THEN I SEE A CESSNA TAXIING INTO POS ON RWY 6. I IMMEDIATELY SAY TO TWR, 'AM I CLRED TO LAND?' TWR TELLS CESSNA TO TAXI OFF RWY 6. AS I CROSS THE NUMBERS, JUST ABOUT TO ADVANCE THE THROTTLE FOR A GAR, AND AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL, I AM CLRED TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, I OBSERVE A TKOF OF THE CESSNA FROM RWY 6 STRAIGHT INTO A LNDG ACFT ON RWY 24. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AT THE FBO, IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL HOW CLOSE THE 2 ACFT CAME. WERE I THE PLT OF THE LOW WING, I WOULD HAVE BEEN UPSET. TWR USED UNCLR INSTRUCTIONS. HE DID NOT SAY 'RWY 6.' HAD HE, I WOULD IMMEDIATELY HAVE BEEN CLUED INTO A POTENTIAL CONFLICT A CRUCIAL 20 SECONDS EARLIER IN MY VISUAL APCH. TWR DID A POOR JOB MANAGING A SINGLE PIECE OF PAVEMENT. HE LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF MY INBOUND. HE QUITE POSSIBLY CAUSED A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE RWY 6 OUTBOUND AGAINST THE NEXT RWY 24 INBOUND. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, A CHAIN OF EVENTS HAD STARTED HERE THAT COULD EASILY HAVE ENDED WITH 2 ACFT COLLIDING. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE MY INQUIRING OF TWR, WAS THE ONE THING THAT BROKE THE CHAIN AND FORCED ONE OF TWO RIGHT DECISIONS TO BE MADE.

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.