Narrative:

On jul/sat/03, I authority/authorized a student pilot, to conduct a solo cross country flight from northwest regional airport (52F) to ardmore municipal airport (adm) to bowie municipal airport (0f2) and back to northwest regional. Prior to this flight, student and I had conducted 7.4 hours of ATC flight training, plus additional ground hours. We have also conducted a dual training flight to adm on apr/mon/03. Student departed on jul/sat/03, at approximately XA30 local time and arrived in the adm vicinity at approximately XB40. She reported over lake murray, a common reporting point for adm. Ardmore tower acknowledged her radio transmission and replied that she should, 'report left downwind runway 17.' student read back these instructions, stating left downwind runway 17, and tower acknowledged with 2 clicks of the microphone. Student proceeded to the airport as directed and reported to tower when she was established on left downwind runway 17. Ardmore tower immediately responded asking her where she was and why she wasn't on right downwind runway 17. Student startled by the urgency in the controller's voice, responded that she was sorry and that she was on left downwind for runway 17. She pointed out that she had read back the instructions previously and indicated that her understanding was that she was in the proper position. The controller responded that he didn't care what she had read back, she was supposed to be on right downwind for runway 17 and that she should be on the west side of the field because there was another airplane in the area. Student complied and proceeded to right downwind runway 17. She stayed in the traffic pattern and executed 3 lndgs at the airport without event. Upon refueling the aircraft, student continued her cross country to 0f2 and returned to 52F without event. She reported the incident to me upon her return, and I telephoned the controller at ardmore municipal airport to clarify the events. The controller was brisk and questioned student's training and ability to conduct a safe flight in controled airspace. (Most of student's training has been at afw and ftw, 2 airports that are much busier, at least when we've conducted our training, than afw.) I pointed out student's version of the events, that she had actually read back his instructions and was not made aware of an error at the time, and the controller admitted that he was unable to recall (without listening to the tapes) that she had read back his instructions, and, that if she had, what she read back. After hearing both sides of the incident, I have drawn the conclusion that 1 of 2 things happened: 1) student misunderstood the controller and improperly read back the instructions. Instead of 'left' downwind she should've said 'right' downwind. The controller failed to correct her during her readback. Or 2) the controller improperly directed her to 'left' downwind when he intended her to enter on 'right' downwind and realized his mistake after she was complying with his instructions to report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT ON SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT IS CHASTISED BY CTLR AT ADM FOR ALLEGEDLY ENTERING PATTERN INCORRECTLY.

Narrative: ON JUL/SAT/03, I AUTH A STUDENT PLT, TO CONDUCT A SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT FROM NW REGIONAL ARPT (52F) TO ARDMORE MUNICIPAL ARPT (ADM) TO BOWIE MUNICIPAL ARPT (0F2) AND BACK TO NW REGIONAL. PRIOR TO THIS FLT, STUDENT AND I HAD CONDUCTED 7.4 HRS OF ATC FLT TRAINING, PLUS ADDITIONAL GND HRS. WE HAVE ALSO CONDUCTED A DUAL TRAINING FLT TO ADM ON APR/MON/03. STUDENT DEPARTED ON JUL/SAT/03, AT APPROX XA30 LCL TIME AND ARRIVED IN THE ADM VICINITY AT APPROX XB40. SHE RPTED OVER LAKE MURRAY, A COMMON RPTING POINT FOR ADM. ARDMORE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED HER RADIO XMISSION AND REPLIED THAT SHE SHOULD, 'RPT L DOWNWIND RWY 17.' STUDENT READ BACK THESE INSTRUCTIONS, STATING L DOWNWIND RWY 17, AND TWR ACKNOWLEDGED WITH 2 CLICKS OF THE MIKE. STUDENT PROCEEDED TO THE ARPT AS DIRECTED AND RPTED TO TWR WHEN SHE WAS ESTABLISHED ON L DOWNWIND RWY 17. ARDMORE TWR IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED ASKING HER WHERE SHE WAS AND WHY SHE WASN'T ON R DOWNWIND RWY 17. STUDENT STARTLED BY THE URGENCY IN THE CTLR'S VOICE, RESPONDED THAT SHE WAS SORRY AND THAT SHE WAS ON L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17. SHE POINTED OUT THAT SHE HAD READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS PREVIOUSLY AND INDICATED THAT HER UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT SHE WAS IN THE PROPER POS. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT HE DIDN'T CARE WHAT SHE HAD READ BACK, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17 AND THAT SHE SHOULD BE ON THE W SIDE OF THE FIELD BECAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRPLANE IN THE AREA. STUDENT COMPLIED AND PROCEEDED TO R DOWNWIND RWY 17. SHE STAYED IN THE TFC PATTERN AND EXECUTED 3 LNDGS AT THE ARPT WITHOUT EVENT. UPON REFUELING THE ACFT, STUDENT CONTINUED HER XCOUNTRY TO 0F2 AND RETURNED TO 52F WITHOUT EVENT. SHE RPTED THE INCIDENT TO ME UPON HER RETURN, AND I TELEPHONED THE CTLR AT ARDMORE MUNICIPAL ARPT TO CLARIFY THE EVENTS. THE CTLR WAS BRISK AND QUESTIONED STUDENT'S TRAINING AND ABILITY TO CONDUCT A SAFE FLT IN CTLED AIRSPACE. (MOST OF STUDENT'S TRAINING HAS BEEN AT AFW AND FTW, 2 ARPTS THAT ARE MUCH BUSIER, AT LEAST WHEN WE'VE CONDUCTED OUR TRAINING, THAN AFW.) I POINTED OUT STUDENT'S VERSION OF THE EVENTS, THAT SHE HAD ACTUALLY READ BACK HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF AN ERROR AT THE TIME, AND THE CTLR ADMITTED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO RECALL (WITHOUT LISTENING TO THE TAPES) THAT SHE HAD READ BACK HIS INSTRUCTIONS, AND, THAT IF SHE HAD, WHAT SHE READ BACK. AFTER HEARING BOTH SIDES OF THE INCIDENT, I HAVE DRAWN THE CONCLUSION THAT 1 OF 2 THINGS HAPPENED: 1) STUDENT MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR AND IMPROPERLY READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS. INSTEAD OF 'L' DOWNWIND SHE SHOULD'VE SAID 'R' DOWNWIND. THE CTLR FAILED TO CORRECT HER DURING HER READBACK. OR 2) THE CTLR IMPROPERLY DIRECTED HER TO 'L' DOWNWIND WHEN HE INTENDED HER TO ENTER ON 'R' DOWNWIND AND REALIZED HIS MISTAKE AFTER SHE WAS COMPLYING WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT.

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.