Narrative:

We were being vectored by approach control at approximately the above cited position, on a heading of 250 degrees, for landing to the south at rno. We were still at 8500 ft when the controller asked if I had visual contact with a cherokee on final. I replied that I did. She said I would be following the cherokee, I thought. Apparently she must have said to follow the cherokee. Right then, I was still over 4000 ft above the airport elevation, where I had been assigned until that time. I began taking maximal action (gear, flaps, decreasing power while still avoiding shock cooling of the engine) to get down to where I could proceed to follow the cherokee to a normal landing. I apparently went too far west to keep the controller happy, and she became quite agitated, asking, 'what are you doing?' in an agitated voice. She then said I was too far west to follow the cherokee now (or words to that effect), then vectored me north, then east and brought me around for what was an uneventful landing. At some point she asked me, 'what part of my instructions didn't you understand?' as briefly as possible, since I didn't think the busy situation warranted discussion on the frequency, I tried to explain that I was trying to make a maximum descent to a reasonable approach altitude to follow the cherokee. In retrospect I should have begun my turn towards the cherokee and the field earlier than I did. On the other hand, I would have appreciated having been given descent instructions earlier, to make for a more orderly approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 PLT WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW A PA28 TO THE ARPT. THE APCH CTLR PUT THE BE35 PLT IN A SIT WHERE THE ACFT WAS BEYOND ITS OPERATING CAPABILITY. THE CTLR THEN RESPONDED WITH UNPROFESSIONAL COMMENTS TO THE PLT.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY APCH CTL AT APPROX THE ABOVE CITED POS, ON A HEADING OF 250 DEGS, FOR LNDG TO THE S AT RNO. WE WERE STILL AT 8500 FT WHEN THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH A CHEROKEE ON FINAL. I REPLIED THAT I DID. SHE SAID I WOULD BE FOLLOWING THE CHEROKEE, I THOUGHT. APPARENTLY SHE MUST HAVE SAID TO FOLLOW THE CHEROKEE. RIGHT THEN, I WAS STILL OVER 4000 FT ABOVE THE ARPT ELEVATION, WHERE I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED UNTIL THAT TIME. I BEGAN TAKING MAXIMAL ACTION (GEAR, FLAPS, DECREASING PWR WHILE STILL AVOIDING SHOCK COOLING OF THE ENG) TO GET DOWN TO WHERE I COULD PROCEED TO FOLLOW THE CHEROKEE TO A NORMAL LNDG. I APPARENTLY WENT TOO FAR W TO KEEP THE CTLR HAPPY, AND SHE BECAME QUITE AGITATED, ASKING, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' IN AN AGITATED VOICE. SHE THEN SAID I WAS TOO FAR W TO FOLLOW THE CHEROKEE NOW (OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT), THEN VECTORED ME N, THEN E AND BROUGHT ME AROUND FOR WHAT WAS AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AT SOME POINT SHE ASKED ME, 'WHAT PART OF MY INSTRUCTIONS DIDN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?' AS BRIEFLY AS POSSIBLE, SINCE I DIDN'T THINK THE BUSY SIT WARRANTED DISCUSSION ON THE FREQ, I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A MAX DSCNT TO A REASONABLE APCH ALT TO FOLLOW THE CHEROKEE. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE BEGUN MY TURN TOWARDS THE CHEROKEE AND THE FIELD EARLIER THAN I DID. ON THE OTHER HAND, I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED HAVING BEEN GIVEN DSCNT INSTRUCTIONS EARLIER, TO MAKE FOR A MORE ORDERLY APCH.

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.