Narrative:

Contacted center and received vectors for ILS into hky. Everything normal. Center turned me at OM. He then handed me off to hky. I contacted hky tower and reported 1 mi out from mirty (middle marker). The controller came back and asked where was I reporting my distance from? She then asked if I was reporting from the runway and if center had just handed me off. I reported yes. The controller had just cleared a takeoff on runway 9 (cross runway). I then reported I was 1 mi from the runway. The controller then aborted the other aircraft takeoff roll. I tried to tell her I could break off but she cut me off. I made a missed approach and was cleared for a right turnout. I next decided to try another approach so contacted hky controller again and told her I was going back to center and would be making another approach. She, in a very rude manner, told me to change at my discretion. I contacted center for vectors, never leaving class D airspace. As I was vectored, I paid attention to distance very closely. Center handed me off and I contacted hky then center told me I was 2.5 mi from mirty and to maintain 3200 ft until established, contact hky 128.15. I contacted hky as center was completing the transmission and said 'hky, aircraft X is inbound on the ILS 2.0 mi from mirty.' (2.0 mi to mirty -- mirty to hickory 4.4 mi = 6.4 mi.) the controller came back again and asked where was I reporting my distance from and if I was reporting from the runway. I said from mirty. She then said I must give distance from the runway. By this time I was past the mirty intersection and confusion level was growing, so I tried to sort things out and reported to the controller I was 2 mi from the runway. She then told me I had to have permission to enter her airspace. (I had not left class D airspace and I informed the controller I was going to make another approach before I went back to center.) the controller then asked aircraft on downwind if he had heard my position and if he could extend. I had learned this approach this way and have made this approach a hundred times this same way in the past. The controllers always told me to report mirty which is 4.4 mi. With all the questions back and forth, and the hostile attitude of the controller, I became confused with what she wanted. At no time was there any close call with any aircraft, visibility was 20 mi. I don't know why the controller refused my position and I was afraid if I changed my distance to from the runway it would add to the confusion. But, in any event, by the time all the questions, I was inside mirty and I then reported from the runway. I shudder to think if this had happened in IFR. (Note: mirty is middle marker fix on approach plates into hky.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BL17 CONDUCTING ILS APCH TO HKY EXECUTES MISSED APCH BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC AND CONFUSED ATC REQUESTS REGARDING DISTANCE FROM THE ARPT RPTS.

Narrative: CONTACTED CTR AND RECEIVED VECTORS FOR ILS INTO HKY. EVERYTHING NORMAL. CTR TURNED ME AT OM. HE THEN HANDED ME OFF TO HKY. I CONTACTED HKY TWR AND RPTED 1 MI OUT FROM MIRTY (MIDDLE MARKER). THE CTLR CAME BACK AND ASKED WHERE WAS I RPTING MY DISTANCE FROM? SHE THEN ASKED IF I WAS RPTING FROM THE RWY AND IF CTR HAD JUST HANDED ME OFF. I RPTED YES. THE CTLR HAD JUST CLRED A TKOF ON RWY 9 (CROSS RWY). I THEN RPTED I WAS 1 MI FROM THE RWY. THE CTLR THEN ABORTED THE OTHER ACFT TKOF ROLL. I TRIED TO TELL HER I COULD BREAK OFF BUT SHE CUT ME OFF. I MADE A MISSED APCH AND WAS CLRED FOR A R TURNOUT. I NEXT DECIDED TO TRY ANOTHER APCH SO CONTACTED HKY CTLR AGAIN AND TOLD HER I WAS GOING BACK TO CTR AND WOULD BE MAKING ANOTHER APCH. SHE, IN A VERY RUDE MANNER, TOLD ME TO CHANGE AT MY DISCRETION. I CONTACTED CTR FOR VECTORS, NEVER LEAVING CLASS D AIRSPACE. AS I WAS VECTORED, I PAID ATTN TO DISTANCE VERY CLOSELY. CTR HANDED ME OFF AND I CONTACTED HKY THEN CTR TOLD ME I WAS 2.5 MI FROM MIRTY AND TO MAINTAIN 3200 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED, CONTACT HKY 128.15. I CONTACTED HKY AS CTR WAS COMPLETING THE XMISSION AND SAID 'HKY, ACFT X IS INBOUND ON THE ILS 2.0 MI FROM MIRTY.' (2.0 MI TO MIRTY -- MIRTY TO HICKORY 4.4 MI = 6.4 MI.) THE CTLR CAME BACK AGAIN AND ASKED WHERE WAS I RPTING MY DISTANCE FROM AND IF I WAS RPTING FROM THE RWY. I SAID FROM MIRTY. SHE THEN SAID I MUST GIVE DISTANCE FROM THE RWY. BY THIS TIME I WAS PAST THE MIRTY INTXN AND CONFUSION LEVEL WAS GROWING, SO I TRIED TO SORT THINGS OUT AND RPTED TO THE CTLR I WAS 2 MI FROM THE RWY. SHE THEN TOLD ME I HAD TO HAVE PERMISSION TO ENTER HER AIRSPACE. (I HAD NOT LEFT CLASS D AIRSPACE AND I INFORMED THE CTLR I WAS GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER APCH BEFORE I WENT BACK TO CTR.) THE CTLR THEN ASKED ACFT ON DOWNWIND IF HE HAD HEARD MY POS AND IF HE COULD EXTEND. I HAD LEARNED THIS APCH THIS WAY AND HAVE MADE THIS APCH A HUNDRED TIMES THIS SAME WAY IN THE PAST. THE CTLRS ALWAYS TOLD ME TO RPT MIRTY WHICH IS 4.4 MI. WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS BACK AND FORTH, AND THE HOSTILE ATTITUDE OF THE CTLR, I BECAME CONFUSED WITH WHAT SHE WANTED. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY CLOSE CALL WITH ANY ACFT, VISIBILITY WAS 20 MI. I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CTLR REFUSED MY POS AND I WAS AFRAID IF I CHANGED MY DISTANCE TO FROM THE RWY IT WOULD ADD TO THE CONFUSION. BUT, IN ANY EVENT, BY THE TIME ALL THE QUESTIONS, I WAS INSIDE MIRTY AND I THEN RPTED FROM THE RWY. I SHUDDER TO THINK IF THIS HAD HAPPENED IN IFR. (NOTE: MIRTY IS MIDDLE MARKER FIX ON APCH PLATES INTO HKY.)

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.