Narrative:

I was flying VFR to ZZZ to participate in a fly-in celebration. I checked ATIS at 30 NM out, called approach at 22 NM out, and received a squawk which I transmitted and pushed identify. On the approach frequency, I could hear lots of traffic flying to ZZZ from several directions. The approach controller was very busy, and I heard them ask aircraft for 360's for spacing, give vectors to avoid conflicts, and give TA's. I heard several pilots correct the controller with their correct n-number, aircraft type, and position. There were probably about 15 aircraft closing on ZZZ at that time. The approach controller called me 2 times for TA's and 2 times to say prepare for a straight-in for runway 13, which I acknowledged. I was busy looking for various aircraft to see and avoid. At 1/2 mi from the runway, I was concerned that I had not been switched to the tower (I had slowed to about 80 KTS and was descending). Just as the controller said to switch to the tower frequency, I saw a light blue rv-4 directly below me about 200 ft. I heard the tower controller say to the rv-4 that there was a cessna directly above them. I immediately idented myself to the controller and offered to make a 360 degree turn. The controller told me to make a right downwind to runway 17. In my confusion, I immediately turned to the right and entered a downwind, which I realized later was the wrong direction (I should have turned left). I proceeded downwind, base, and final to runway 35. On final, I realized I had turned the wrong direction and was lined up with the wrong runway. The tower controller was very busy with several landing aircraft on runways 13 and 17. I saw a low wing aircraft departing runway 17 and turning to his left and out of my descent path. A couple of seconds later, the tower controller called to ask if that was me on final to runway 35. I said yes, and the tower cleared me to land on runway 35. There were no other aircraft landing runway 17. I landed safely, contacted ground control, and taxied to parking. The problem arose because of numerous aircraft arriving at the airport at the same time. Contributing factors were looking for various aircraft to see and avoid, very busy controllers, accepting a change of runways while mentally very busy, turning the wrong direction, and proceeding to the wrong runway while the controllers were too busy to notice my mistake. The problem was discovered by see and avoid (seeing the rv-4 below and the departing low wing on runway 17), and communication for the tower controller. Corrective actions were to turn away from the approach to runway 13 to avoid the rv-4, and later to identify my mistaken approach to runway 35. I should have been mentally prepared to divert to runway 17 for either a right downwind or overfly the airport for a left downwind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON SHORT FINAL AT SUX FLY-IN EVENT, LCL CTLR ISSUES ALTERNATE PATTERN CLRNC TO RESOLVE A CONFLICT TO A C172 THAT IS INCORRECTLY EXECUTED, RESULTING IN ANOTHER CONFLICT PRIOR TO LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR TO ZZZ TO PARTICIPATE IN A FLY-IN CELEBRATION. I CHKED ATIS AT 30 NM OUT, CALLED APCH AT 22 NM OUT, AND RECEIVED A SQUAWK WHICH I XMITTED AND PUSHED IDENT. ON THE APCH FREQ, I COULD HEAR LOTS OF TFC FLYING TO ZZZ FROM SEVERAL DIRECTIONS. THE APCH CTLR WAS VERY BUSY, AND I HEARD THEM ASK ACFT FOR 360'S FOR SPACING, GIVE VECTORS TO AVOID CONFLICTS, AND GIVE TA'S. I HEARD SEVERAL PLTS CORRECT THE CTLR WITH THEIR CORRECT N-NUMBER, ACFT TYPE, AND POS. THERE WERE PROBABLY ABOUT 15 ACFT CLOSING ON ZZZ AT THAT TIME. THE APCH CTLR CALLED ME 2 TIMES FOR TA'S AND 2 TIMES TO SAY PREPARE FOR A STRAIGHT-IN FOR RWY 13, WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. I WAS BUSY LOOKING FOR VARIOUS ACFT TO SEE AND AVOID. AT 1/2 MI FROM THE RWY, I WAS CONCERNED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN SWITCHED TO THE TWR (I HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 80 KTS AND WAS DSNDING). JUST AS THE CTLR SAID TO SWITCH TO THE TWR FREQ, I SAW A LIGHT BLUE RV-4 DIRECTLY BELOW ME ABOUT 200 FT. I HEARD THE TWR CTLR SAY TO THE RV-4 THAT THERE WAS A CESSNA DIRECTLY ABOVE THEM. I IMMEDIATELY IDENTED MYSELF TO THE CTLR AND OFFERED TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO MAKE A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 17. IN MY CONFUSION, I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO THE R AND ENTERED A DOWNWIND, WHICH I REALIZED LATER WAS THE WRONG DIRECTION (I SHOULD HAVE TURNED L). I PROCEEDED DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL TO RWY 35. ON FINAL, I REALIZED I HAD TURNED THE WRONG DIRECTION AND WAS LINED UP WITH THE WRONG RWY. THE TWR CTLR WAS VERY BUSY WITH SEVERAL LNDG ACFT ON RWYS 13 AND 17. I SAW A LOW WING ACFT DEPARTING RWY 17 AND TURNING TO HIS L AND OUT OF MY DSCNT PATH. A COUPLE OF SECONDS LATER, THE TWR CTLR CALLED TO ASK IF THAT WAS ME ON FINAL TO RWY 35. I SAID YES, AND THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 35. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT LNDG RWY 17. I LANDED SAFELY, CONTACTED GND CTL, AND TAXIED TO PARKING. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS ACFT ARRIVING AT THE ARPT AT THE SAME TIME. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LOOKING FOR VARIOUS ACFT TO SEE AND AVOID, VERY BUSY CTLRS, ACCEPTING A CHANGE OF RWYS WHILE MENTALLY VERY BUSY, TURNING THE WRONG DIRECTION, AND PROCEEDING TO THE WRONG RWY WHILE THE CTLRS WERE TOO BUSY TO NOTICE MY MISTAKE. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED BY SEE AND AVOID (SEEING THE RV-4 BELOW AND THE DEPARTING LOW WING ON RWY 17), AND COM FOR THE TWR CTLR. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE TO TURN AWAY FROM THE APCH TO RWY 13 TO AVOID THE RV-4, AND LATER TO IDENT MY MISTAKEN APCH TO RWY 35. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MENTALLY PREPARED TO DIVERT TO RWY 17 FOR EITHER A R DOWNWIND OR OVERFLY THE ARPT FOR A L DOWNWIND.

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.