Narrative:

On mar/fri/04, I was flying from columbia, sc, to boca raton, fl, with a stop for fuel at st augustine, fl. I received VFR flight following for the entire route of flight. As I was approaching st augustine, I was in communication with jacksonville approach. A long way out, the controller told me that st augustine was using runway 31. When I got closer, the jacksonville controller told me that st augustine had changed to runway 13, to expect runway 13, and for me to contact the st augustine tower. I then called the st augustine tower and was told to make a 45 degree entry to the traffic pattern left downwind leg for runway 13. I repeated back the directions and then maneuvered to comply. I then followed the standard traffic pattern. It was worthy to note that the tower frequency was quite busy during this time with multiple airplanes in the pattern. As I was following the standard traffic pattern, the tower controller did not call me and I did not call him. When I got onto final, I was about to call the tower and ask for clearance to land when he called me with 'cherokee (call sign), where are you?' I replied that I was on final. At about that time, I noticed another airplane was to my right (at approximately my 2:30 O'clock position) also on final. The tower controller exclaimed, 'how did you get from base to final without making a call?' I replied simply 'sorry.' notice that I felt that this short reply was perhaps more appropriate at the moment than a lengthy explanation that I wasn't aware of any requirement to announce my turns when following the standard pattern to an airport with an operating control tower with which I was in communication. Anyway, the tower controller 'scolded' me with 'sorry isn't going to cut it. Go around, straight ahead, and after you get on the ground call the tower.' when I called from the FBO, the controller was much more cordial and he spoke of me missing a call. Well, I told him that I didn't recall him requesting me to make a call. He said that it would have been helpful in case the controller forgot about me, given that there were 7 airplanes in the pattern at the time. I'm still uncertain of exactly what was expected of me. Sure I would've called had I known that he forgot about me, but I didn't realize this. When I've flown into uncontrolled airports in the past, I've called each turn in the pattern. However, when arriving at airports with active control towers, in class B and C airspace, I've generally not called my turns unless requested by ATC. This is how I was instructed. I haven't flown into class D airports much, but guessed that it would work similar to the class C and D airports in this regard. I feel that if ATC had wanted me to make any further announcement, then the controller should have said so.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 EXPERIENCED AN NMAC WITH TFC ON FINAL AT 500 FT RESULTING IN SGJ INITIATED GAR.

Narrative: ON MAR/FRI/04, I WAS FLYING FROM COLUMBIA, SC, TO BOCA RATON, FL, WITH A STOP FOR FUEL AT ST AUGUSTINE, FL. I RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING FOR THE ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. AS I WAS APCHING ST AUGUSTINE, I WAS IN COM WITH JACKSONVILLE APCH. A LONG WAY OUT, THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT ST AUGUSTINE WAS USING RWY 31. WHEN I GOT CLOSER, THE JACKSONVILLE CTLR TOLD ME THAT ST AUGUSTINE HAD CHANGED TO RWY 13, TO EXPECT RWY 13, AND FOR ME TO CONTACT THE ST AUGUSTINE TWR. I THEN CALLED THE ST AUGUSTINE TWR AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE A 45 DEG ENTRY TO THE TFC PATTERN L DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 13. I REPEATED BACK THE DIRECTIONS AND THEN MANEUVERED TO COMPLY. I THEN FOLLOWED THE STANDARD TFC PATTERN. IT WAS WORTHY TO NOTE THAT THE TWR FREQ WAS QUITE BUSY DURING THIS TIME WITH MULTIPLE AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN. AS I WAS FOLLOWING THE STANDARD TFC PATTERN, THE TWR CTLR DID NOT CALL ME AND I DID NOT CALL HIM. WHEN I GOT ONTO FINAL, I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE TWR AND ASK FOR CLRNC TO LAND WHEN HE CALLED ME WITH 'CHEROKEE (CALL SIGN), WHERE ARE YOU?' I REPLIED THAT I WAS ON FINAL. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, I NOTICED ANOTHER AIRPLANE WAS TO MY R (AT APPROX MY 2:30 O'CLOCK POS) ALSO ON FINAL. THE TWR CTLR EXCLAIMED, 'HOW DID YOU GET FROM BASE TO FINAL WITHOUT MAKING A CALL?' I REPLIED SIMPLY 'SORRY.' NOTICE THAT I FELT THAT THIS SHORT REPLY WAS PERHAPS MORE APPROPRIATE AT THE MOMENT THAN A LENGTHY EXPLANATION THAT I WASN'T AWARE OF ANY REQUIREMENT TO ANNOUNCE MY TURNS WHEN FOLLOWING THE STANDARD PATTERN TO AN ARPT WITH AN OPERATING CTL TWR WITH WHICH I WAS IN COM. ANYWAY, THE TWR CTLR 'SCOLDED' ME WITH 'SORRY ISN'T GOING TO CUT IT. GO AROUND, STRAIGHT AHEAD, AND AFTER YOU GET ON THE GND CALL THE TWR.' WHEN I CALLED FROM THE FBO, THE CTLR WAS MUCH MORE CORDIAL AND HE SPOKE OF ME MISSING A CALL. WELL, I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T RECALL HIM REQUESTING ME TO MAKE A CALL. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IN CASE THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT ME, GIVEN THAT THERE WERE 7 AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN AT THE TIME. I'M STILL UNCERTAIN OF EXACTLY WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF ME. SURE I WOULD'VE CALLED HAD I KNOWN THAT HE FORGOT ABOUT ME, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS. WHEN I'VE FLOWN INTO UNCTLED ARPTS IN THE PAST, I'VE CALLED EACH TURN IN THE PATTERN. HOWEVER, WHEN ARRIVING AT ARPTS WITH ACTIVE CTL TWRS, IN CLASS B AND C AIRSPACE, I'VE GENERALLY NOT CALLED MY TURNS UNLESS REQUESTED BY ATC. THIS IS HOW I WAS INSTRUCTED. I HAVEN'T FLOWN INTO CLASS D ARPTS MUCH, BUT GUESSED THAT IT WOULD WORK SIMILAR TO THE CLASS C AND D ARPTS IN THIS REGARD. I FEEL THAT IF ATC HAD WANTED ME TO MAKE ANY FURTHER ANNOUNCEMENT, THEN THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE SAID SO.

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.