Narrative:

On a student pilot solo cross country; after reaching the mississippi river; I began my search for the dubuque airport. However; I was south of my estimated point. Approximately 15 mi west of where I was supposed to be; I idented my position between cascade and monticello; ia. Once I learned of my position; I immediately turned back toward the airfield. I reported as a student pilot; approximately 10 mi out to the west; yet I did not have the airfield in sight. Continuing on; at 3 mi out; I finally saw the field; yet I was still at 3000 ft. I began my descent and began to turn downwind as instructed. I heard the ATC talk to other aircraft; which I thought were nearby. I unintentionally descended slightly below pattern altitude; and in my recovery; I accidentally and unknowingly crossed the final approach. When I leveled; I noticed what I had done. I tried to alert the ATC controller to what I had done; yet he did not appear to understand what I had told him. He was also attempting to keep contact with another aircraft. When ATC did notice my position; it was necessary to make another aircraft break to the right to avoid what could have been a collision. From there; I was instructed to turn around the far end of runway 36; and proceed with a left downwind. From there; I safely landed as instructed; and contacted the tower and my instructor. I feel that contributing factors to this event were my inexperience as a student pilot at controled airports with simultaneous left and right traffic patterns; significant numbers of aircraft in the pattern which I was busy looking for; hazy visibility conditions on a summer afternoon; and a lot of radio traffic on the tower frequency. As a student pilot (who did identify himself as such) I probably should have requested exit from the traffic pattern entirely until there were fewer aircraft in it and the controller could have devoted more time to assisting me. Additionally; I probably should have not flown a student cross country on such a hazy day into an unfamiliar airport with known high volume of traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT OF C152 ENCOUNTERS TFC PATTERN DIFFICULTIES AT A BUSY DEST ON SOLO XCOUNTRY.

Narrative: ON A STUDENT PLT SOLO XCOUNTRY; AFTER REACHING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER; I BEGAN MY SEARCH FOR THE DUBUQUE ARPT. HOWEVER; I WAS S OF MY ESTIMATED POINT. APPROX 15 MI W OF WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE; I IDENTED MY POS BTWN CASCADE AND MONTICELLO; IA. ONCE I LEARNED OF MY POS; I IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK TOWARD THE AIRFIELD. I RPTED AS A STUDENT PLT; APPROX 10 MI OUT TO THE W; YET I DID NOT HAVE THE AIRFIELD IN SIGHT. CONTINUING ON; AT 3 MI OUT; I FINALLY SAW THE FIELD; YET I WAS STILL AT 3000 FT. I BEGAN MY DSCNT AND BEGAN TO TURN DOWNWIND AS INSTRUCTED. I HEARD THE ATC TALK TO OTHER ACFT; WHICH I THOUGHT WERE NEARBY. I UNINTENTIONALLY DSNDED SLIGHTLY BELOW PATTERN ALT; AND IN MY RECOVERY; I ACCIDENTALLY AND UNKNOWINGLY CROSSED THE FINAL APCH. WHEN I LEVELED; I NOTICED WHAT I HAD DONE. I TRIED TO ALERT THE ATC CTLR TO WHAT I HAD DONE; YET HE DID NOT APPEAR TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAD TOLD HIM. HE WAS ALSO ATTEMPTING TO KEEP CONTACT WITH ANOTHER ACFT. WHEN ATC DID NOTICE MY POS; IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE ANOTHER ACFT BREAK TO THE R TO AVOID WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. FROM THERE; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN AROUND THE FAR END OF RWY 36; AND PROCEED WITH A L DOWNWIND. FROM THERE; I SAFELY LANDED AS INSTRUCTED; AND CONTACTED THE TWR AND MY INSTRUCTOR. I FEEL THAT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT WERE MY INEXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT PLT AT CTLED ARPTS WITH SIMULTANEOUS L AND R TFC PATTERNS; SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF ACFT IN THE PATTERN WHICH I WAS BUSY LOOKING FOR; HAZY VISIBILITY CONDITIONS ON A SUMMER AFTERNOON; AND A LOT OF RADIO TFC ON THE TWR FREQ. AS A STUDENT PLT (WHO DID IDENT HIMSELF AS SUCH) I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED EXIT FROM THE TFC PATTERN ENTIRELY UNTIL THERE WERE FEWER ACFT IN IT AND THE CTLR COULD HAVE DEVOTED MORE TIME TO ASSISTING ME. ADDITIONALLY; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE NOT FLOWN A STUDENT XCOUNTRY ON SUCH A HAZY DAY INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT WITH KNOWN HIGH VOLUME OF TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.