Narrative:

I was en route VFR from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 at 3000 ft MSL on my first cross country solo training flight for my private pilot license. When I was approximately 10 SM from ZZZ2; I contacted tower to get clearance into the class D airspace and for a full stop landing. ZZZ2 tower instructed me to enter left downwind for runway 2 at 1000 ft and contact them when midfield downwind. I acknowledged the instruction and proceeded to descend to 1500 ft until a point where I would descend to 1000 ft to enter the traffic pattern. I was flying inbound from the south and the left traffic pattern is north of ZZZ2. At that moment; I received a traffic alert on the 'tis' system warning me of an aircraft 400 ft below and slightly behind me. I stopped my descent and turned to the left to see if I could see the aircraft. I did see the aircraft as it passed below me. I then turned to proceed to ZZZ2. At that time I continued to receive several traffic alerts and had to turn one more time to avoid an aircraft. When I continued my descent to ZZZ2; I tuned in ATIS on communication #2 to get a last min check of winds. The ATIS was hard to hear with all of the radio traffic at ZZZ2 on communication #1. I turned down the volume on communication #1 to enable me to hear ATIS. Unfortunately; I forgot to turn the volume up again and communication #1 was silent. I also became confused and thought I ws supposed to enter the traffic pattern on left base for runway 2. Upon entering left base for runway 2; I attempted to contact tower to let them know of my position I tried calling twice; but received no response. Without clearance to land; I continued sbound and flew approximately 5 SM south of ZZZ2 to troubleshoot what I thought was a communication problem. It was then that I realized my mistake and restored communication #1 volume to normal. Tower was trying to reach me and based on the conversation I heard between tower and another aircraft; I believe that I caused someone to break from their final approach. I informed tower of my mistake and was instructed to enter a right downwind traffic pattern for runway 2. I then landed without further incident. The 2 mistakes I made were turning my communication #1 radio volume down to silence the radio traffic in order to hear ATIS and becoming confused about my instructions to enter the pattern. The density of aircraft and several 'tis' alerts I received warning of traffic in close proximity distraction me during a critical phase of flight. At that moment; I was feeling overwhelmed with responding to 'tis;' monitoring communication #1 and trying to get the ATIS information just prior to landing. Other contributing factors were my feeling rushed to complete my flight due to a late departure from ZZZ1. I also felt the need to check ATIS one last time before landing even though I had received ATIS prior to entering ZZZ2's airspace and received winds from the tower controller. As a student pilot; I am rated to land with less than an 11 KT headwind and 5 KT crosswind. I was concerned about the winds all day and worried that I might break my instructor's endorsement if the winds were too strong for me to land. Another small contributing factor was my unfamiliarity with ZZZ2 as it was the first time I landed there. To prevent this mistake from occurring in the future; I will never mute an active frequency that I am communicating on and work to become better at multitasking in the cockpit; especially when it comes to radios. I believe further instruction and experience gained through my remaining training flts will improve my workload management and judgement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SOLO DA50 STUDENT PLT TURNED THE ATC RADIO VOLUME DOWN AFTER ENTERING CLASS D AIRSPACE. SUBSEQUENTLY WHILE ATTEMPTING AN ATIS UPDATE HE BECAME DISORIENTED ABOUT ARPT ENTRY WHEN TFC ALERTS AND POS CONFUSION OVERWHELMED HIM.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE VFR FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 AT 3000 FT MSL ON MY FIRST XCOUNTRY SOLO TRAINING FLT FOR MY PVT PLT LICENSE. WHEN I WAS APPROX 10 SM FROM ZZZ2; I CONTACTED TWR TO GET CLRNC INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AND FOR A FULL STOP LNDG. ZZZ2 TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 2 AT 1000 FT AND CONTACT THEM WHEN MIDFIELD DOWNWIND. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION AND PROCEEDED TO DSND TO 1500 FT UNTIL A POINT WHERE I WOULD DSND TO 1000 FT TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN. I WAS FLYING INBOUND FROM THE S AND THE L TFC PATTERN IS N OF ZZZ2. AT THAT MOMENT; I RECEIVED A TFC ALERT ON THE 'TIS' SYS WARNING ME OF AN ACFT 400 FT BELOW AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND ME. I STOPPED MY DSCNT AND TURNED TO THE L TO SEE IF I COULD SEE THE ACFT. I DID SEE THE ACFT AS IT PASSED BELOW ME. I THEN TURNED TO PROCEED TO ZZZ2. AT THAT TIME I CONTINUED TO RECEIVE SEVERAL TFC ALERTS AND HAD TO TURN ONE MORE TIME TO AVOID AN ACFT. WHEN I CONTINUED MY DSCNT TO ZZZ2; I TUNED IN ATIS ON COM #2 TO GET A LAST MIN CHK OF WINDS. THE ATIS WAS HARD TO HEAR WITH ALL OF THE RADIO TFC AT ZZZ2 ON COM #1. I TURNED DOWN THE VOLUME ON COM #1 TO ENABLE ME TO HEAR ATIS. UNFORTUNATELY; I FORGOT TO TURN THE VOLUME UP AGAIN AND COM #1 WAS SILENT. I ALSO BECAME CONFUSED AND THOUGHT I WS SUPPOSED TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN ON L BASE FOR RWY 2. UPON ENTERING L BASE FOR RWY 2; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TWR TO LET THEM KNOW OF MY POS I TRIED CALLING TWICE; BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. WITHOUT CLRNC TO LAND; I CONTINUED SBOUND AND FLEW APPROX 5 SM S OF ZZZ2 TO TROUBLESHOOT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A COM PROB. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND RESTORED COM #1 VOLUME TO NORMAL. TWR WAS TRYING TO REACH ME AND BASED ON THE CONVERSATION I HEARD BTWN TWR AND ANOTHER ACFT; I BELIEVE THAT I CAUSED SOMEONE TO BREAK FROM THEIR FINAL APCH. I INFORMED TWR OF MY MISTAKE AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 2. I THEN LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE 2 MISTAKES I MADE WERE TURNING MY COM #1 RADIO VOLUME DOWN TO SILENCE THE RADIO TFC IN ORDER TO HEAR ATIS AND BECOMING CONFUSED ABOUT MY INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER THE PATTERN. THE DENSITY OF ACFT AND SEVERAL 'TIS' ALERTS I RECEIVED WARNING OF TFC IN CLOSE PROX DISTR ME DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. AT THAT MOMENT; I WAS FEELING OVERWHELMED WITH RESPONDING TO 'TIS;' MONITORING COM #1 AND TRYING TO GET THE ATIS INFO JUST PRIOR TO LNDG. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MY FEELING RUSHED TO COMPLETE MY FLT DUE TO A LATE DEP FROM ZZZ1. I ALSO FELT THE NEED TO CHK ATIS ONE LAST TIME BEFORE LNDG EVEN THOUGH I HAD RECEIVED ATIS PRIOR TO ENTERING ZZZ2'S AIRSPACE AND RECEIVED WINDS FROM THE TWR CTLR. AS A STUDENT PLT; I AM RATED TO LAND WITH LESS THAN AN 11 KT HEADWIND AND 5 KT XWIND. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WINDS ALL DAY AND WORRIED THAT I MIGHT BREAK MY INSTRUCTOR'S ENDORSEMENT IF THE WINDS WERE TOO STRONG FOR ME TO LAND. ANOTHER SMALL CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH ZZZ2 AS IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I LANDED THERE. TO PREVENT THIS MISTAKE FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE; I WILL NEVER MUTE AN ACTIVE FREQ THAT I AM COMMUNICATING ON AND WORK TO BECOME BETTER AT MULTITASKING IN THE COCKPIT; ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO RADIOS. I BELIEVE FURTHER INSTRUCTION AND EXPERIENCE GAINED THROUGH MY REMAINING TRAINING FLTS WILL IMPROVE MY WORKLOAD MGMNT AND JUDGEMENT.

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.