Narrative:

My student was flying the VOR runway 6 approach into napa county. We were on an IFR flight plan and cleared for the approach in VMC. The ATIS information we had stated that runways 18L&right were in use. The ATIS was about 1 hour old. I thought about updating the ATIS; but ZOA was giving us numerous advisories for traffic. Center handed us to the tower. We contacted napa tower; who asked us to report the sgd VOR inbound. The tower controller had also made a comment that his radar was inoperative. While crossing the VOR; I was looking to our left for traffic that was inbound from the northwest; while simultaneously; the tower asked a bonanza if they were near the sgd VOR. The bonanza pilot said he wasn't familiar with the area and admitted to being a little lost. I looked to my right and saw the bonanza about 1500-2000 ft directly abeam us. I then told the tower that I saw this traffic immediately to my right; but I didn't specifically state that we were at the VOR inbound. By now; we were approaching circling minimums and the tower frequency was suddenly busy with the tower talking to the seemingly lost bonanza pilot. We started to circle to the west for right traffic runway 18R; which is the normal procedure for runway 18R. We still didn't know that the tower had changed the active runway to runway 24 on the only mins old newest ATIS. The tower asked us where we were; and I said we had started circling for right traffic. He replied with; 'roger; continue.' I suddenly realized that the new active runway was runway 24; but with the controller's response as; 'roger; continue' I assumed that he saw me and didn't have a problem with my maneuver. I climbed to normal pattern altitude and was cleared to land runway 24. Once on the ground; I spoke to the controller and we talked about the situation. I believe we reached a mutual understanding and he said that there was 'no problem.' reflecting back; I should have made a more specific report when crossing sgd VOR; because that is where the tower usually issues circling instructions. I should not have assumed that the active runway was still runway 18. However; even if the tower told me to circle south for left traffic runway 24; I don't think that it would have been safe to do so; because that would have required turning toward the lost bonanza. The best thing to do would have been to make a missed approach; cancel IFR; update my ATIS then re-enter the pattern VFR.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE58 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT APCHED APC ON A VOR 18 VMC. RWY 24 BECAME ACTIVE CAUSING A CLOSE IN RWY CHANGE AND A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH VFR TFC.

Narrative: MY STUDENT WAS FLYING THE VOR RWY 6 APCH INTO NAPA COUNTY. WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND CLRED FOR THE APCH IN VMC. THE ATIS INFO WE HAD STATED THAT RWYS 18L&R WERE IN USE. THE ATIS WAS ABOUT 1 HR OLD. I THOUGHT ABOUT UPDATING THE ATIS; BUT ZOA WAS GIVING US NUMEROUS ADVISORIES FOR TFC. CTR HANDED US TO THE TWR. WE CONTACTED NAPA TWR; WHO ASKED US TO RPT THE SGD VOR INBOUND. THE TWR CTLR HAD ALSO MADE A COMMENT THAT HIS RADAR WAS INOP. WHILE XING THE VOR; I WAS LOOKING TO OUR L FOR TFC THAT WAS INBOUND FROM THE NW; WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY; THE TWR ASKED A BONANZA IF THEY WERE NEAR THE SGD VOR. THE BONANZA PLT SAID HE WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND ADMITTED TO BEING A LITTLE LOST. I LOOKED TO MY R AND SAW THE BONANZA ABOUT 1500-2000 FT DIRECTLY ABEAM US. I THEN TOLD THE TWR THAT I SAW THIS TFC IMMEDIATELY TO MY R; BUT I DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY STATE THAT WE WERE AT THE VOR INBOUND. BY NOW; WE WERE APCHING CIRCLING MINIMUMS AND THE TWR FREQ WAS SUDDENLY BUSY WITH THE TWR TALKING TO THE SEEMINGLY LOST BONANZA PLT. WE STARTED TO CIRCLE TO THE W FOR R TFC RWY 18R; WHICH IS THE NORMAL PROC FOR RWY 18R. WE STILL DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE TWR HAD CHANGED THE ACTIVE RWY TO RWY 24 ON THE ONLY MINS OLD NEWEST ATIS. THE TWR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE; AND I SAID WE HAD STARTED CIRCLING FOR R TFC. HE REPLIED WITH; 'ROGER; CONTINUE.' I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THE NEW ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 24; BUT WITH THE CTLR'S RESPONSE AS; 'ROGER; CONTINUE' I ASSUMED THAT HE SAW ME AND DIDN'T HAVE A PROB WITH MY MANEUVER. I CLBED TO NORMAL PATTERN ALT AND WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 24. ONCE ON THE GND; I SPOKE TO THE CTLR AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE SITUATION. I BELIEVE WE REACHED A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND HE SAID THAT THERE WAS 'NO PROB.' REFLECTING BACK; I SHOULD HAVE MADE A MORE SPECIFIC RPT WHEN XING SGD VOR; BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE TWR USUALLY ISSUES CIRCLING INSTRUCTIONS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS STILL RWY 18. HOWEVER; EVEN IF THE TWR TOLD ME TO CIRCLE S FOR L TFC RWY 24; I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE TO DO SO; BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED TURNING TOWARD THE LOST BONANZA. THE BEST THING TO DO WOULD HAVE BEEN TO MAKE A MISSED APCH; CANCEL IFR; UPDATE MY ATIS THEN RE-ENTER THE PATTERN VFR.

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.