A pilot doing touch and goes to tjbq requested clearance direct tjig. ATC cleared the aircraft on a ...

Attributes
ACN	882794
Time
Date	201004
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	TJIG.Airport
State Reference	PR
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Landing
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40 Flight Crew Total 4000 Flight Crew Type 900
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown

Narrative:

On an IFR flight plan I was given the visual left downwind to runway 27. Runway 9 is almost always used due to prevailing winds so I was not familiar with landing on runway 27. On the left downwind I saw numerous buildings and a crane. The approach and landing required unusual maneuvering to avoid the obstacles but I landed safely. While taxiing I asked tower 'is this called the tall building approach?' a controller replied that left downwind for runway 27 is not used by fixed wing aircraft only by helicopters. I asked tower to call san juan approach and advise them that they should not give this clearance to other fixed wing aircraft. Obviously tower should have advised me to fly over the field northbound and flight right traffic. All three parties failed. I should have advised tower that I was going to do the right downwind approach; tower should have advised me to do the right downwind approach and sju approach should not have given me the wrong clearance to start with.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A pilot doing touch and goes to TJBQ requested clearance direct TJIG. ATC cleared the aircraft on a left downwind for Runway 27 and on a track very near tall buildings.

Narrative: On an IFR flight plan I was given the visual left downwind to Runway 27. Runway 9 is almost always used due to prevailing winds so I was not familiar with landing on Runway 27. On the left downwind I saw numerous buildings and a crane. The approach and landing required unusual maneuvering to avoid the obstacles but I landed safely. While taxiing I asked Tower 'Is this called the tall building approach?' A Controller replied that left downwind for Runway 27 is not used by fixed wing aircraft only by helicopters. I asked Tower to call San Juan Approach and advise them that they should not give this clearance to other fixed wing aircraft. Obviously Tower should have advised me to fly over the field northbound and flight right traffic. All three parties failed. I should have advised Tower that I was going to do the right downwind approach; Tower should have advised me to do the right downwind approach and SJU Approach should not have given me the wrong clearance to start with.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

A pilot doing touch and goes to tjbq requested clearance direct tjig. ATC cleared the aircraft on a left downwind for runway 27 and on a track very near tall buildings.