Instructor pilot entering the ewb traffic pattern was questioned by ATC regarding positioning for th...

Attributes
ACN	1059810
Time
Date	201301
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	EWB.Airport
State Reference	MA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Instructor
Qualification	Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Commercial
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100 Flight Crew Total 430 Flight Crew Type 200
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

We were approaching ewb for night landing practice. I heard tower say; 'enter right downwind runway 34'. After 2 minutes; my student asked where the runway [was]; which runway he was approaching. He pointed [to] the airport diagram. He said we should use runway 23 and enter right downwind; because the wind was from 250. I suddenly got confused and tried to go right downwind runway 23. Tower asked why we went there. I answered we entered it accidentally. I was totally disoriented. Traffic is clear. I tried to find where runway 34 to enter left downwind. Tower cleared [us] to do right traffic then back to left; but I was unable to do that because I was disoriented. My student tried to fly back to left downwind before I figured [out] where we were. This was why we deviated [from] ATC's assignment. We need to study more about ewb (unfamiliar airport) before we go. I; as a CFI; should take control back to fly ATC assignment immediately.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Instructor pilot entering the EWB traffic pattern was questioned by ATC regarding positioning for the downwind; the reporter acknowledging unfamiliarity with the airport.

Narrative: We were approaching EWB for night landing practice. I heard Tower say; 'enter right downwind Runway 34'. After 2 minutes; my student asked where the runway [was]; which runway he was approaching. He pointed [to] the airport diagram. He said we should use Runway 23 and enter right downwind; because the wind was from 250. I suddenly got confused and tried to go right downwind Runway 23. Tower asked why we went there. I answered we entered it accidentally. I was totally disoriented. Traffic is clear. I tried to find where Runway 34 to enter left downwind. Tower cleared [us] to do right traffic then back to left; but I was unable to do that because I was disoriented. My student tried to fly back to left downwind before I figured [out] where we were. This was why we deviated [from] ATC's assignment. We need to study more about EWB (unfamiliar airport) before we go. I; as a CFI; should take control back to fly ATC assignment immediately.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.

Instructor pilot entering the ewb traffic pattern was questioned by ATC regarding positioning for the downwind; the reporter acknowledging unfamiliarity with the airport.