Narrative:

I don't know that a violation occurred or not and if it did whether or not it would have been my fault or controller's. Departing apa 17L had asked for west departure and was told by tower to fly runway heading. After liftoff tower asked if I had traffic on right downwind in sight. Reporting I had traffic (1 to 1 1/2 mi at 1000 AGL) there was a couple of seconds of unintelligible garble and then heard tower direct me to turn west which I confirmed by call sign only and proceeded to turn west. Tower then instructed traffic on downwind to make a 360 degree turn for traffic separation. I proceeded west out of air traffic area still monitoring tower with no further communication. If the traffic on downwind had not made a 360 we would have come within 1/4 mi horizontal or closer but I stopped my climb at the time of my turn to maintain vertical separation. Traffic was mod and at time of instruction to turn I thought I very unusual to turn with traffic on downwind that could conflict, decided to stop climb to reduce conflict. After leaving area started wondering if garble could have been instructions for me, possibly to do something more before making turn. If it occurred again I would question controller before turning as it did not seem a proper time and even with busy traffic a readback of clearance instead of acknowledge by call sign would be better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA SMA CLIMBING SOUTH WITH RIGHT TURN TO GO WEST AND GA SMA IN RIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative: I DON'T KNOW THAT A VIOLATION OCCURRED OR NOT AND IF IT DID WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY FAULT OR CTLR'S. DEPARTING APA 17L HAD ASKED FOR W DEP AND WAS TOLD BY TWR TO FLY RWY HDG. AFTER LIFTOFF TWR ASKED IF I HAD TFC ON RIGHT DOWNWIND IN SIGHT. REPORTING I HAD TFC (1 TO 1 1/2 MI AT 1000 AGL) THERE WAS A COUPLE OF SECONDS OF UNINTELLIGIBLE GARBLE AND THEN HEARD TWR DIRECT ME TO TURN W WHICH I CONFIRMED BY CALL SIGN ONLY AND PROCEEDED TO TURN W. TWR THEN INSTRUCTED TFC ON DOWNWIND TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN FOR TFC SEPARATION. I PROCEEDED W OUT OF ATA STILL MONITORING TWR WITH NO FURTHER COM. IF THE TFC ON DOWNWIND HAD NOT MADE A 360 WE WOULD HAVE COME WITHIN 1/4 MI HORIZ OR CLOSER BUT I STOPPED MY CLIMB AT THE TIME OF MY TURN TO MAINTAIN VERT SEPARATION. TFC WAS MOD AND AT TIME OF INSTRUCTION TO TURN I THOUGHT I VERY UNUSUAL TO TURN WITH TFC ON DOWNWIND THAT COULD CONFLICT, DECIDED TO STOP CLIMB TO REDUCE CONFLICT. AFTER LEAVING AREA STARTED WONDERING IF GARBLE COULD HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTIONS FOR ME, POSSIBLY TO DO SOMETHING MORE BEFORE MAKING TURN. IF IT OCCURRED AGAIN I WOULD QUESTION CTLR BEFORE TURNING AS IT DID NOT SEEM A PROPER TIME AND EVEN WITH BUSY TFC A READBACK OF CLRNC INSTEAD OF ACKNOWLEDGE BY CALL SIGN WOULD BE BETTER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.