Pilot reporter became confused landing at heavily congested airport.

Attributes
ACN	137834
Time
Date	199002
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : smo
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	137834
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In descent and being worked by bur radar (through bur arsa), bur handed us off to smo tower. Called them about 8 or 10 NM northeast for a straight-in approach and landing. Their response was, 'call crossing the freeway (what freeway?),' but they addressed the wrong aircraft # in the response and that was never clarified due to the continuous chatter on the tower frequency (you can't get a word in edgewise). Because the straight-in route was clogged with so many other aircraft on approach, we shifted course slightly to left, so as to clear that route and attempt a full pattern left traffic. Next called passing freeway (santa monica freeway?) east of field. Controller was very disturbed that we entered air traffic area west/O prior call (still addressing, apparently, the wrong aircraft). Ordered us out of air traffic area by climb and reenter for full right traffic pattern, which we did (landed uneventfully). Controller argumentative on frequency. Contributing factors: 1) overworked frequency, couldn't get a word in. 2) pilot not clearing up confusion over call sign. 3) controller assigning a landmark (freeway that is unfamiliar to non-lcls). 4) the very difficult and confusion airspace situation in the lax basin!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT REPORTER BECAME CONFUSED LNDG AT HEAVILY CONGESTED ARPT.

Narrative: IN DSCNT AND BEING WORKED BY BUR RADAR (THROUGH BUR ARSA), BUR HANDED US OFF TO SMO TWR. CALLED THEM ABOUT 8 OR 10 NM NE FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND LNDG. THEIR RESPONSE WAS, 'CALL XING THE FREEWAY (WHAT FREEWAY?),' BUT THEY ADDRESSED THE WRONG ACFT # IN THE RESPONSE AND THAT WAS NEVER CLARIFIED DUE TO THE CONTINUOUS CHATTER ON THE TWR FREQ (YOU CAN'T GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE). BECAUSE THE STRAIGHT-IN RTE WAS CLOGGED WITH SO MANY OTHER ACFT ON APCH, WE SHIFTED COURSE SLIGHTLY TO LEFT, SO AS TO CLR THAT RTE AND ATTEMPT A FULL PATTERN LEFT TFC. NEXT CALLED PASSING FREEWAY (SANTA MONICA FREEWAY?) E OF FIELD. CTLR WAS VERY DISTURBED THAT WE ENTERED ATA W/O PRIOR CALL (STILL ADDRESSING, APPARENTLY, THE WRONG ACFT). ORDERED US OUT OF ATA BY CLB AND REENTER FOR FULL RIGHT TFC PATTERN, WHICH WE DID (LANDED UNEVENTFULLY). CTLR ARGUMENTATIVE ON FREQ. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) OVERWORKED FREQ, COULDN'T GET A WORD IN. 2) PLT NOT CLEARING UP CONFUSION OVER CALL SIGN. 3) CTLR ASSIGNING A LANDMARK (FREEWAY THAT IS UNFAMILIAR TO NON-LCLS). 4) THE VERY DIFFICULT AND CONFUSION AIRSPACE SITUATION IN THE LAX BASIN!

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.