Small aircraft reported to tower west of airport when he was really east.

Attributes
ACN	152937
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sle
State Reference	OR
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sle tower : sle
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	152937
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Small aircraft X reported 10 west of salem airport for landing, was issued instructions to enter a right downwind runway 31 and to report downwind. One min later small aircraft X asked for his instructions again. They were issued. One min later he stated he was in a better position for a right base to runway 31. Small aircraft X was asked to verify his position. He said he was east going west now. He had given the tower the wrong position. It took 3 xmissions and one min of frequency time to get the correct instructions to small aircraft X. Pilots must learn to give the correct position the first time. It wasn't critical this time wasting the frequency time but if normal traffic was going this type of interruption with one pilot causes all others some kind of delay.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA REPORTED TO TWR WEST OF ARPT WHEN HE WAS REALLY EAST.

Narrative: SMA X RPTED 10 W OF SALEM ARPT FOR LNDG, WAS ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND RWY 31 AND TO RPT DOWNWIND. ONE MIN LATER SMA X ASKED FOR HIS INSTRUCTIONS AGAIN. THEY WERE ISSUED. ONE MIN LATER HE STATED HE WAS IN A BETTER POS FOR A R BASE TO RWY 31. SMA X WAS ASKED TO VERIFY HIS POS. HE SAID HE WAS E GOING W NOW. HE HAD GIVEN THE TWR THE WRONG POS. IT TOOK 3 XMISSIONS AND ONE MIN OF FREQ TIME TO GET THE CORRECT INSTRUCTIONS TO SMA X. PLTS MUST LEARN TO GIVE THE CORRECT POS THE FIRST TIME. IT WASN'T CRITICAL THIS TIME WASTING THE FREQ TIME BUT IF NORMAL TFC WAS GOING THIS TYPE OF INTERRUPTION WITH ONE PLT CAUSES ALL OTHERS SOME KIND OF DELAY.

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.