Narrative:

I am a low time pilot who flies primarily for pleasure. In this instance, I was flying with a single passenger. The purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and lndgs. I had flown into cdw twice before, but both occasions were with an instructor while being checked out for rental privileges. In preparation for the flight, I reviewed my VFR TA chart and consulted the tann guide entries for cdw and N07. I failed to consult the AFD. After departing the teb air traffic area, I switched to the cdw ATIS and then cdw tower (126.5). The local controller appeared very busy, and I remained clear of the air traffic area, circling until I could make my call. Eventually, I was sequenced into the landing traffic. Upon turning final, I requested to stay in the pattern for touch-and-goes and was requested by the controller to make left closed traffic. I am quite sure I heard her say 'left', and this was also understood by my passenger. (I am awaiting the tape transcript to determine if I misunderstood the instruction.) I acknowledged her instruction with a readback. After the touch-and-go, I called the tower left midfield downwind, with no answer, and again left downwind abeam the numbers, again with no answer. Pilot communications with the tower remained heavy, and it was difficult to place my calls. On an extended downwind, I believe I heard the tower call me with a sequence to land. I confirmed by calling the initiation of my turn to final, at which point the tower came back saying 'that's the problem, you should be right traffic' or something similar. I heard another pilot, evidently also on final, call the tower to report an aircraft turning inside him. (I had not seen this traffic. I now assume the pilot was referring to me, but I am not sure.) the controller told me she had not cleared me to land and she demanded to know why I was in a left pattern. I replied that I understood she had specifically instructed me to make left turns. She asked me if I had seen light gun signals directed towards me. I replied I had not. I requested touch-and-go. The controller authorized a right turn and right pattern. I acknowledged with a readback. I called right midfield downwind and was sequenced to land. I could not find the traffic I was to follow, and abeam the numbers, I requested the tower to call my base, with no reply. On extended downwind, I called up again, requesting the tower to call my base. The tower called back with instructions to turn base, updated my landing sequence and eventually gave my clearance to land. The traffic ahead of me was slow and very low, and the tower warned it was well below the GS. I slowed up my aircraft to maintain spacing. The traffic ahead landed brushing the trees and drifting well left of the centerline of the runway. While it was still on the runway, and while I was on short final, the tower requested me to go around. I acknowledged and complied. Upwind, shortly before beginning my right turn, I decided the pattern was too busy, and I called the tower requesting to leave the pattern, northbound. The controller authorized the request. I proceeded to N07, where I executed 2 lndgs without incident, and then returned to teb. Signing in my aircraft at the FBO, the assistant chief told me the manager of the caldwell tower had called him about my aircraft, saying that I had not acknowledged repeated radio calls, had operated recklessly in the left pattern without authorization, had made 3 touch-and-goes without authorization and that he was considering pressing charges against me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the tapes have been reviewed and controller did issue 'left' traffic. Reporter has only heard through FBO operator with whom supervisor has spoken. Supervisor agreed it is their mistake and controller is being given remedial training. Reporter aware traffic pattern was right hand and questioned the direction in his mind. Never could get on frequency to confirm direction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT REQUESTS TOUCH AND GOES, TOLD L TFC. FLIES L PATTERN, THEN CHASTISED BECAUSE HE DID SO.

Narrative: I AM A LOW TIME PLT WHO FLIES PRIMARILY FOR PLEASURE. IN THIS INSTANCE, I WAS FLYING WITH A SINGLE PAX. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO PRACTICE TKOFS AND LNDGS. I HAD FLOWN INTO CDW TWICE BEFORE, BUT BOTH OCCASIONS WERE WITH AN INSTRUCTOR WHILE BEING CHKED OUT FOR RENTAL PRIVILEGES. IN PREPARATION FOR THE FLT, I REVIEWED MY VFR TA CHART AND CONSULTED THE TANN GUIDE ENTRIES FOR CDW AND N07. I FAILED TO CONSULT THE AFD. AFTER DEPARTING THE TEB ATA, I SWITCHED TO THE CDW ATIS AND THEN CDW TWR (126.5). THE LCL CTLR APPEARED VERY BUSY, AND I REMAINED CLR OF THE ATA, CIRCLING UNTIL I COULD MAKE MY CALL. EVENTUALLY, I WAS SEQUENCED INTO THE LNDG TFC. UPON TURNING FINAL, I REQUESTED TO STAY IN THE PATTERN FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES AND WAS REQUESTED BY THE CTLR TO MAKE L CLOSED TFC. I AM QUITE SURE I HEARD HER SAY 'L', AND THIS WAS ALSO UNDERSTOOD BY MY PAX. (I AM AWAITING THE TAPE TRANSCRIPT TO DETERMINE IF I MISUNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTION.) I ACKNOWLEDGED HER INSTRUCTION WITH A READBACK. AFTER THE TOUCH-AND-GO, I CALLED THE TWR L MIDFIELD DOWNWIND, WITH NO ANSWER, AND AGAIN L DOWNWIND ABEAM THE NUMBERS, AGAIN WITH NO ANSWER. PLT COMS WITH THE TWR REMAINED HVY, AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PLACE MY CALLS. ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND, I BELIEVE I HEARD THE TWR CALL ME WITH A SEQUENCE TO LAND. I CONFIRMED BY CALLING THE INITIATION OF MY TURN TO FINAL, AT WHICH POINT THE TWR CAME BACK SAYING 'THAT'S THE PROBLEM, YOU SHOULD BE R TFC' OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. I HEARD ANOTHER PLT, EVIDENTLY ALSO ON FINAL, CALL THE TWR TO RPT AN ACFT TURNING INSIDE HIM. (I HAD NOT SEEN THIS TFC. I NOW ASSUME THE PLT WAS REFERRING TO ME, BUT I AM NOT SURE.) THE CTLR TOLD ME SHE HAD NOT CLRED ME TO LAND AND SHE DEMANDED TO KNOW WHY I WAS IN A L PATTERN. I REPLIED THAT I UNDERSTOOD SHE HAD SPECIFICALLY INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE L TURNS. SHE ASKED ME IF I HAD SEEN LIGHT GUN SIGNALS DIRECTED TOWARDS ME. I REPLIED I HAD NOT. I REQUESTED TOUCH-AND-GO. THE CTLR AUTHORIZED A R TURN AND R PATTERN. I ACKNOWLEDGED WITH A READBACK. I CALLED R MIDFIELD DOWNWIND AND WAS SEQUENCED TO LAND. I COULD NOT FIND THE TFC I WAS TO FOLLOW, AND ABEAM THE NUMBERS, I REQUESTED THE TWR TO CALL MY BASE, WITH NO REPLY. ON EXTENDED DOWNWIND, I CALLED UP AGAIN, REQUESTING THE TWR TO CALL MY BASE. THE TWR CALLED BACK WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN BASE, UPDATED MY LNDG SEQUENCE AND EVENTUALLY GAVE MY CLRNC TO LAND. THE TFC AHEAD OF ME WAS SLOW AND VERY LOW, AND THE TWR WARNED IT WAS WELL BELOW THE GS. I SLOWED UP MY ACFT TO MAINTAIN SPACING. THE TFC AHEAD LANDED BRUSHING THE TREES AND DRIFTING WELL L OF THE CENTERLINE OF THE RWY. WHILE IT WAS STILL ON THE RWY, AND WHILE I WAS ON SHORT FINAL, THE TWR REQUESTED ME TO GAR. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED. UPWIND, SHORTLY BEFORE BEGINNING MY R TURN, I DECIDED THE PATTERN WAS TOO BUSY, AND I CALLED THE TWR REQUESTING TO LEAVE THE PATTERN, NBOUND. THE CTLR AUTHORIZED THE REQUEST. I PROCEEDED TO N07, WHERE I EXECUTED 2 LNDGS WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND THEN RETURNED TO TEB. SIGNING IN MY ACFT AT THE FBO, THE ASSISTANT CHIEF TOLD ME THE MGR OF THE CALDWELL TWR HAD CALLED HIM ABOUT MY ACFT, SAYING THAT I HAD NOT ACKNOWLEDGED REPEATED RADIO CALLS, HAD OPERATED RECKLESSLY IN THE L PATTERN WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, HAD MADE 3 TOUCH-AND-GOES WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION AND THAT HE WAS CONSIDERING PRESSING CHARGES AGAINST ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE TAPES HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND CTLR DID ISSUE 'L' TFC. RPTR HAS ONLY HEARD THROUGH FBO OPERATOR WITH WHOM SUPVR HAS SPOKEN. SUPVR AGREED IT IS THEIR MISTAKE AND CTLR IS BEING GIVEN REMEDIAL TRAINING. RPTR AWARE TFC PATTERN WAS R HAND AND QUESTIONED THE DIRECTION IN HIS MIND. NEVER COULD GET ON FREQ TO CONFIRM DIRECTION.

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.