Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan en route from bed to hto and was being worked by new york approach. After being handed off to new york by pvd approach, I requested a descent from my cruising altitude of 6000 ft. I was granted a descent to 4000 ft. As I approached my destination I became concerned about my altitude and requested lower again. New york was unable to grant the request, so I slowed the aircraft by 30 KTS fully expecting a slam dunk. Sure enough, 10 mi from the airport, I was asked if I had it in sight and after a moment I confirmed visual contact and was cleared for the visual approach. At this time I was approximately 8 mi from the airport. With 3000 ft to descend in a short time I realized there might be a problem so I canceled IFR so that I could more easily maneuver to lose the altitude as necessary. I contacted unicom and was told the wind favored runway 28. I announced I was 5 mi to the north and landing. I commenced two 360 degree turns and dropped the gear to expedite my descent. After turning back towards the airport, I became disoriented. I thought I was southeast of the airport when, in fact, I was northeast. I announced that I was entering a left downwind to runway 28. As I got closer, I realized that I was northeast and was, in fact, entering right traffic. I broke off to the east to gather my thoughts and decide what to do. Rather than flying at pattern altitude over the airport with several planes in the pattern, I decided that right traffic would be safer and I could fit into the flow more easily. I continued and made right traffic. Unicom became upset and chastised me, so I did a low approach and departed. How could my confusion been prevented? Planning the approach further out so as not to be distracted by the slam dunk while I was planning it would have helped. Following along on a sectional would have increased my situational awareness. From now on, even when IFR, I will follow my track on a sectional. I became complacent and allowed myself to become distracted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. RPTR CANCELED IFR TO DO 360 DEG TURNS TO GET DOWN, LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY AND BECAME DISORIENTED. WHEN RELOCATING THE ARPT HE ENTERED A R DOWNWIND THINKING IT WAS A L DOWNWIND. AFTER GETTING REORIENTED THE RPTR MADE A LOW APCH AND DEPARTED THE AREA.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN ENRTE FROM BED TO HTO AND WAS BEING WORKED BY NEW YORK APCH. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO NEW YORK BY PVD APCH, I REQUESTED A DSCNT FROM MY CRUISING ALT OF 6000 FT. I WAS GRANTED A DSCNT TO 4000 FT. AS I APCHED MY DEST I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT MY ALT AND REQUESTED LOWER AGAIN. NEW YORK WAS UNABLE TO GRANT THE REQUEST, SO I SLOWED THE ACFT BY 30 KTS FULLY EXPECTING A SLAM DUNK. SURE ENOUGH, 10 MI FROM THE ARPT, I WAS ASKED IF I HAD IT IN SIGHT AND AFTER A MOMENT I CONFIRMED VISUAL CONTACT AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. AT THIS TIME I WAS APPROX 8 MI FROM THE ARPT. WITH 3000 FT TO DSND IN A SHORT TIME I REALIZED THERE MIGHT BE A PROB SO I CANCELED IFR SO THAT I COULD MORE EASILY MANEUVER TO LOSE THE ALT AS NECESSARY. I CONTACTED UNICOM AND WAS TOLD THE WIND FAVORED RWY 28. I ANNOUNCED I WAS 5 MI TO THE N AND LNDG. I COMMENCED TWO 360 DEG TURNS AND DROPPED THE GEAR TO EXPEDITE MY DSCNT. AFTER TURNING BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT, I BECAME DISORIENTED. I THOUGHT I WAS SE OF THE ARPT WHEN, IN FACT, I WAS NE. I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS ENTERING A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 28. AS I GOT CLOSER, I REALIZED THAT I WAS NE AND WAS, IN FACT, ENTERING R TFC. I BROKE OFF TO THE E TO GATHER MY THOUGHTS AND DECIDE WHAT TO DO. RATHER THAN FLYING AT PATTERN ALT OVER THE ARPT WITH SEVERAL PLANES IN THE PATTERN, I DECIDED THAT R TFC WOULD BE SAFER AND I COULD FIT INTO THE FLOW MORE EASILY. I CONTINUED AND MADE R TFC. UNICOM BECAME UPSET AND CHASTISED ME, SO I DID A LOW APCH AND DEPARTED. HOW COULD MY CONFUSION BEEN PREVENTED? PLANNING THE APCH FURTHER OUT SO AS NOT TO BE DISTRACTED BY THE SLAM DUNK WHILE I WAS PLANNING IT WOULD HAVE HELPED. FOLLOWING ALONG ON A SECTIONAL WOULD HAVE INCREASED MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. FROM NOW ON, EVEN WHEN IFR, I WILL FOLLOW MY TRACK ON A SECTIONAL. I BECAME COMPLACENT AND ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME DISTRACTED.

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.