Narrative:

Ny approach had cleared us for the visual to runway 22. They had terminated radar service and handed us off to caldwell tower, about 3 mi from the airport. We contacted tower, who said 'not in sight, report right downwind runway 22.' while entering the pattern, we took evasive action to avoid a single engine aircraft that appeared to cut us off in the pattern. Tower then indicated we were #2 to land behind an aircraft doing touch- and-goes. We extended our downwind to make room for the slower traffic. All the while, tower indicated we were not in sight. We turned to intercept the runway 22 localizer about 4 mi out, and reported same. When spacing did not seem adequate, tower offered runway 27 for our landing, which worked out fine. When we contacted ground, we got a lecture about reporting where and when told. The controller was quite upset, insisting they get in trouble with ny approach if aircraft don't show up where they should. I suspect there was some confusion during the handoff from approach to tower as to whether we were going to shoot the approach to runway 22 or take the visual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC OCCURS AS SMT PLT ATTEMPTS AN ENTRY INTO THE TFC PATTERN AT CDW, NJ. TWR CTLR BEHAVIOR AGGRESSION EXHIBITED WHEN ACFT'S POS IS NOT OBSERVED. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: NY APCH HAD CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 22. THEY HAD TERMINATED RADAR SVC AND HANDED US OFF TO CALDWELL TWR, ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE ARPT. WE CONTACTED TWR, WHO SAID 'NOT IN SIGHT, RPT R DOWNWIND RWY 22.' WHILE ENTERING THE PATTERN, WE TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A SINGLE ENG ACFT THAT APPEARED TO CUT US OFF IN THE PATTERN. TWR THEN INDICATED WE WERE #2 TO LAND BEHIND AN ACFT DOING TOUCH- AND-GOES. WE EXTENDED OUR DOWNWIND TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE SLOWER TFC. ALL THE WHILE, TWR INDICATED WE WERE NOT IN SIGHT. WE TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 22 LOC ABOUT 4 MI OUT, AND RPTED SAME. WHEN SPACING DID NOT SEEM ADEQUATE, TWR OFFERED RWY 27 FOR OUR LNDG, WHICH WORKED OUT FINE. WHEN WE CONTACTED GND, WE GOT A LECTURE ABOUT RPTING WHERE AND WHEN TOLD. THE CTLR WAS QUITE UPSET, INSISTING THEY GET IN TROUBLE WITH NY APCH IF ACFT DON'T SHOW UP WHERE THEY SHOULD. I SUSPECT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION DURING THE HDOF FROM APCH TO TWR AS TO WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO SHOOT THE APCH TO RWY 22 OR TAKE THE VISUAL.

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.