Narrative:

Short repos flight from hpn-frg (20 NM). Received VFR advisories from ZNY. ZNY canceled radar service 6 NM from frg and told us to contact tower. Pattern was extremely busy with single engine, touch-and-go traffic. Unable to establish contact with tower, I orbited 6 mi south of class D airspace. After about 4 mins of orbiting, controller cleared us to runway 19 and to report when passing over a shopping mall. By now it was apparent that the controller was having difficulty getting these training aircraft to follow his instructions. This involved extreme use of the frequency, and we were unable to call our reporting point. During this confusion, I lined the aircraft up to land on runway 14, rather than runway 19, as instructed. By now, the controller was so overwhelmed that he cleared us to land on runway 19, but I was lined up to runway 14, thinking that I was on runway 19. On approximately a 1/2 mi final, I realized my error and executed a go around. We saw and avoided a PA28 that had gone around on runway 19. (Why, I do not know.) on the go around, we advised tower and requested left downwind to runway 19. He (tower) sequenced us #2 following traffic on the right downwind. After approximately 1 min of searching, I saw a single on 1/2 mi final and believed that to be my sequence. We could not confirm due to extreme radio clutter. As I completed my base turn, tower told us not to start base because our sequence was just turning final outside us. I maneuvered the aircraft behind him and slowed as much as possible. It became apparent to me that the spacing was inadequate and asked PNF to request a 360 degree turn on final. We were stepped on twice and unable to establish contact, so I executed the 360 degree turn anyway, carefully searching for traffic. Uneventful landing was made on runway 19 and tower made no comment. Mistakes, in order of importance: 1) me and PNF for lining up on wrong runway -- very unprofessional. 2) tower controller, for letting himself become overloaded. At times, he was unaware of which aircraft was which. He cleared us to land on runway 19 at first, and never saw our mistake of lining up for runway 14. 3) new york approach for 'cutting us loose' so close to the field. This is a common procedure at frg, and makes it difficult for both the flcs and the tower controller. This is a classic example of the 'domino theory' which leads to incidents/accidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE10 MAKES AN APCH TO THE WRONG RWY AT FRG, NY. FLC EXECUTES A GAR AND HAS A LESS SEVERE NMAC WITH AN SMA.

Narrative: SHORT REPOS FLT FROM HPN-FRG (20 NM). RECEIVED VFR ADVISORIES FROM ZNY. ZNY CANCELED RADAR SVC 6 NM FROM FRG AND TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR. PATTERN WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH SINGLE ENG, TOUCH-AND-GO TFC. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH TWR, I ORBITED 6 MI S OF CLASS D AIRSPACE. AFTER ABOUT 4 MINS OF ORBITING, CTLR CLRED US TO RWY 19 AND TO RPT WHEN PASSING OVER A SHOPPING MALL. BY NOW IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE CTLR WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING THESE TRAINING ACFT TO FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS. THIS INVOLVED EXTREME USE OF THE FREQ, AND WE WERE UNABLE TO CALL OUR RPTING POINT. DURING THIS CONFUSION, I LINED THE ACFT UP TO LAND ON RWY 14, RATHER THAN RWY 19, AS INSTRUCTED. BY NOW, THE CTLR WAS SO OVERWHELMED THAT HE CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 19, BUT I WAS LINED UP TO RWY 14, THINKING THAT I WAS ON RWY 19. ON APPROX A 1/2 MI FINAL, I REALIZED MY ERROR AND EXECUTED A GAR. WE SAW AND AVOIDED A PA28 THAT HAD GONE AROUND ON RWY 19. (WHY, I DO NOT KNOW.) ON THE GAR, WE ADVISED TWR AND REQUESTED L DOWNWIND TO RWY 19. HE (TWR) SEQUENCED US #2 FOLLOWING TFC ON THE R DOWNWIND. AFTER APPROX 1 MIN OF SEARCHING, I SAW A SINGLE ON 1/2 MI FINAL AND BELIEVED THAT TO BE MY SEQUENCE. WE COULD NOT CONFIRM DUE TO EXTREME RADIO CLUTTER. AS I COMPLETED MY BASE TURN, TWR TOLD US NOT TO START BASE BECAUSE OUR SEQUENCE WAS JUST TURNING FINAL OUTSIDE US. I MANEUVERED THE ACFT BEHIND HIM AND SLOWED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT THE SPACING WAS INADEQUATE AND ASKED PNF TO REQUEST A 360 DEG TURN ON FINAL. WE WERE STEPPED ON TWICE AND UNABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT, SO I EXECUTED THE 360 DEG TURN ANYWAY, CAREFULLY SEARCHING FOR TFC. UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 19 AND TWR MADE NO COMMENT. MISTAKES, IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: 1) ME AND PNF FOR LINING UP ON WRONG RWY -- VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. 2) TWR CTLR, FOR LETTING HIMSELF BECOME OVERLOADED. AT TIMES, HE WAS UNAWARE OF WHICH ACFT WAS WHICH. HE CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 19 AT FIRST, AND NEVER SAW OUR MISTAKE OF LINING UP FOR RWY 14. 3) NEW YORK APCH FOR 'CUTTING US LOOSE' SO CLOSE TO THE FIELD. THIS IS A COMMON PROC AT FRG, AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR BOTH THE FLCS AND THE TWR CTLR. THIS IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THE 'DOMINO THEORY' WHICH LEADS TO INCIDENTS/ACCIDENTS.

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.