Narrative:

I was inbound from the pontiac VOR for landing at bloomington, il. I called the tower 11 NM north. The tower cleared me into the class D airspace and said to call him on a 2 mi right base to runway 20. At about 5 mi from the airport the tower called me and asked where I was. I had just passed over the town of towanda and I told him I was 5 mi off the end of runway 20. He then asked if I would like to make a straight in to runway 20. I said yes I would. At about 2 mi out I called and said I was 2 mi from the runway. He then cleared me to land. After landing he asked me to call the tower and gave me a phone number. After landing I called the tower and talked to the tower cabin attendant controller. I found out he had intended for me to fly a parallel course to the approach path for runway 20. I really did not know this at the time. At 15-20 KT wind from the west did cause me to drift farther east than I intended. I had just started a right turn to the west to correct the east drift when the tower called me at 5 mi out. When I talked to the controller he admitted he had not established where I was and was concerned when I said I was off the approach end of runway 20. I think this whole thing came from the controller not being more specific in what he expected me to do and not knowing my exact position. My not fully compensating for the east drift may have added to the problem. No other traffic was involved so there was no conflict with other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SEL SMA DRIFTED INTO THE APCH CORRIDOR DURING APCH TO LAND RESULTING IN THE TWR CTLR BEING CONCERNED FOR A TFC CONFLICT. HOWEVER, THE CTLR DID NOT STIPULATE HIS INTENTIONS WHEN CLRING THE RPTR INBOUND TO THE ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS INBOUND FROM THE PONTIAC VOR FOR LNDG AT BLOOMINGTON, IL. I CALLED THE TWR 11 NM N. THE TWR CLRED ME INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AND SAID TO CALL HIM ON A 2 MI R BASE TO RWY 20. AT ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT THE TWR CALLED ME AND ASKED WHERE I WAS. I HAD JUST PASSED OVER THE TOWN OF TOWANDA AND I TOLD HIM I WAS 5 MI OFF THE END OF RWY 20. HE THEN ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 20. I SAID YES I WOULD. AT ABOUT 2 MI OUT I CALLED AND SAID I WAS 2 MI FROM THE RWY. HE THEN CLRED ME TO LAND. AFTER LNDG HE ASKED ME TO CALL THE TWR AND GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER. AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE TWR AND TALKED TO THE TWR CAB CTLR. I FOUND OUT HE HAD INTENDED FOR ME TO FLY A PARALLEL COURSE TO THE APCH PATH FOR RWY 20. I REALLY DID NOT KNOW THIS AT THE TIME. AT 15-20 KT WIND FROM THE W DID CAUSE ME TO DRIFT FARTHER E THAN I INTENDED. I HAD JUST STARTED A R TURN TO THE W TO CORRECT THE E DRIFT WHEN THE TWR CALLED ME AT 5 MI OUT. WHEN I TALKED TO THE CTLR HE ADMITTED HE HAD NOT ESTABLISHED WHERE I WAS AND WAS CONCERNED WHEN I SAID I WAS OFF THE APCH END OF RWY 20. I THINK THIS WHOLE THING CAME FROM THE CTLR NOT BEING MORE SPECIFIC IN WHAT HE EXPECTED ME TO DO AND NOT KNOWING MY EXACT POS. MY NOT FULLY COMPENSATING FOR THE E DRIFT MAY HAVE ADDED TO THE PROB. NO OTHER TFC WAS INVOLVED SO THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT.

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.