Narrative:

Flight from rue to gmu, VFR, with flight following. Upon approach to gmu, I asked greer approach (and TRACON) for a vector to the runway in use (AWOS did not say). Approach said the tower would vector us. Tower did not give us a vector, but said right turn for runway 19, cleared to land. It was here that I messed up. For some reason, I got confused and drifted toward runway 1. The day was hazy and so I could not really tell, by sight, the numbers. Horizontally, the sight distance was excellent. The tower informed me that I had been assigned runway 19 and not runway 1. I knew this, but the difficulty had progressed past my taking personal action. I waited for them to reassign me and they did with no other difficulty. The only thing I can say is, I became confused in my situational perception and took the wrong heading. I had the runway in sight, but was unable at that time to decide how to find runway 19 and land on it. The flight was approximately 4 1/2 hours from rue to gmu, but I was not fatigued. I don't think there is any other explanation other than I was unable to process and carry out the needed calculations to find my entry compass heading to get me on downwind. I have mulled over this a lot and all I can say is I muffed it. In the future, I would handle a similar situation by drawing out the approach, using my heading bug to help point to the runway, and if in doubt, ask for help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 PLT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO ENTER THE PATTERN FOR HIS ASSIGNED RWY AT GMU.

Narrative: FLT FROM RUE TO GMU, VFR, WITH FLT FOLLOWING. UPON APCH TO GMU, I ASKED GREER APCH (AND TRACON) FOR A VECTOR TO THE RWY IN USE (AWOS DID NOT SAY). APCH SAID THE TWR WOULD VECTOR US. TWR DID NOT GIVE US A VECTOR, BUT SAID R TURN FOR RWY 19, CLRED TO LAND. IT WAS HERE THAT I MESSED UP. FOR SOME REASON, I GOT CONFUSED AND DRIFTED TOWARD RWY 1. THE DAY WAS HAZY AND SO I COULD NOT REALLY TELL, BY SIGHT, THE NUMBERS. HORIZLY, THE SIGHT DISTANCE WAS EXCELLENT. THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED RWY 19 AND NOT RWY 1. I KNEW THIS, BUT THE DIFFICULTY HAD PROGRESSED PAST MY TAKING PERSONAL ACTION. I WAITED FOR THEM TO REASSIGN ME AND THEY DID WITH NO OTHER DIFFICULTY. THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS, I BECAME CONFUSED IN MY SITUATIONAL PERCEPTION AND TOOK THE WRONG HDG. I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT, BUT WAS UNABLE AT THAT TIME TO DECIDE HOW TO FIND RWY 19 AND LAND ON IT. THE FLT WAS APPROX 4 1/2 HRS FROM RUE TO GMU, BUT I WAS NOT FATIGUED. I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY OTHER EXPLANATION OTHER THAN I WAS UNABLE TO PROCESS AND CARRY OUT THE NEEDED CALCULATIONS TO FIND MY ENTRY COMPASS HDG TO GET ME ON DOWNWIND. I HAVE MULLED OVER THIS A LOT AND ALL I CAN SAY IS I MUFFED IT. IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD HANDLE A SIMILAR SIT BY DRAWING OUT THE APCH, USING MY HDG BUG TO HELP POINT TO THE RWY, AND IF IN DOUBT, ASK FOR HELP.

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.