Narrative:

From north, called tower at customary reporting point. Heard tower give instruction to maintain 1500 ft. Tower was very busy. Heard controller respond, 'come on, gentlemen' and clarify instruction was for xyx (I am xyz) call sign. I waited for instruction, got none, called again (amidst heavy radio chatter, including some from unfamiliar pilots overflying) at 4 mi out. Controller seemed overwhelmed. No response. Called at 3 mi. Expected usual straight-in from pattern altitude, called at 2 mi again and got response 'where did you come from?' stated identify, called 4 times inbound, was told to go around, complied. Was brought in following an arrow on long final. Called 'no joy.' sighted traffic, called it. Told to turn base and follow. Was asked if I had traffic 'on my wing.' said negative, I was following 'low wing' on final near touchdown. Controller agreed that was my traffic, then later said I was overtaking traffic and to change runways. This was not true, I could easily have landed and arrow would have been clear. After landing, fueling, and taxiing to hangar, a man walked up and asked about the aircraft -- whether it was a club plane -- then asked my name. Then informed me he came from the tower, had listened and asked my version of what had transpired. He claimed that controller spotted me on short final at 500 ft. This was not true. I explained I'd been maintaining pattern altitude, about 900 ft, awaiting landing clearance. I had been expecting this as I had assumed by his admonishment 'come on, gentlemen' and clarification of call sign as indication he had heard my radio call-up initially, and was of a mind set I would be receiving clearance or instruction as soon as able. Apparently controller was so overwhelmed by volume of radio traffic that he couldn't handle more aircraft traffic in the mix. In retrospect, I would have orbited the field at a higher altitude until sure of clearance instruction. Controller should have had better situational and positional awareness. Stress led to confusion, I believe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMALL GA ACFT MISUNDERSTANDS LNDG INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: FROM N, CALLED TWR AT CUSTOMARY RPTING POINT. HEARD TWR GIVE INSTRUCTION TO MAINTAIN 1500 FT. TWR WAS VERY BUSY. HEARD CTLR RESPOND, 'COME ON, GENTLEMEN' AND CLARIFY INSTRUCTION WAS FOR XYX (I AM XYZ) CALL SIGN. I WAITED FOR INSTRUCTION, GOT NONE, CALLED AGAIN (AMIDST HVY RADIO CHATTER, INCLUDING SOME FROM UNFAMILIAR PLTS OVERFLYING) AT 4 MI OUT. CTLR SEEMED OVERWHELMED. NO RESPONSE. CALLED AT 3 MI. EXPECTED USUAL STRAIGHT-IN FROM PATTERN ALT, CALLED AT 2 MI AGAIN AND GOT RESPONSE 'WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?' STATED IDENT, CALLED 4 TIMES INBOUND, WAS TOLD TO GO AROUND, COMPLIED. WAS BROUGHT IN FOLLOWING AN ARROW ON LONG FINAL. CALLED 'NO JOY.' SIGHTED TFC, CALLED IT. TOLD TO TURN BASE AND FOLLOW. WAS ASKED IF I HAD TFC 'ON MY WING.' SAID NEGATIVE, I WAS FOLLOWING 'LOW WING' ON FINAL NEAR TOUCHDOWN. CTLR AGREED THAT WAS MY TFC, THEN LATER SAID I WAS OVERTAKING TFC AND TO CHANGE RWYS. THIS WAS NOT TRUE, I COULD EASILY HAVE LANDED AND ARROW WOULD HAVE BEEN CLR. AFTER LNDG, FUELING, AND TAXIING TO HANGAR, A MAN WALKED UP AND ASKED ABOUT THE ACFT -- WHETHER IT WAS A CLUB PLANE -- THEN ASKED MY NAME. THEN INFORMED ME HE CAME FROM THE TWR, HAD LISTENED AND ASKED MY VERSION OF WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. HE CLAIMED THAT CTLR SPOTTED ME ON SHORT FINAL AT 500 FT. THIS WAS NOT TRUE. I EXPLAINED I'D BEEN MAINTAINING PATTERN ALT, ABOUT 900 FT, AWAITING LNDG CLRNC. I HAD BEEN EXPECTING THIS AS I HAD ASSUMED BY HIS ADMONISHMENT 'COME ON, GENTLEMEN' AND CLARIFICATION OF CALL SIGN AS INDICATION HE HAD HEARD MY RADIO CALL-UP INITIALLY, AND WAS OF A MIND SET I WOULD BE RECEIVING CLRNC OR INSTRUCTION AS SOON AS ABLE. APPARENTLY CTLR WAS SO OVERWHELMED BY VOLUME OF RADIO TFC THAT HE COULDN'T HANDLE MORE ACFT TFC IN THE MIX. IN RETROSPECT, I WOULD HAVE ORBITED THE FIELD AT A HIGHER ALT UNTIL SURE OF CLRNC INSTRUCTION. CTLR SHOULD HAVE HAD BETTER SITUATIONAL AND POSITIONAL AWARENESS. STRESS LED TO CONFUSION, I BELIEVE.

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.