Narrative:

While I was on downwind for runway 22 at cdw, I heard another pilot reporting 2.5 mi west of the field. He told the controller that he thought he had the field in sight, but did not have me in sight. He also asked the controller for vectors for the runway. All of this made me a bit nervous because I knew his position would be getting close to mine, and it was at night. I began looking closely for the traffic and eventually spotted it to my 11 O'clock position and a bit below me. For some reason, the controller never called out the traffic to me. I altered my course a bit to the left and climbed about 100 ft to keep a safe distance from the traffic. The controller then asked why I did that maneuver. After I explained to him that I did it to maintain my separation, he replied a bit angrily because I did something that he did not expect, he was going to make me #2 to land, instead of #1. I thought that he was a bit harsh for the small evasive maneuver that I did. While I continued on downwind, I overheard the controller issuing vector instructions to the other pilot who seemed a bit confused. At one point I heard the controller say to the other pilot 'I need you to calm down sir.' I was not completely focusing on their conversation because I kept pondering over the controller getting annoyed over my maneuvering to avoid the other pilot. After I continued on downwind for what I thought was a long time, I was not sure if I was supposed to have turned base and I was not sure where the other pilot was. So I asked the controller if I should be turning base (I was a bit intimidated to ask this question because I did not want to potentially get yelled at over the air). I thought he said 'yes,' so I turned base. The controller then got a bit sarcastic and asked the other pilot 'why did he just turn base?' I then responded that it was me who turned base, and not him. The controller then told me very angrily that he never told me it was ok to turn base, and that I needed to make an immediate climbing right 180 degree turn. Just before making my turn, I noticed the other pilot on final that I cut in front of. We were not close enough to collide. The other pilot tried to calm things down a bit by stating that he had me in sight. The controller responded with a remark like 'I don't care if you do.' everything was fine after that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LCL CTLR AT CDW ALLEGEDLY EXHIBITS A LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM WITH PLTS ENTERING THE PATTERN TO LAND.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22 AT CDW, I HEARD ANOTHER PLT RPTING 2.5 MI W OF THE FIELD. HE TOLD THE CTLR THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT, BUT DID NOT HAVE ME IN SIGHT. HE ALSO ASKED THE CTLR FOR VECTORS FOR THE RWY. ALL OF THIS MADE ME A BIT NERVOUS BECAUSE I KNEW HIS POS WOULD BE GETTING CLOSE TO MINE, AND IT WAS AT NIGHT. I BEGAN LOOKING CLOSELY FOR THE TFC AND EVENTUALLY SPOTTED IT TO MY 11 O'CLOCK POS AND A BIT BELOW ME. FOR SOME REASON, THE CTLR NEVER CALLED OUT THE TFC TO ME. I ALTERED MY COURSE A BIT TO THE L AND CLBED ABOUT 100 FT TO KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE TFC. THE CTLR THEN ASKED WHY I DID THAT MANEUVER. AFTER I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I DID IT TO MAINTAIN MY SEPARATION, HE REPLIED A BIT ANGRILY BECAUSE I DID SOMETHING THAT HE DID NOT EXPECT, HE WAS GOING TO MAKE ME #2 TO LAND, INSTEAD OF #1. I THOUGHT THAT HE WAS A BIT HARSH FOR THE SMALL EVASIVE MANEUVER THAT I DID. WHILE I CONTINUED ON DOWNWIND, I OVERHEARD THE CTLR ISSUING VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE OTHER PLT WHO SEEMED A BIT CONFUSED. AT ONE POINT I HEARD THE CTLR SAY TO THE OTHER PLT 'I NEED YOU TO CALM DOWN SIR.' I WAS NOT COMPLETELY FOCUSING ON THEIR CONVERSATION BECAUSE I KEPT PONDERING OVER THE CTLR GETTING ANNOYED OVER MY MANEUVERING TO AVOID THE OTHER PLT. AFTER I CONTINUED ON DOWNWIND FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A LONG TIME, I WAS NOT SURE IF I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE TURNED BASE AND I WAS NOT SURE WHERE THE OTHER PLT WAS. SO I ASKED THE CTLR IF I SHOULD BE TURNING BASE (I WAS A BIT INTIMIDATED TO ASK THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO POTENTIALLY GET YELLED AT OVER THE AIR). I THOUGHT HE SAID 'YES,' SO I TURNED BASE. THE CTLR THEN GOT A BIT SARCASTIC AND ASKED THE OTHER PLT 'WHY DID HE JUST TURN BASE?' I THEN RESPONDED THAT IT WAS ME WHO TURNED BASE, AND NOT HIM. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME VERY ANGRILY THAT HE NEVER TOLD ME IT WAS OK TO TURN BASE, AND THAT I NEEDED TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE CLBING R 180 DEG TURN. JUST BEFORE MAKING MY TURN, I NOTICED THE OTHER PLT ON FINAL THAT I CUT IN FRONT OF. WE WERE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO COLLIDE. THE OTHER PLT TRIED TO CALM THINGS DOWN A BIT BY STATING THAT HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH A REMARK LIKE 'I DON'T CARE IF YOU DO.' EVERYTHING WAS FINE AFTER THAT.

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.