Narrative:

My first solo cross country, with entry into controled airspace, began at watertown (ryv) to manitowoc (mtw) to appleton (atw) to oshkosh (osh) to juneau (unu) and returning to ryv. I reported my position to appleton (class D) at 10 mi east and was cleared by the tower to land on runway 29. I did not report that I did not have the field in sight. I had been following radial 287 degrees from manitowoc and, at that time, believed my aircraft was slightly northeast of the field. I didn't think I could turn left to runway 29 without going over the tower or terminal and I continued on a course that would take me in a counter-clockwise turn around the field. I did not report this to the tower and did not get clearance for this move. When I was about 1/3 of the way around the field, the tower asked me 'where I thought I was going.' I responded that I was going to runway 29. My confidence was beginning to decline. Shortly afterward the tower said 'you don't know where you are.' I felt like crawling under a rock but I managed to land the aircraft on runway 29 without incident. Confused, embarrassed and humiliated with my decision to circle the field - once it was in sight, rather than letting the tower tell me how to get to the runway. If I had told the tower, on my first transmission, that I was a student pilot flying VFR, he might not have held me to the same standards as a private pilot with 5 or 6 yrs experience. At least he would have had more information than I was giving. I exited the runway at taxiway A4, went past the first right and turned right into a dead-end taxiway. The tower instructed me to do a 180 degree and directed me to the correct taxiway that would lead me to the approach to runway 29. At the hold short line, I thought I heard the tower clear me for takeoff. I looked for traffic, read back the clearance for takeoff and, at the same time, advanced the throttle going onto runway 29. The tower stopped me, instructed me to return to the taxiway, and wait for traffic. I was then cleared for takeoff on runway 29 and turn south on a heading to oshkosh. I was instructed to call the tower when I returned to my base.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT, LNDG A C152 AT ATW, MADE A SERIES OF SERIOUS MISTAKES, WORST OF WHICH WAS A RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY, WITH ENTRY INTO CTLED AIRSPACE, BEGAN AT WATERTOWN (RYV) TO MANITOWOC (MTW) TO APPLETON (ATW) TO OSHKOSH (OSH) TO JUNEAU (UNU) AND RETURNING TO RYV. I RPTED MY POS TO APPLETON (CLASS D) AT 10 MI E AND WAS CLRED BY THE TWR TO LAND ON RWY 29. I DID NOT RPT THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I HAD BEEN FOLLOWING RADIAL 287 DEGS FROM MANITOWOC AND, AT THAT TIME, BELIEVED MY ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY NE OF THE FIELD. I DIDN'T THINK I COULD TURN L TO RWY 29 WITHOUT GOING OVER THE TWR OR TERMINAL AND I CONTINUED ON A COURSE THAT WOULD TAKE ME IN A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE TURN AROUND THE FIELD. I DID NOT RPT THIS TO THE TWR AND DID NOT GET CLRNC FOR THIS MOVE. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY AROUND THE FIELD, THE TWR ASKED ME 'WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING.' I RESPONDED THAT I WAS GOING TO RWY 29. MY CONFIDENCE WAS BEGINNING TO DECLINE. SHORTLY AFTERWARD THE TWR SAID 'YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.' I FELT LIKE CRAWLING UNDER A ROCK BUT I MANAGED TO LAND THE ACFT ON RWY 29 WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONFUSED, EMBARRASSED AND HUMILIATED WITH MY DECISION TO CIRCLE THE FIELD - ONCE IT WAS IN SIGHT, RATHER THAN LETTING THE TWR TELL ME HOW TO GET TO THE RWY. IF I HAD TOLD THE TWR, ON MY FIRST XMISSION, THAT I WAS A STUDENT PLT FLYING VFR, HE MIGHT NOT HAVE HELD ME TO THE SAME STANDARDS AS A PVT PLT WITH 5 OR 6 YRS EXPERIENCE. AT LEAST HE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE INFO THAN I WAS GIVING. I EXITED THE RWY AT TXWY A4, WENT PAST THE FIRST R AND TURNED RIGHT INTO A DEAD-END TXWY. THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO DO A 180 DEG AND DIRECTED ME TO THE CORRECT TXWY THAT WOULD LEAD ME TO THE APCH TO RWY 29. AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE, I THOUGHT I HEARD THE TWR CLR ME FOR TKOF. I LOOKED FOR TFC, READ BACK THE CLRNC FOR TKOF AND, AT THE SAME TIME, ADVANCED THE THROTTLE GOING ONTO RWY 29. THE TWR STOPPED ME, INSTRUCTED ME TO RETURN TO THE TXWY, AND WAIT FOR TFC. I WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 29 AND TURN S ON A HEADING TO OSHKOSH. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR WHEN I RETURNED TO MY BASE.

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.