Narrative:

As I was inbound on the ILS runway 22 approach into nqa, tower told me to advise when I was 4 mi out. At 4 mi out, I had already broken out of the clouds and had the airport in sight. I advised tower that I was 4 mi out. He told me that my traffic was a C-130 turning left downwind doing touch and goes and a beech jet on short final. He then told me to 'circle to the east, expect runway 4.' I was unsure of what he meant by this, but figured that he wanted me to do a left circle for sequencing behind the planes. In the middle of my second circle, tower came back and told me that my traffic was a C-130 on 2 1/2 mi final for runway 4. I replied that I would look for traffic. Then tower asked me what my position was. I told him that I was 3 mi north of the field, circling and asked him if he wanted me to enter a left downwind for runway 4. He told me that he wanted me on a right downwind that's why he told me to circle. I then entered a right downward for runway 4 and landed with no problems. I think this could have been avoided if I had asked him what he meant by 'circle to the east' originally, or if he had been more specific and told me to 'circle to land runway 4.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-172 PLT ON IFR APCH TO NQA MISUNDERSTANDS CTLR'S CIRCLE TO LAND INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: AS I WAS INBOUND ON THE ILS RWY 22 APCH INTO NQA, TWR TOLD ME TO ADVISE WHEN I WAS 4 MI OUT. AT 4 MI OUT, I HAD ALREADY BROKEN OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I ADVISED TWR THAT I WAS 4 MI OUT. HE TOLD ME THAT MY TFC WAS A C-130 TURNING L DOWNWIND DOING TOUCH AND GOES AND A BEECH JET ON SHORT FINAL. HE THEN TOLD ME TO 'CIRCLE TO THE E, EXPECT RWY 4.' I WAS UNSURE OF WHAT HE MEANT BY THIS, BUT FIGURED THAT HE WANTED ME TO DO A L CIRCLE FOR SEQUENCING BEHIND THE PLANES. IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SECOND CIRCLE, TWR CAME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT MY TFC WAS A C-130 ON 2 1/2 MI FINAL FOR RWY 4. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD LOOK FOR TFC. THEN TWR ASKED ME WHAT MY POS WAS. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS 3 MI N OF THE FIELD, CIRCLING AND ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED ME TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 4. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WANTED ME ON A R DOWNWIND THAT'S WHY HE TOLD ME TO CIRCLE. I THEN ENTERED A R DOWNWARD FOR RWY 4 AND LANDED WITH NO PROBS. I THINK THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD ASKED HIM WHAT HE MEANT BY 'CIRCLE TO THE E' ORIGINALLY, OR IF HE HAD BEEN MORE SPECIFIC AND TOLD ME TO 'CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 4.'

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.