Narrative:

Approaching apa from southwest starting at 17500 ft descending; cleared by den approach into class B airspace for a visual to runway 17 at apa. Reported airport in sight at 8 mi. Instructed to switch to tower frequency; did so; and reported 8 mi southwest with ATIS. Tower controller advised to report midfield right downwind for runway 17R; remain west of interstate 25. Entered right downwind for runway 17R directly over park meadows shopping center; and called in as 'midfield right downwind for runway 17R.' controller replied 'you are #2 for runway 17R; traffic over the numbers.' I continued my downwind to a point 45 degrees past the approach end of runway 17R; and turned base. The controller said 'mooney XXX; where are you going? Your traffic is south shore of reservoir!' (cherry creek reservoir is about 5 mi north of the airport!) I replied that I'd return to downwind and extend to follow the traffic; a C172. We extended our downwind and eventually found this traffic only just then at the south shore of the reservoir and turned base to follow him in. We flew our crosswind at the north shore; at least 7 mi from the airport; and struggled to keep from overrunning the C172 during his slow approach. During this same time; a heavy jet approaching runway 17L was asked to 'slow for spacing behind a cessna single (he replied that he was unable); so she switched him to runway 17R (he replied that he was unable; it was far too short!); then back to runway 17L and had the cessna go around. This controller sequenced our mooney with a 100 KT approach speed in the pattern with C150 and C172's with no apparent comprehension of the difference in speeds; and mixed heavy jets with similar trainers on the other runway as well. If I disobeyed her instruction (my wife; a 30 yr experienced copilot agrees she heard the same instruction) it was inadvertent. If this controller is a trainee; she needs more supervision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20 PLT LNDG APA EXPERIENCED CONFUSION REGARDING PATTERN ENTRY AND ATC INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: APCHING APA FROM SW STARTING AT 17500 FT DSNDING; CLRED BY DEN APCH INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 17 AT APA. RPTED ARPT IN SIGHT AT 8 MI. INSTRUCTED TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ; DID SO; AND RPTED 8 MI SW WITH ATIS. TWR CTLR ADVISED TO RPT MIDFIELD R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17R; REMAIN W OF INTERSTATE 25. ENTERED R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17R DIRECTLY OVER PARK MEADOWS SHOPPING CENTER; AND CALLED IN AS 'MIDFIELD R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17R.' CTLR REPLIED 'YOU ARE #2 FOR RWY 17R; TFC OVER THE NUMBERS.' I CONTINUED MY DOWNWIND TO A POINT 45 DEGS PAST THE APCH END OF RWY 17R; AND TURNED BASE. THE CTLR SAID 'MOONEY XXX; WHERE ARE YOU GOING? YOUR TFC IS S SHORE OF RESERVOIR!' (CHERRY CREEK RESERVOIR IS ABOUT 5 MI N OF THE ARPT!) I REPLIED THAT I'D RETURN TO DOWNWIND AND EXTEND TO FOLLOW THE TFC; A C172. WE EXTENDED OUR DOWNWIND AND EVENTUALLY FOUND THIS TFC ONLY JUST THEN AT THE S SHORE OF THE RESERVOIR AND TURNED BASE TO FOLLOW HIM IN. WE FLEW OUR XWIND AT THE N SHORE; AT LEAST 7 MI FROM THE ARPT; AND STRUGGLED TO KEEP FROM OVERRUNNING THE C172 DURING HIS SLOW APCH. DURING THIS SAME TIME; A HVY JET APCHING RWY 17L WAS ASKED TO 'SLOW FOR SPACING BEHIND A CESSNA SINGLE (HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS UNABLE); SO SHE SWITCHED HIM TO RWY 17R (HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS UNABLE; IT WAS FAR TOO SHORT!); THEN BACK TO RWY 17L AND HAD THE CESSNA GO AROUND. THIS CTLR SEQUENCED OUR MOONEY WITH A 100 KT APCH SPD IN THE PATTERN WITH C150 AND C172'S WITH NO APPARENT COMPREHENSION OF THE DIFFERENCE IN SPDS; AND MIXED HVY JETS WITH SIMILAR TRAINERS ON THE OTHER RWY AS WELL. IF I DISOBEYED HER INSTRUCTION (MY WIFE; A 30 YR EXPERIENCED COPLT AGREES SHE HEARD THE SAME INSTRUCTION) IT WAS INADVERTENT. IF THIS CTLR IS A TRAINEE; SHE NEEDS MORE SUPERVISION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.