Narrative:

While returning to oak, we again contacted bay approach while about to enter the arsa-TCA (though under the TCA floor). We were told to fly to the mormon temple, a recognized reporting point for a right downwind for runway 27R. This was slightly out of our way, but made sense because of the normal departure patterns around the green tank, we accordingly followed those instructions. We were then told to contact the tower. When we did so, the tower instructed us to enter right downwind for runway 27R. They did not specify 'direct,' so to avoid any possible departure conflicts we continued a slightly longer route as previously instructed for a normal downwind entry east of the green tank. The tower called shortly later and asked what we were doing. We explained and got a scolding for not following their unclear and possibly unsafe instructions--unclear because our flight path was in fact a normal route for a right downwind, and unsafe because a direct path could have had us in conflict with any departing traffic on runways 27 or 33 and would have placed us a little closer to alameda NAS than I'd like to be unless it was absolutely necessary. We then asked the tower what they wanted us to do and followed their instructions to enter the pattern from the point while the tower continued to complain. I think the tower controller was wrong as well as unclear and the bay instructions were preferable for safety reasons, even at the cost of some extra gas and a minute or two of flight time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter made no follow up telephone call to oak tower to find out why the controller was upset with him. He was proceeding to the mormon temple, as instructed by bay approach control. When he called the tower, they instructed him to enter right traffic for runway 27R. Apparently the controller became upset when instead of proceeding directly from lake merritt to the traffic pattern, reporter continued northeast toward the mormon temple. Analyst is at a loss to understand why this would cause the controller to be so harsh with reporter. Either the reporter did something that he has not admitted or the controller was having a bad day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FAILED TO QUICKLY FOLLOW TWR INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRAFFIC PATTERN ENTRY.

Narrative: WHILE RETURNING TO OAK, WE AGAIN CONTACTED BAY APCH WHILE ABOUT TO ENTER THE ARSA-TCA (THOUGH UNDER THE TCA FLOOR). WE WERE TOLD TO FLY TO THE MORMON TEMPLE, A RECOGNIZED RPTING POINT FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27R. THIS WAS SLIGHTLY OUT OF OUR WAY, BUT MADE SENSE BECAUSE OF THE NORMAL DEP PATTERNS AROUND THE GREEN TANK, WE ACCORDINGLY FOLLOWED THOSE INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. WHEN WE DID SO, THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO ENTER RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27R. THEY DID NOT SPECIFY 'DIRECT,' SO TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE DEP CONFLICTS WE CONTINUED A SLIGHTLY LONGER ROUTE AS PREVIOUSLY INSTRUCTED FOR A NORMAL DOWNWIND ENTRY E OF THE GREEN TANK. THE TWR CALLED SHORTLY LATER AND ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING. WE EXPLAINED AND GOT A SCOLDING FOR NOT FOLLOWING THEIR UNCLEAR AND POSSIBLY UNSAFE INSTRUCTIONS--UNCLEAR BECAUSE OUR FLT PATH WAS IN FACT A NORMAL ROUTE FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND, AND UNSAFE BECAUSE A DIRECT PATH COULD HAVE HAD US IN CONFLICT WITH ANY DEPARTING TFC ON RWYS 27 OR 33 AND WOULD HAVE PLACED US A LITTLE CLOSER TO ALAMEDA NAS THAN I'D LIKE TO BE UNLESS IT WAS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. WE THEN ASKED THE TWR WHAT THEY WANTED US TO DO AND FOLLOWED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER THE PATTERN FROM THE POINT WHILE THE TWR CONTINUED TO COMPLAIN. I THINK THE TWR CTLR WAS WRONG AS WELL AS UNCLEAR AND THE BAY INSTRUCTIONS WERE PREFERABLE FOR SAFETY REASONS, EVEN AT THE COST OF SOME EXTRA GAS AND A MINUTE OR TWO OF FLT TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER MADE NO FOLLOW UP TELEPHONE CALL TO OAK TWR TO FIND OUT WHY THE CTLR WAS UPSET WITH HIM. HE WAS PROCEEDING TO THE MORMON TEMPLE, AS INSTRUCTED BY BAY APCH CTL. WHEN HE CALLED THE TWR, THEY INSTRUCTED HIM TO ENTER RIGHT TFC FOR RWY 27R. APPARENTLY THE CTLR BECAME UPSET WHEN INSTEAD OF PROCEEDING DIRECTLY FROM LAKE MERRITT TO THE TFC PATTERN, RPTR CONTINUED NE TOWARD THE MORMON TEMPLE. ANALYST IS AT A LOSS TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WOULD CAUSE THE CTLR TO BE SO HARSH WITH RPTR. EITHER THE RPTR DID SOMETHING THAT HE HAS NOT ADMITTED OR THE CTLR WAS HAVING A BAD DAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.