NMAC

Narrative

ENRTE FROM ORANGE COUNTY ARPT IN NY; TO NEW HAVEN ARPT IN CT. I WAS ON A EASTERLY HDG VMC. ABOUT 10 MI FROM HVN I CONTACTED THE TWR AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO RPT ON R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 20. SINCE I WAS NEW TO THE AREA I ARRIVED APPROX 1/2 MI TO THE N. A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 20 WOULD HAVE REQUIRED AN ARR ON THE S SIDE SO TO ESTABLISH MYSELF ON R DOWNWIND I BEGAN TO CIRCLE THE ARPT IN A WIDE R TURN. WHEN ABEAM THE APCH END OF RWY 20; HDG 20 DEGS I NOTICED A SINGLE ENG ACFT AT MY ALT ON A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 20. TO ALLOW THE OTHER ACFT RIGHT OF WAY; I KEPT TO HIS L APPROX 500 FT. WHEN THE OTHER ACFT WAS OFF MY R WING I HEARD HIM CALL THE TWR AND ASK IF THEY KNEW I WAS THERE. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY CALLING ME AND ASKING IF I WAS CIRCLING; WHEN I ACKNOWLEDGED HE ASKED WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE. I RESPONDED BY TELLING HIM THAT I WAS CIRCLING THE ARPT TO ESTABLISH MYSELF ON A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 20 AS REQUESTED. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY TELLING ME TO TURN 180 DEGS TO THE L AND ESTABLISH MYSELF ON A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 20 AND TO REMAIN ON THE FREQ. WHEN I WAS ABEAM RWY 20 ON L DOWNWIND THE CTLR CLRED ME TO LAND; HE THEN WENT ON TO ASK IF I HAD APCHED THE ARPT FROM THE W; I ANSWERED THAT WAS AFFIRMATIVE; THEN HE ASKED IF I WAS DISORIENTED AND I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS JUST NEW TO THE AREA. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE CTLR A POS RPT WHEN I FIRST HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT GIVING HIM THE OPTION OF ISSUING NEW INSTRUCTIONS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT SINCE THE CTLR WAS EXPECTING ME TO BE ARRIVING AT THE ARPT; HE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY SURPRISE BY MY PRESENCE. I ALSO WAS QUITE VISIBLE WITH STROBE AND BEACON LIGHTS ON.