TFC CONGESTION AT ASN; AL; DURING TEMPORARY CLASS D TWR OP.

Narrative

APR/XA/00 TALLADEGA; AL. ARPT HAD BEEN FOGGED IN DURING THE EARLY MORNING; I ARRIVED IN THE AREA AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT THE VOR APCH LNDG RWY 3 FROM BIRMINGHAM APCH CTL. I WAS ADVISED THAT OTHER ACFT WERE PICKING UP THE ARPT ABOUT 5 MI OUT; DUE TO CONGESTION; IFR CANCELLATIONS WERE REQUESTED (IE; 5 MI OUT). APPROX 5 MI OUT; I SAW THE ARPT AND WAS VFR. UNABLE TO ADVISE APCH DUE TO CONGESTION ON RADIO AND STILL HAD NOT BEEN SWITCHED TO TWR. I ENTER A L BASE FOR RWY 3 BEHIND 1 ACFT ON FINAL AND 1 ON A R BASE. AT THIS POINT; APCH SWITCHED ME TO TWR. TWR ADVISED THAT ALL VOR APCHS SHOULD PLAN ON A MIDFIELD XWIND TO A R DOWNWIND. I ADVISED THAT THE APCH CTLR WAS UNAWARE OF THIS. I PROCEEDED ON AN UPWIND TO ENTER THE R PATTERN. HAD ANOTHER KING AIR BEHIND ME REMARK ABOUT SOMEONE 'CUTTING IN FRONT OF HIM.' (I HAD 2 CLOSE CALLS LAST YR). I SHOULD HAVE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ WHEN I HEARD THE RADIO CONGESTION; BUT THINGS HAPPENED PRETTY QUICK; ESPECIALLY SINGLE PLT. I'M GLAD A RESERVATION SYS HAS BEEN STARTED INTO TALLADEGA; BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A MIDAIR HAPPENS.