FOREIGN STUDENT ON SECOND SOLO FLT DID NOT ADHERE TO ATCT LCL CTLR INSTRUCTIONS AT ZZZ; US.
Synopsis
FOREIGN STUDENT ON SECOND SOLO FLT DID NOT ADHERE TO ATCT LCL CTLR INSTRUCTIONS AT ZZZ; US.
Narrative
I AM CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR FOR ZZZ FBO; LOCATED ON THE ZZZ FIELD; ZZZ; US. ON JUL/MON/01 AT XA30; I HAD ONE OF MY STUDENT PLTS (A FOREIGN STUDENT FROM INDIA) MAKE A SOLO FLT FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE PATTERN AND PERFORM TOUCH-AND-GOES AT THE ARPT. DURING THE TOUCH-AND-GOES MY STUDENT WAS TOLD BY THE CTL TWR THAT HE NEEDED TO EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND LEG TO ALLOW ROOM FOR A KING AIR THAT WAS MAKING AN APCH TO LAND AT THE ARPT. AFTER MY STUDENT RECEIVED THE INFO FROM THE TWR HE LOOKED FOR THE TFC AND DID NOT SEE THE KING AIR. BEING NERVOUS FROM HIS SECOND SOLO FLT AND FEARING THAT IF HE CONTINUED EXTENDING HIS DOWNWIND LEG HE WOULD LOSE SIGHT OF THE ARPT; HE TURNED BASE AND PERFORMED A TOUCH-AND-GO IN FRONT OF THE KING AIR. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE KING AIR WAS ABLE TO MAKE A NORMAL APCH WITH NO CONFLICT OCCURRING AS A RESULT OF THE STUDENT'S DECISION TO TURN BASE AND MAKE A TOUCH-AND-GO. THE TWR MADE A RADIO CALL TO THE STUDENT AND REQUESTED AN EXPLANATION OF WHY HE DID NOT EXTEND DOWNWIND. THE STUDENT INFORMED THE TWR THAT HE WAS A STUDENT PLT ON HIS SECOND SOLO. THE TWR THEN MADE A PHONE CALL TO ZZZ FBO WHERE I WAS SUPERVISING MY STUDENT'S SOLO AND LET ME KNOW OF THE SIT THAT HAD OCCURRED. I THEN APOLOGIZED TO THE TWR AND INFORMED HIM THAT HE WAS A STUDENT PLT AND I REQUESTED THAT THE TWR TELL MY STUDENT TO LAND. THE TWR THEN MADE A RADIO CALL TO MY STUDENT AND SAID THAT HE WAS 'CLRED TO LAND.' MY STUDENT; NOT REALIZING WHAT WAS GOING ON; DID A TOUCH-AND-GO. HE THOUGHT THAT IF THE TWR WANTED HIM TO STOP HE WOULD HAVE SAID 'CLRED TO LAND; MAKE IT A FULL STOP.' WELL; AFTER HE DID THAT TOUCH-AND-GO THE TWR CALLED ME FOR THE SECOND TIME AND SAID THAT HE WAS WRITING ME A CITATION AND TO EXPECT A VISIT FROM THE FSDO. IN MY PERSONAL OPINION; I BELIEVE THAT THE TWR OVERREACTED TO THE SIT. THE TFC AT THE ARPT THAT MORNING WAS SLOW; AND MY STUDENT WAS NEW -- ONLY BEEN FLYING FOR MAYBE 3 WKS. ZZZ FBO IS A FLT SCHOOL THAT HAS BEEN GROWING VERY RAPIDLY AND IS GOING TO GROW 9 TIMES LARGER WITHIN THE NEXT 4 OR 5 MONTHS. THIS GROWTH HAS CAUSED AN INCREASED HEADACHE AND A DECREASE IN TOLERANCE BY THE ZZZ ATC TOWARD THE FLT SCHOOL STUDENTS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS OCCURRENCE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TREATED SO STRICTLY AND FORCEFULLY HAD IT BEEN A PLANE NOT BELONGING TO ZZZ FBO. I KNOW FOR A FACT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WAY THE ATC AT ZZZ HAS BEEN HANDLING AIR TFC. IN CONCLUSION; I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THIS SIT FROM OCCURRING OTHER THAN A CTLR THAT WAS MORE UNDERSTANDING OF A STUDENT PLT'S INEXPERIENCE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.