Small Aircraft
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 2.5
Workload; Training / Qualification; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
I was working as CIC monitoring Ground Control and Local Control; a skills check was in progress on local. Aircraft X called inbound 10 miles to the south and was told to make straight in Runway 01L report a 3 mile final; he did read back the instructions. We were starting to get a departure rush and the supervisor was pushing the trainee to get the departures out quickly and was directing his actions. The trainee had been working the position for about 35 minutes with his instructor prior to the skill check; and they were about 1hr 5min in the skill check; so 1hr 40min total for the trainee.The complexity and traffic volume were high for our airport and the trainee was falling behind; so the supervisor was directing his actions to get departures out. I remember looking at the pad I was keeping and thinking that it seemed like Aircraft X should have checked in by now; I looked at the radar and saw no target and thought maybe I had missed the report or that they had already arrived. Aircraft Y had been waiting for take off and the trainee cleared him for take off. The Aircraft Y taxied on to the runway and I looked at the finals and saw Aircraft X very short final; I called out go around (not sure the trainee/supervisor heard me); Aircraft X called a go around and was directed into left traffic. Aircraft Y continued his take off roll and departed. Aircraft X landed without further incident. I believe a contributing factor was that another controller on break had come up and was reattaching the handset rest at the CIC position slightly blocking the view of the runway 01 finals and contributing the overall distractions. We had the pilot of Aircraft X call the tower he said he tried to contact the tower but didn't get through; listening to the tapes we found no evidence of that. Asked why he didn't verify he was cleared to land or say anything as he got closer to the runway he said that at LVK they just continue to the runway and go around if they haven't been cleared. The trainee told me that he had forgotten to write the inbound on his pad and had forgotten him.The pilot should have reported as instructed; if he got no response he should not have continued to the threshold before trying again. The trainee has a recommend [for position certification] and is expected to check out soon; the skill check may have become a check ride. While the trainee was slightly behind the power curve he was still managing; and I believe the supervisor pushing him to speed up departures contributed to the trainee losing focus; however lack of good pad management and scan technique definitely contributed to the situation. If you are conducting a check ride/possible check ride then if the trainee is being safe and not grossly delaying traffic then you shouldn't step in and start directing them; it just makes them lose focus and have to try even harder to keep up with traffic.
We were flying out of CCR (Concord; CA). Returning from my second flight; I reported 10 miles south landing with ATIS. I was assigned straight-in for 1L and told to report 3 miles. I turned on my wig-wag landing lights lined up for 1L.I arrived at 3 miles; just after Aircraft Y made his departure request. I tried to report at 3 mile but the tower frequency was congested with several aircraft and was unable to report because the frequency remained busy with constant communication. Unable to report; I proceeded inbound for straight-in for 1L as instructed waiting for additional instructions still expecting a landing clearance.2 miles out started to transmit my location as 2 miles out. The tower frequency continued to be congested with several aircraft with constant communication. Someone else keyed up just before I squeezed the Push To Talk; so I released it. I proceeded inbound for straight-in for 1L as instructed waiting for additional instructions still expecting a landing clearance.1 mile out the tower frequency continued to be congested with several aircraft with constant communication. I proceeded inbound for straight-in for 1L as instructed waiting for additional instructions still expecting a landing clearance.At this point consider exercising other options. Aircraft inbound behind us somewhere not in sight. Two aircraft inbound from the west. Aircraft closed traffic 1L. 1 or 2 aircraft closed traffic on 1R. Aircraft inbound opposite direction. 3 aircraft waiting for departure. Not knowing exactly where the aircraft behind me is; I opt not to execute a 360 as I determine that would be unsafe. I start to prepare for a go around. The tower frequency still continues to be congested with several aircraft with constant communication. I proceeded inbound for straight-in for 1L as instructed waiting for additional instructions still expecting a landing clearance.Approximately one-half mile out; prior to reaching the golf course I wonder if the Tower forgot about me. I arrest my descent starting to go around. The Tower clears Aircraft Y for departure. I continue go around procedures before Aircraft Y enters the runway; I sidestep to the right to be able to keep departing aircraft in sight; flaps up (takes several seconds) and then accelerate to Vy; initiate climb. The tower frequency continued to be congested with several aircraft with constant communication. I declare go around on tower frequency even though there may be other traffic on frequency. Tower instructs me to turn downwind. I turn downwind as instructed. I am cleared to land on the downwind. I land; contact ground as instructed and taxi to the clubhouse as instructed. My wife indicated that Aircraft Y didn't start its takeoff roll until after I started my downwind turn. I was requested to contact the tower. I called the Tower. Tower indicated I didn't report at 3 miles as instructed. I said that I tried to but was unable as the tower frequency was congested with several aircraft with constant communication.  Tower indicated they reviewed the tape and said that there were two 10-second windows where I could have reported. In reality; both of those open windows were before I reached 3 miles. They would have been useful if instructed to report 4 miles. Unfortunately I had no reason to expect that the frequency would become so congested that I should report early before 3 miles.The Tower said I could have made a self-initiated 360. I said that with traffic behind me in an unknown location; I didn't think that was safe. The Tower said that I could have maintained TPA (Traffic Pattern Altitude) or started a go around earlier. I told them that I didn't have a reason not to expect a landing clearance. Had I maintained TPA I would have been unable to land safely when cleared to do so.The Tower called back when I was flying and left a message to call back. I called back and they asked if I had seen Aircraft Y; and I said yes. They asked if Iinitiated my go around because of the departing traffic in addition to not having a landing clearance; I said yes. The tower indicated that they were 'doing training today'.The following factors contributed to the situation:The tower seemed to forget that they had me inbound for landing. The tower didn't seem to look for landing traffic on final before clearing Aircraft Y for takeoff; or the prior aircraft for that matter. The departing Aircraft Y didn't seem to look for landing traffic on final before entering the runway. The tower frequency was very congested with several aircraft with constant communication leaving no way to communicate with the tower. Opposite direction arriving and departing traffic complicated the situation. It was not very clear who the landing traffic the tower referred to was. It sounded like it may have been me. It was not always clear which experimental the tower referred to was.If the tower expects arriving traffic to contact them at a specific point; they need to allow frequency time for the aircraft to contact them. At this airport when as busy as it was; a 4-mile reporting point instead of 3 would help remove some pressure from both pilots and controllers by allowing more time. More specific guidelines for how the pilot and tower should respond when arriving aircraft are not able to report as instructed would probably be useful.The Tower didn't seem to remember that they had me inbound and didn't provide a reasonable time on frequency for arriving traffic to check-in. It is hard to determine whether the tower has not remembered you are inbound or are just busy. The Tower should be more careful to check for arriving traffic before clearing aircraft for takeoff.The tower seems to have been distracted by problematic traffic on the ground and aircraft waiting for departure in addition to the opposite direction traffic. The situation may have been improved had the Tower disregarded the departing traffic until the frequency and traffic conditions reached a more manageable state. Arriving aircraft should have a more defined set of expectation of what they should do when unable to contact the tower due to frequency congestion. Departing aircraft should be more careful to check for arriving traffic prior to entering the runway.A couple of days after the event; I wondered if maybe I should have called the Tower on the Ground frequency. Is this a reasonable option to use? An additional consideration is that pilots that have been in this situation very likely consider keying up and reporting their inbound position even when others are on frequency to alleviate the 'you didn't call us when we told you to' problem. This is a bad solution.I'm not sure what I should have done different. Had I done anything other than continue as instructed; the tower would have had no expectation as to where I would have been and when. This exact scenario was discussed at a controller briefing at a different airport and the guidance given was to continue as instructed and wait for instructions or open frequency time. Had it not been reasonable to expect a landing clearance I would possibly have initiated a go around earlier; but I had no reason to not expect a landing clearance. I had conducted the same flight about 50 minutes prior and expected it to proceed in a similar way.
A small aircraft pilot executed a go-around due to another small aircraft on the runway for departure. The pilot on go-around was unable to establish communication with the Tower due to frequency congestion. Tower personnel recognized the situation as did the pilot. Pilot's initial communication with Tower was advising them they were executing the go-around. ATC training was in progress in the Tower.