Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 57; Flight Crew Total 132; Flight Crew Type 69
Situational Awareness; Confusion; Physiological - Other
Conflict NMAC; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
On my way to TUL I had another pilot; whom I guessing was a student; come uncomfortably close in proximity to me. I had approach contact me three times asking if I had the traffic in sight; which I could not see. The TCAS system on the Cessna 172 I was flying kept giving a traffic advisory; at least 3 or 4 times for this plane right below me and showed -400; then -300 feet and then I climbed 100 feet and the system still said -300. ATC vectored the aircraft and they did not respond. Then ATC called them again and they read back the instructions. I am currently instrumented rated and working on my commercial license. Not long after avoiding the traffic; I then was asked to switch to tower frequency; where I was cleared to land and I read back cleared to land. For some reason; under all the stress; it did not sink in that I had read that back and did not ask for a touch and go. I then did a touch and go on Runway 8. Tower then firmly spoke to me and informed me of what I had done. They then vectored me and gave me my clearance information. Being stressed I accidentally climbed 500 feet above the altitude I was given and was firmly corrected for that by ATC too.I believe to correct such a situation from occurring I must know when and when I should not be flying. I was under so much stress that week to begin with that I was not in the mental state I needed to be in in order to fly. We are always taught about human factors and how they can affect a pilot's decision making. This experience; first hand has taught me what outside stress can do to one's concentration and how it can leave one vulnerable to mistake if any smaller stressors (such as that plane getting close to me) may occur.
C172 pilot reported several clearance deviations that resulted from outside stress and an NMAC with another light aircraft.