Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 32; Flight Crew Total 837; Flight Crew Type 798
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Procedure; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Aircraft
I was southbound over a golf course where I initiated contact with tower for landing. I was instructed to enter left downwind; which I did. Then on an extended downwind I was instructed to make a right 360 turn; which I did. Just prior to completion of the right 360 I was instructed to continue the downwind leg. Tower then instructed a 10 degree right turn. I started the right turn but continued the turn into another 360 right turn. This all happened within a short time and upon reflection I turned the 10 degree right turn into a 360 in order to avoid entering another tower's airspace. Tower then instructed that I continue back westbound which I did. From there I was instructed to turn northbound (a left base) and then begin final approach. I was cleared to land and did so without incident. On my original downwind leg I was number 3 to land and by this time I was number 2 to land.After landing I was instructed to call tower via a land line. The phone conversation concerned the failure of me to fully comply with tower instruction and the extra work it created for the controller. It was recommended that I access ATC-live and listen to the tower instructions. I did this and it was a very helpful exercise. The phone call talk brought to light that independent action to avoid the other tower's airspace with the second 360 was unnecessary and wrong. While under the control of tower it is their responsibility if I should enter into another airspace.Currently runways are under construction and with only one landing runway available there often significant delays on approach to land. Knowing this I will ever [be] more careful.I have not been in the tower to see the radar feed that the controllers have access to; but I have been told that there is a delay with this feed. I do not know if this was a factor in the controllers positioning of my approach; that is; a delay on my position when I was completing the first 360. My onboard TCAS system did not alarm but in the moments up to the controllers need to amend their instructions to me I did not note the location of the other traffic in the area on my screen (i.e. the planes that were to land before me). I did though; have a visual on number one.I am writing this report as a way to work out what went wrong and why I turned a 10 degree right turn into a 360. Perhaps since I had just completed one 360 turn I just stayed in the turn for a second one and as I said I was concerned with the other tower's airspace. This review is important to me to fully understand the importance of situational awareness and air safety and to be on the guard for any amount on complacency.
A pilot was instructed by MYF Tower to make a 10 degree right turn. Instead the pilot made a right 360 degree turn due to concerns of violating Gillespie's (SEE) airspace.