Misunderstanding leads to failed checkride

This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.

On this day, I was taking my checkride. I was on downwind after performing all other Airmen Certification Standards (ACS) required activities to satisfaction.

Because of my lack of calmness, I may have misunderstood ATC directions to continue downwind and remain in the sequence. I continued on downwind and by the time I had got parallel to the numbers on the runway, I was advised to adjust my speed by the DPE beside me since it was not good enough for a traffic approach.

I looked to the right, checking for traffic, and took note of an aircraft on final. I passed a little bit, looked to the left for a while to look for other traffic on final and did not see anyone.

As a result, thinking I was next in the sequence, I turned right and descended further into base. As a result, I put myself in front of another aircraft, causing the comms to blurt out “Traffic Alert.”

The tower said, “Aircraft X, make an immediate right turn onto final.”

I complied and responded and kept descending, but not far enough separation from traffic behind me since I made a premature turn.

The aircraft in front taxied away by the time I was 100 feet on short and final. Traffic behind me was at around 300-500 feet behind me, but I am not fully sure.

When I landed and stopped past the runway onto the taxiway, the traffic behind me came in on short and final. I taxied away and around that exact time the traffic behind me landed.

As a result of the event, no one was hurt, no aircraft was damaged, and all was safe.

However, although the tower or involved traffic did not say anything to me, my DPE said what I did was not safe and he would have to fail me on my checkride. I agreed and was just surprised I had made such a silly yet vital mistake.

There was no direct and negative consequence, but I knew that if I had made that turn just a few moments later, I sure would have caused a terrible mid-air.

I have reflected on that event and used that knowledge on the practice flight right after, and the checkride redo that next day, to ensure that I wasn’t intimidated by the tower to just simply ask about directions if I was unsure about something.

In fact, I flew right after the checkride with my instructor just practicing ATC communications, and I asked tower if I needed to extend my downwind, to which he replied yes — just like the traffic scenario I was in just earlier that day. Except both people on final this time were jets.

I was not going to make that error ever again and I hope that I never will.

I redid my checkride today to prove to the DPE that I learned my lesson and that I was safe in towered airspace, which was routine for me but I had made a nervous mistake because it was a check ride.

Regardless, the point remains on the recklessness of the turn. What I did was unsafe, and I have reflected on that to ensure I can start my journey as a private pilot safely.

Primary Problem: Procedure

ACN: 2074560