Narrative:

Aircraft involved: aircraft 1 - small aircraft X, aircraft 2 - small aircraft Y, aircraft 3 - small aircraft Z. Small aircraft X on right downwind for runway 23 at ugn, almost abeam approach end of runway 23. Small aircraft Y short final runway 23. Small aircraft Z 4-5 mi final runway 23. Small aircraft X was told by local controller, '#2 behind small aircraft Z traffic on final. Small aircraft X acknowledged #2, traffic on final in sight. Small aircraft X turned base and final. While on final small aircraft X noticed small aircraft Y completing landing rollout. Local controller told small aircraft X at this time they were to follow small aircraft Z, which was never seen by small aircraft X. ATC not told small aircraft X to perform 360 degree turns for spacing. Summary: ATC shouldn't have told small aircraft X that they were #2 for the field when 3 aircraft were inbound for the airport airborne, and ATC intended for small aircraft X to actually be #3 for the airport. This is only one of many ATC problems at ugn. We need more professional controllers here, and if that's not possible, maybe this should be a federal control tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ON TRAINING FLT FOLLOWED THE WRONG ACFT FORCING ACFT ON STRAIGHT IN TO MAKE 360 DEGREE TURN FOR SPACING.

Narrative: ACFT INVOLVED: ACFT 1 - SMA X, ACFT 2 - SMA Y, ACFT 3 - SMA Z. SMA X ON RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 23 AT UGN, ALMOST ABEAM APCH END OF RWY 23. SMA Y SHORT FINAL RWY 23. SMA Z 4-5 MI FINAL RWY 23. SMA X WAS TOLD BY LCL CTLR, '#2 BEHIND SMA Z TFC ON FINAL. SMA X ACKNOWLEDGED #2, TFC ON FINAL IN SIGHT. SMA X TURNED BASE AND FINAL. WHILE ON FINAL SMA X NOTICED SMA Y COMPLETING LNDG ROLLOUT. LCL CTLR TOLD SMA X AT THIS TIME THEY WERE TO FOLLOW SMA Z, WHICH WAS NEVER SEEN BY SMA X. ATC NOT TOLD SMA X TO PERFORM 360 DEG TURNS FOR SPACING. SUMMARY: ATC SHOULDN'T HAVE TOLD SMA X THAT THEY WERE #2 FOR THE FIELD WHEN 3 ACFT WERE INBND FOR THE ARPT AIRBORNE, AND ATC INTENDED FOR SMA X TO ACTUALLY BE #3 FOR THE ARPT. THIS IS ONLY ONE OF MANY ATC PROBS AT UGN. WE NEED MORE PROFESSIONAL CTLRS HERE, AND IF THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE, MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE A FEDERAL CTL TWR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.