Saw traffic close in thought it was pointed out traffic at the ditch.

Attributes
ACN	132820
Time
Date	198912
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cno
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cno tower : apc
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 150 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	132820
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I contacted chino tower while 10 mi south over corona airport. After listening to ATIS which reported 'clear, visibility 40 mi, landing runway 26, departing runway 21, etc.' at 5 mi I was told to 'enter left base for runway 26 #2 following aircraft on 3 mi final over the ditch' by the female controller. My call sign was abbreviated by ATC to 'bca'. I corrected them to 'abc'. At 2 mi I was told clear to land traffic on final at the ditch. I assumed the ditch was close to the runway threshold since I could see an aircraft landing at the time. I turned to final and ATC informed me that I had cut off my traffic on final. I was 2 mi from the threshold. Apparently an aircraft was landing on runway 21 by special permission that is the aircraft I mistook as my #1 traffic. ATC again came back and said 'bca did you not hear the instructions for your traffic that was at the ditch?' I again corrected them to abc and told them about the plane landing on the runway not called for in the ATIS broadcast 'landing runway 26, departing 21'. ATC was very busy and she seemed to get flustered by too much traffic. I should have had her clarify the term ditch since this is a dairy town and there is a ditch every few acres. There was no contact after landing and finally after departure. Terminology and a busy airport created this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAW TRAFFIC CLOSE IN THOUGHT IT WAS POINTED OUT TRAFFIC AT THE DITCH.

Narrative: I CONTACTED CHINO TWR WHILE 10 MI S OVER CORONA ARPT. AFTER LISTENING TO ATIS WHICH REPORTED 'CLEAR, VISIBILITY 40 MI, LNDG RWY 26, DEPARTING RWY 21, ETC.' AT 5 MI I WAS TOLD TO 'ENTER LEFT BASE FOR RWY 26 #2 FOLLOWING ACFT ON 3 MI FINAL OVER THE DITCH' BY THE FEMALE CTLR. MY CALL SIGN WAS ABBREVIATED BY ATC TO 'BCA'. I CORRECTED THEM TO 'ABC'. AT 2 MI I WAS TOLD CLEAR TO LAND TFC ON FINAL AT THE DITCH. I ASSUMED THE DITCH WAS CLOSE TO THE RWY THRESHOLD SINCE I COULD SEE AN ACFT LNDG AT THE TIME. I TURNED TO FINAL AND ATC INFORMED ME THAT I HAD CUT OFF MY TFC ON FINAL. I WAS 2 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD. APPARENTLY AN ACFT WAS LNDG ON RWY 21 BY SPECIAL PERMISSION THAT IS THE ACFT I MISTOOK AS MY #1 TFC. ATC AGAIN CAME BACK AND SAID 'BCA DID YOU NOT HEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR TFC THAT WAS AT THE DITCH?' I AGAIN CORRECTED THEM TO ABC AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PLANE LNDG ON THE RWY NOT CALLED FOR IN THE ATIS BROADCAST 'LNDG RWY 26, DEPARTING 21'. ATC WAS VERY BUSY AND SHE SEEMED TO GET FLUSTERED BY TOO MUCH TFC. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HER CLARIFY THE TERM DITCH SINCE THIS IS A DAIRY TOWN AND THERE IS A DITCH EVERY FEW ACRES. THERE WAS NO CONTACT AFTER LNDG AND FINALLY AFTER DEP. TERMINOLOGY AND A BUSY ARPT CREATED THIS SITUATION.

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.