Narrative:

Small aircraft X over sea under the control of sea tower. Small aircraft X, upon exiting the TCA, the controller told me to contact rnt tower over valley medical center. I contacted rnt tower over the medical center as instructed. Rnt tower instructed me to enter a left downwind for runway 15 and report the gravel pit. Before reaching the gravel pit, rnt tower contacted me and told me to widen my downwind and follow traffic to my left. This did not make sense, since widening my downwind would move me toward the right, not to follow an aircraft ahead and to the left. I could see no traffic to the left or right ahead. I called tower back at this point and told them I was looking and could they confirm traffic to the left. Tower confirmed traffic ahead and to my left. The controller became more agitated and told me traffic on the left several times and traffic at 11 O'clock. I informed tower that I did not have traffic in sight. Tower then told me to make a right 360 degree turn, 'now.' I started a right 360 degree turn and immediately saw small transport Y that had been overtaking me on the right. The small transport Y pilot said, 'you steered him right into me' on the radio. I reversed my bank and made a tight left 360 degree turn avoiding small transport Y by about 200 yds. I believe tower may have gotten our call signs confused since the controller repeatedly told me about traffic ahead and left (my position relative to small transport Y). Also, the sea controller instructed me to contact rnt tower at a point close in, which may have complicated matters. Upon landing, the rnt tower supervisor informed me that they wanted me to enter on the 45 instead of straight in on the downwind, and a report was being filed by the other pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X MADE IMPROPER TRAFFIC PATTERN ENTRY. PLT DEVIATION. CTLR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO WRONG ACFT. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: SMA X OVER SEA UNDER THE CTL OF SEA TWR. SMA X, UPON EXITING THE TCA, THE CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTACT RNT TWR OVER VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER. I CONTACTED RNT TWR OVER THE MEDICAL CENTER AS INSTRUCTED. RNT TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 15 AND RPT THE GRAVEL PIT. BEFORE REACHING THE GRAVEL PIT, RNT TWR CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME TO WIDEN MY DOWNWIND AND FOLLOW TFC TO MY LEFT. THIS DID NOT MAKE SENSE, SINCE WIDENING MY DOWNWIND WOULD MOVE ME TOWARD THE RIGHT, NOT TO FOLLOW AN ACFT AHEAD AND TO THE LEFT. I COULD SEE NO TFC TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AHEAD. I CALLED TWR BACK AT THIS POINT AND TOLD THEM I WAS LOOKING AND COULD THEY CONFIRM TFC TO THE LEFT. TWR CONFIRMED TFC AHEAD AND TO MY LEFT. THE CTLR BECAME MORE AGITATED AND TOLD ME TFC ON THE LEFT SEVERAL TIMES AND TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK. I INFORMED TWR THAT I DID NOT HAVE TFC IN SIGHT. TWR THEN TOLD ME TO MAKE A RIGHT 360 DEG TURN, 'NOW.' I STARTED A RIGHT 360 DEG TURN AND IMMEDIATELY SAW SMT Y THAT HAD BEEN OVERTAKING ME ON THE RIGHT. THE SMT Y PLT SAID, 'YOU STEERED HIM RIGHT INTO ME' ON THE RADIO. I REVERSED MY BANK AND MADE A TIGHT LEFT 360 DEG TURN AVOIDING SMT Y BY ABOUT 200 YDS. I BELIEVE TWR MAY HAVE GOTTEN OUR CALL SIGNS CONFUSED SINCE THE CTLR REPEATEDLY TOLD ME ABOUT TFC AHEAD AND LEFT (MY POS RELATIVE TO SMT Y). ALSO, THE SEA CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT RNT TWR AT A POINT CLOSE IN, WHICH MAY HAVE COMPLICATED MATTERS. UPON LNDG, THE RNT TWR SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT THEY WANTED ME TO ENTER ON THE 45 INSTEAD OF STRAIGHT IN ON THE DOWNWIND, AND A RPT WAS BEING FILED BY THE OTHER PLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.