Narrative:

I, an spi flying small aircraft xyz, coming back from area north of lal, heard small aircraft xwz calling lal tower north 2 mi from airport for landing. I spaced small aircraft xyz from small aircraft xwz and at 2 mi north of lal called for touch and go, and was told to follow xwz and make left crosswind after touch and go. Xwz did touch and go. Xyz followed. On downwind tower asked, 'which is xyz and which is xwz?' I informed tower that xwz was on late downwind with xyz following. Control affirmed message received and cleared xyz for lndgs following xwz. Xyz followed xwz on base and approach. Xwz touch and go'd. Xyz on final saw xvz at very close proximity of port wing, 20' higher, also on final. Xyz told tower he was going around and tower, a few seconds later, as xyz is going around, told xvz to go around and cleared xyz for landing. Xyz terminated go around and landed instead, receiving a message from tower, 'sorry xyz, your buddy cut across you--I don't now where he came from.' bottom line: this near miss was because of a major contribution from lal tower and was averted by this spi seeing xvz and going around. Supplemental information from acn 145749: I (an spi solo) was practicing circle patterns (left-hand pattern) on runway 23 at lal. I was following another aircraft of the same type, which was also practicing circuits at lal. This was the second circuit following this aircraft. I called downwind and was told I was #2 behind the company traffic I had been following. I followed this aircraft around and made a normal approach, looking for other aircraft in the circuit as usual. I continued my approach until I was told to overshoot by the controller. There was an aircraft below me on the final approach as well. What I believe caused this incident: 1) poor radio transmission by ATC. 2) poor lookout by the pilot.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT CUTS OFF ANOTHER STUDENT PLT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT LAL CAUSING A NMAC ON SHORT FINAL. BOTH PLTS FLYING THE SAME TYPE ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS.

Narrative: I, AN SPI FLYING SMA XYZ, COMING BACK FROM AREA N OF LAL, HEARD SMA XWZ CALLING LAL TWR N 2 MI FROM ARPT FOR LNDG. I SPACED SMA XYZ FROM SMA XWZ AND AT 2 MI N OF LAL CALLED FOR TOUCH AND GO, AND WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW XWZ AND MAKE LEFT XWIND AFTER TOUCH AND GO. XWZ DID TOUCH AND GO. XYZ FOLLOWED. ON DOWNWIND TWR ASKED, 'WHICH IS XYZ AND WHICH IS XWZ?' I INFORMED TWR THAT XWZ WAS ON LATE DOWNWIND WITH XYZ FOLLOWING. CTL AFFIRMED MESSAGE RECEIVED AND CLRED XYZ FOR LNDGS FOLLOWING XWZ. XYZ FOLLOWED XWZ ON BASE AND APCH. XWZ TOUCH AND GO'D. XYZ ON FINAL SAW XVZ AT VERY CLOSE PROX OF PORT WING, 20' HIGHER, ALSO ON FINAL. XYZ TOLD TWR HE WAS GOING AROUND AND TWR, A FEW SECS LATER, AS XYZ IS GOING AROUND, TOLD XVZ TO GO AROUND AND CLRED XYZ FOR LNDG. XYZ TERMINATED GAR AND LANDED INSTEAD, RECEIVING A MESSAGE FROM TWR, 'SORRY XYZ, YOUR BUDDY CUT ACROSS YOU--I DON'T NOW WHERE HE CAME FROM.' BOTTOM LINE: THIS NEAR MISS WAS BECAUSE OF A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION FROM LAL TWR AND WAS AVERTED BY THIS SPI SEEING XVZ AND GOING AROUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 145749: I (AN SPI SOLO) WAS PRACTICING CIRCLE PATTERNS (LEFT-HAND PATTERN) ON RWY 23 AT LAL. I WAS FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT OF THE SAME TYPE, WHICH WAS ALSO PRACTICING CIRCUITS AT LAL. THIS WAS THE SECOND CIRCUIT FOLLOWING THIS ACFT. I CALLED DOWNWIND AND WAS TOLD I WAS #2 BEHIND THE COMPANY TFC I HAD BEEN FOLLOWING. I FOLLOWED THIS ACFT AROUND AND MADE A NORMAL APCH, LOOKING FOR OTHER ACFT IN THE CIRCUIT AS USUAL. I CONTINUED MY APCH UNTIL I WAS TOLD TO OVERSHOOT BY THE CTLR. THERE WAS AN ACFT BELOW ME ON THE FINAL APCH AS WELL. WHAT I BELIEVE CAUSED THIS INCIDENT: 1) POOR RADIO XMISSION BY ATC. 2) POOR LOOKOUT BY THE 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.