Narrative:

After contacting tower 15 mi southwest of airport, I was told to contact them 2 mi southwest for a right downwind entry to runway 9R. At 4 mi southwest I called position and was told to report 2 mi southwest for a right base entry to runway 9R. At 2 mi southwest I called and was told to turn north and follow an small aircraft Y on final. On turning north I reported seeing an airplane on final, but did not know what kind it was but there was no answer from tower. I turned final following plane on final. Tower was contacted by small aircraft Y and was told by the 'Y' that he was above and close behind me. He asked the tower 'what the hell are you trying to do? I almost descended onto that small aircraft X (my plane).' then I landed uneventfully and small aircraft Y landed after me. I overheard tower apologize to the small aircraft Y saying that he told me to follow small aircraft Y and I confirmed (not true). Very busy day, much traffic, tower was not listening to me, issuing many instructions to all planes. Had the controller told me that he had two planes on final, I would have told him I only saw one of them. He then would have issued new instructions and the possibility of an event would have been avoided. The plane that I saw on final after turning north was passing from my left to right. I could not tell type, but assumed that it was the issued traffic. My remark to the tower was not responded to. I took this to be an acknowledgement of the sighting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X, ASSIGNED TO FOLLOW SMA Y ON FINAL, MISIDENTIFIES SHORT FINAL TRAFFIC AS 'Y', AND TURNS FINAL IN FRONT OF 'Y' CAUSING NMAC.

Narrative: AFTER CONTACTING TWR 15 MI SW OF ARPT, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THEM 2 MI SW FOR A R DOWNWIND ENTRY TO RWY 9R. AT 4 MI SW I CALLED POS AND WAS TOLD TO RPT 2 MI SW FOR A R BASE ENTRY TO RWY 9R. AT 2 MI SW I CALLED AND WAS TOLD TO TURN N AND FOLLOW AN SMA Y ON FINAL. ON TURNING N I RPTED SEEING AN AIRPLANE ON FINAL, BUT DID NOT KNOW WHAT KIND IT WAS BUT THERE WAS NO ANSWER FROM TWR. I TURNED FINAL FOLLOWING PLANE ON FINAL. TWR WAS CONTACTED BY SMA Y AND WAS TOLD BY THE 'Y' THAT HE WAS ABOVE AND CLOSE BEHIND ME. HE ASKED THE TWR 'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO? I ALMOST DSNDED ONTO THAT SMA X (MY PLANE).' THEN I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND SMA Y LANDED AFTER ME. I OVERHEARD TWR APOLOGIZE TO THE SMA Y SAYING THAT HE TOLD ME TO FOLLOW SMA Y AND I CONFIRMED (NOT TRUE). VERY BUSY DAY, MUCH TFC, TWR WAS NOT LISTENING TO ME, ISSUING MANY INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL PLANES. HAD THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT HE HAD TWO PLANES ON FINAL, I WOULD HAVE TOLD HIM I ONLY SAW ONE OF THEM. HE THEN WOULD HAVE ISSUED NEW INSTRUCTIONS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EVENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THE PLANE THAT I SAW ON FINAL AFTER TURNING N WAS PASSING FROM MY L TO R. I COULD NOT TELL TYPE, BUT ASSUMED THAT IT WAS THE ISSUED TFC. MY REMARK TO THE TWR WAS NOT RESPONDED TO. I TOOK THIS TO BE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE SIGHTING.

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.