Narrative:

I contacted bfl approach and told them I had current ATIS. They gave me a mode C code and told em to enter a right downwind for runway 30. Approach control then made no further communication with me until they told me to switch to tower frequency. (I was approximately 13 mi north when I first called in.) as I approached entering downwind for right traffic about 1 mi north of the airport I saw an air carrier medium large transport departing the runway and making a right turn toward me. The medium large transport appeared to be heading pretty close so I rocked my wings to be sure he saw me. He had the sun at his left. He seemed to have seen me as he turned wide and went behind me, but I felt he was too close and that approach/tower should have coordinated better. Approach never handed me off to tower until I reported I was already downwind. As I switched to tower I heard them say (I presume to the medium large transport crew), 'all I can say is, 'whew!'.' I assume this meant they knew we were too close. Then to add insult to injury, the tower told me to extend my downwind and turn base over the river, which I did. They said they'd give me final clearance in a minute. As I started to turn on final I saw an small aircraft X approaching me from the west (I was sebnd turning northwest). We were less than 1/2 mi apart--possibly less than 1/4 mi--when tower suddenly called, 'small aircraft X, turn left heading 270 degrees; follow small aircraft on final,' but then tower realized we were too close for him to follow and told him to continue a left 360 degree turn. I had 2 traffic conflicts--1 for sure a near miss--in a 5 min period in the same pattern with 2 different aircraft. I feel the controllers were either incompetent or distracted or something, but definitely not doing their job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT IN CONTACT WITH APCH AND THEN TWR HAS 2 CONFLICTS WHILE IN TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative: I CONTACTED BFL APCH AND TOLD THEM I HAD CURRENT ATIS. THEY GAVE ME A MODE C CODE AND TOLD EM TO ENTER A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30. APCH CTL THEN MADE NO FURTHER COM WITH ME UNTIL THEY TOLD ME TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. (I WAS APPROX 13 MI N WHEN I FIRST CALLED IN.) AS I APCHED ENTERING DOWNWIND FOR RIGHT TFC ABOUT 1 MI N OF THE ARPT I SAW AN ACR MLG DEPARTING THE RWY AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN TOWARD ME. THE MLG APPEARED TO BE HDG PRETTY CLOSE SO I ROCKED MY WINGS TO BE SURE HE SAW ME. HE HAD THE SUN AT HIS LEFT. HE SEEMED TO HAVE SEEN ME AS HE TURNED WIDE AND WENT BEHIND ME, BUT I FELT HE WAS TOO CLOSE AND THAT APCH/TWR SHOULD HAVE COORDINATED BETTER. APCH NEVER HANDED ME OFF TO TWR UNTIL I RPTED I WAS ALREADY DOWNWIND. AS I SWITCHED TO TWR I HEARD THEM SAY (I PRESUME TO THE MLG CREW), 'ALL I CAN SAY IS, 'WHEW!'.' I ASSUME THIS MEANT THEY KNEW WE WERE TOO CLOSE. THEN TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THE TWR TOLD ME TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND AND TURN BASE OVER THE RIVER, WHICH I DID. THEY SAID THEY'D GIVE ME FINAL CLRNC IN A MINUTE. AS I STARTED TO TURN ON FINAL I SAW AN SMA X APCHING ME FROM THE W (I WAS SEBND TURNING NW). WE WERE LESS THAN 1/2 MI APART--POSSIBLY LESS THAN 1/4 MI--WHEN TWR SUDDENLY CALLED, 'SMA X, TURN LEFT HDG 270 DEGS; FOLLOW SMA ON FINAL,' BUT THEN TWR REALIZED WE WERE TOO CLOSE FOR HIM TO FOLLOW AND TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE A LEFT 360 DEG TURN. I HAD 2 TFC CONFLICTS--1 FOR SURE A NEAR MISS--IN A 5 MIN PERIOD IN THE SAME PATTERN WITH 2 DIFFERENT ACFT. I FEEL THE CTLRS WERE EITHER INCOMPETENT OR DISTRACTED OR SOMETHING, BUT DEFINITELY NOT DOING THEIR JOB.

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.