Narrative:

I was practicing short-field lndgs in a rented small aircraft. On my second trip around the pattern (left traffic for runway 05 at waukegan regional), I did not realize that there was an small aircraft B in the same pattern ahead of me. When I turned from left base and was rolling into final, I saw the small aircraft B on final to my right at the 5 O'clock position, about 100' away horizontally and 5' lower. We saw each other at the same time. I immediately turned left; ATC directed me to a right downwind for the same runway. I then landed and parked the plane. The small aircraft B (containing CFI and student) continued with its touch-and-go. The CFI later came to the flying club, about 20 mins after I landed. He and I talked. He stated that his student had just completed the base-to-final turn when they saw me approach them. He said that he had been cleared to land, and that I had turned inside of him, causing the conflict. How problem arose: clearly, I failed to be aware that there was a plane in front of me in the pattern. I simply had no idea he was there, and I turned inside of him. 3 days later, the club's chief pilot, the ATC tower manager, and I listened to the tape recording of the events leading to the incident. The tapes show that the controller did not give me a sequence instruction (eg, 'follow the small aircraft ahead') although he thought he had done so. The tapes indicate that the controller was handling a go-around just before the incident. However, the tapes also show that I, as pilot, had several clues to the presence of the other traffic: tower cleared the plane in front for touch-and-go, and tower advised that plane to turn its left base. Had I interpreted those instructions as significant to me, I should have asked ATC 'where is my traffic?' before turning my left base. Alternatively, I could have announced 'turning left base' or asked ATC to call my turn for base. With the presence of other traffic in the pattern, the responsibility is on me to be aware of it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA STUDENT PLT FAILS TO HEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO SECOND ACFT IN PATTERN. NMAC ON FINAL PACH.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING SHORT-FIELD LNDGS IN A RENTED SMA. ON MY SECOND TRIP AROUND THE PATTERN (L TFC FOR RWY 05 AT WAUKEGAN REGIONAL), I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THERE WAS AN SMA B IN THE SAME PATTERN AHEAD OF ME. WHEN I TURNED FROM L BASE AND WAS ROLLING INTO FINAL, I SAW THE SMA B ON FINAL TO MY R AT THE 5 O'CLOCK POS, ABOUT 100' AWAY HORIZLY AND 5' LOWER. WE SAW EACH OTHER AT THE SAME TIME. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED L; ATC DIRECTED ME TO A R DOWNWIND FOR THE SAME RWY. I THEN LANDED AND PARKED THE PLANE. THE SMA B (CONTAINING CFI AND STUDENT) CONTINUED WITH ITS TOUCH-AND-GO. THE CFI LATER CAME TO THE FLYING CLUB, ABOUT 20 MINS AFTER I LANDED. HE AND I TALKED. HE STATED THAT HIS STUDENT HAD JUST COMPLETED THE BASE-TO-FINAL TURN WHEN THEY SAW ME APCH THEM. HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND, AND THAT I HAD TURNED INSIDE OF HIM, CAUSING THE CONFLICT. HOW PROB AROSE: CLRLY, I FAILED TO BE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PLANE IN FRONT OF ME IN THE PATTERN. I SIMPLY HAD NO IDEA HE WAS THERE, AND I TURNED INSIDE OF HIM. 3 DAYS LATER, THE CLUB'S CHIEF PLT, THE ATC TWR MGR, AND I LISTENED TO THE TAPE RECORDING OF THE EVENTS LEADING TO THE INCIDENT. THE TAPES SHOW THAT THE CTLR DID NOT GIVE ME A SEQUENCE INSTRUCTION (EG, 'FOLLOW THE SMA AHEAD') ALTHOUGH HE THOUGHT HE HAD DONE SO. THE TAPES INDICATE THAT THE CTLR WAS HANDLING A GO-AROUND JUST BEFORE THE INCIDENT. HOWEVER, THE TAPES ALSO SHOW THAT I, AS PLT, HAD SEVERAL CLUES TO THE PRESENCE OF THE OTHER TFC: TWR CLRED THE PLANE IN FRONT FOR TOUCH-AND-GO, AND TWR ADVISED THAT PLANE TO TURN ITS L BASE. HAD I INTERPRETED THOSE INSTRUCTIONS AS SIGNIFICANT TO ME, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED ATC 'WHERE IS MY TFC?' BEFORE TURNING MY L BASE. ALTERNATIVELY, I COULD HAVE ANNOUNCED 'TURNING L BASE' OR ASKED ATC TO CALL MY TURN FOR BASE. WITH THE PRESENCE OF OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN, THE RESPONSIBILITY IS ON ME TO BE AWARE OF IT.

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.