Pilot was told to make a 360 degree turn on downwind leg.

Attributes
ACN	155507
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : roc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 105 flight time type : 105
ASRS Report	155507
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was flying a left downwind to runway 25 at roc in an small aircraft X. When I was abeam the landing threshold I was instructed by the tower to make a right 360 degree turn for spacing and to report established back on the downwind. (The tower issued this instruction to allow spacing for an aircraft to land on another runway.) following me on downwind was an small aircraft Y which was being flown by a soloing student pilot. After I started my turn the tower told small aircraft Y to also make a right 360 degree turn. When I reached the 1/2 way point of my 360 degree turn, I looked for small aircraft Y and saw him turning directly across my flight path as he began his 360 degree turn. I immediately started a left turn away from the conflict, while left me heading south, away form the airport. I also attempted to get clarification from the tower controller as to the correct flight paths for both of us, but he did not reply to my call. The small aircraft Y completed his 360 degree turn and reported back on the downwind. I then got the attention of the tower controller, who noted my position and heading, and instructed me to return to the downwind and follow small aircraft Y to the runway. I did so and made a full stop landing on runway 25. I do not think that the tower controller understood how I ended up where I did, apparently because he had not been following the situation. Contributing factors: considerable haze and oncoming darkness made it difficult for the controller to sequence traffic visually. Moderately heavy traffic kept the controller busy. The high wing of the small aircraft X I was flying made it difficult for me to see small aircraft Y until I had turned toward him.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT WAS TOLD TO MAKE A 360 DEGREE TURN ON DOWNWIND LEG.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A LEFT DOWNWIND TO RWY 25 AT ROC IN AN SMA X. WHEN I WAS ABEAM THE LNDG THRESHOLD I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR TO MAKE A RIGHT 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING AND TO RPT ESTABLISHED BACK ON THE DOWNWIND. (THE TWR ISSUED THIS INSTRUCTION TO ALLOW SPACING FOR AN ACFT TO LAND ON ANOTHER RWY.) FOLLOWING ME ON DOWNWIND WAS AN SMA Y WHICH WAS BEING FLOWN BY A SOLOING STUDENT PLT. AFTER I STARTED MY TURN THE TWR TOLD SMA Y TO ALSO MAKE A RIGHT 360 DEG TURN. WHEN I REACHED THE 1/2 WAY POINT OF MY 360 DEG TURN, I LOOKED FOR SMA Y AND SAW HIM TURNING DIRECTLY ACROSS MY FLT PATH AS HE BEGAN HIS 360 DEG TURN. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED A LEFT TURN AWAY FROM THE CONFLICT, WHILE LEFT ME HDG S, AWAY FORM THE ARPT. I ALSO ATTEMPTED TO GET CLARIFICATION FROM THE TWR CTLR AS TO THE CORRECT FLT PATHS FOR BOTH OF US, BUT HE DID NOT REPLY TO MY CALL. THE SMA Y COMPLETED HIS 360 DEG TURN AND RPTED BACK ON THE DOWNWIND. I THEN GOT THE ATTN OF THE TWR CTLR, WHO NOTED MY POS AND HDG, AND INSTRUCTED ME TO RETURN TO THE DOWNWIND AND FOLLOW SMA Y TO THE RWY. I DID SO AND MADE A FULL STOP LNDG ON RWY 25. I DO NOT THINK THAT THE TWR CTLR UNDERSTOOD HOW I ENDED UP WHERE I DID, APPARENTLY BECAUSE HE HAD NOT BEEN FOLLOWING THE SITUATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CONSIDERABLE HAZE AND ONCOMING DARKNESS MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CTLR TO SEQUENCE TFC VISUALLY. MODERATELY HVY TFC KEPT THE CTLR BUSY. THE HIGH WING OF THE SMA X I WAS FLYING MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SEE SMA Y UNTIL I HAD TURNED TOWARD HIM.

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.