Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	156111
Time
Date	199009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2800 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vgt
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time total : 41
ASRS Report	156111
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Just after turn to left downwind I heard an small aircraft requesting to fly over the north las airport. The tower replied with instructions to maintain 2500' and to be aware of my presence in the area. Then the tower corrected itself with maintain 3500'. By the time he finished I saw the aircraft was too close so I descended till the aircraft was past, then regained pattern altitude of 3000'. This is not the first time this has happened to me by the same man in the tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TURN TO LEFT DOWNWIND I HEARD AN SMA REQUESTING TO FLY OVER THE N LAS ARPT. THE TWR REPLIED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN 2500' AND TO BE AWARE OF MY PRESENCE IN THE AREA. THEN THE TWR CORRECTED ITSELF WITH MAINTAIN 3500'. BY THE TIME HE FINISHED I SAW THE ACFT WAS TOO CLOSE SO I DSNDED TILL THE ACFT WAS PAST, THEN REGAINED PATTERN ALT OF 3000'. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME BY THE SAME MAN IN THE TWR.

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.