Narrative:

Shortly before the incident being reported, traffic increased dramatically. As I recall, within a short time an small aircraft a took off and another aircraft (I believe an small aircraft B) was inbound and needed help finding the field and received vectors from the tower. The small aircraft C and I were on the north side, in left traffic. Inbound to the field were the 'top gun' aircraft, consisting of a flight of Z's. I do not recall the lead aircraft's call sign. The second aircraft, which did not make a call until the call to be set out below, was made. The Z's were told to make right traffic into the field. While on downwind in marginal VFR conditions, the tower informed me that I was #4 to follow the second Z, and as I recall, I was told the 2 Z's were on the south side. Conditions were very hazy and I was unable to make visibility contact on the aircraft. Either at my request or the tower's direction, the instructions was that I would remain on downwind, fly over the kfi tower (a local radio tower which serves as a reference for fullerton traffic), and that the tower would call base for me. I was being followed by the small aircraft. As I crossed over the kfi tower, I observed to my left a low wing aircraft established on final to fullerton. Because of the haze, I could not clearly identify the type of the aircraft, except that it was fast moving, low wing and appeared to be on final. Looking behind it, once again in the haze, I could only make out a second aircraft, this time definitely idented by me as a Z. Positive identify in this case was possible because I saw the aircraft turn base to final, and therefore saw it from the front, wing high in a turn, and then abeam. I called the tower and stated words to the effect, 'X has the Z turning base to final.' at that time I was still uncertain if I was seeing the first or the second Z. The tower responded with a question to the effect, 'is that the first or the second Z?' I looked behind the Z and along the area of south downwind, base and final and saw no aircraft. I could still see the first aircraft on final, the one I could not positively identify and the Z was following it with nothing visible behind. At that point I responded that I saw the second Z. The tower instructed me to follow that aircraft and immediately made a call to the small aircraft to follow me. As I recall, the small aircraft lost visibility contact on me and reported it was looking. Other instructions were given to other aircraft, none of which are directly related to this situation. While on short final, at approximately 200' AGL, I heard a call from the second Z. My best recollection is that the call was, 'I have an aircraft directly below me.' the tower instructed the Z to go around. At this point, I am not certain F the Z had me in sight as the aircraft 'directly below,' or it it was seeing the small aircraft. I continued the approach. The tower operator asked if I 'cut out' the second Z. Obviously, I must have.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA MISIDENTIFIED TRAFFIC AND CUT OUT REPORTED TRAFFIC ON FINAL. SECOND SMA MADE A GO AROUND.

Narrative: SHORTLY BEFORE THE INCIDENT BEING RPTED, TFC INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. AS I RECALL, WITHIN A SHORT TIME AN SMA A TOOK OFF AND ANOTHER ACFT (I BELIEVE AN SMA B) WAS INBND AND NEEDED HELP FINDING THE FIELD AND RECEIVED VECTORS FROM THE TWR. THE SMA C AND I WERE ON THE N SIDE, IN LEFT TFC. INBND TO THE FIELD WERE THE 'TOP GUN' ACFT, CONSISTING OF A FLT OF Z'S. I DO NOT RECALL THE LEAD ACFT'S CALL SIGN. THE SECOND ACFT, WHICH DID NOT MAKE A CALL UNTIL THE CALL TO BE SET OUT BELOW, WAS MADE. THE Z'S WERE TOLD TO MAKE RIGHT TFC INTO THE FIELD. WHILE ON DOWNWIND IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS, THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS #4 TO FOLLOW THE SECOND Z, AND AS I RECALL, I WAS TOLD THE 2 Z'S WERE ON THE S SIDE. CONDITIONS WERE VERY HAZY AND I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE VIS CONTACT ON THE ACFT. EITHER AT MY REQUEST OR THE TWR'S DIRECTION, THE INSTRUCTIONS WAS THAT I WOULD REMAIN ON DOWNWIND, FLY OVER THE KFI TWR (A LCL RADIO TWR WHICH SERVES AS A REF FOR FULLERTON TFC), AND THAT THE TWR WOULD CALL BASE FOR ME. I WAS BEING FOLLOWED BY THE SMA. AS I CROSSED OVER THE KFI TWR, I OBSERVED TO MY LEFT A LOW WING ACFT ESTABLISHED ON FINAL TO FULLERTON. BECAUSE OF THE HAZE, I COULD NOT CLEARLY IDENT THE TYPE OF THE ACFT, EXCEPT THAT IT WAS FAST MOVING, LOW WING AND APPEARED TO BE ON FINAL. LOOKING BEHIND IT, ONCE AGAIN IN THE HAZE, I COULD ONLY MAKE OUT A SECOND ACFT, THIS TIME DEFINITELY IDENTED BY ME AS A Z. POSITIVE IDENT IN THIS CASE WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I SAW THE ACFT TURN BASE TO FINAL, AND THEREFORE SAW IT FROM THE FRONT, WING HIGH IN A TURN, AND THEN ABEAM. I CALLED THE TWR AND STATED WORDS TO THE EFFECT, 'X HAS THE Z TURNING BASE TO FINAL.' AT THAT TIME I WAS STILL UNCERTAIN IF I WAS SEEING THE FIRST OR THE SECOND Z. THE TWR RESPONDED WITH A QUESTION TO THE EFFECT, 'IS THAT THE FIRST OR THE SECOND Z?' I LOOKED BEHIND THE Z AND ALONG THE AREA OF S DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL AND SAW NO ACFT. I COULD STILL SEE THE FIRST ACFT ON FINAL, THE ONE I COULD NOT POSITIVELY IDENT AND THE Z WAS FOLLOWING IT WITH NOTHING VISIBLE BEHIND. AT THAT POINT I RESPONDED THAT I SAW THE SECOND Z. THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO FOLLOW THAT ACFT AND IMMEDIATELY MADE A CALL TO THE SMA TO FOLLOW ME. AS I RECALL, THE SMA LOST VIS CONTACT ON ME AND RPTED IT WAS LOOKING. OTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN TO OTHER ACFT, NONE OF WHICH ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS SITUATION. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, AT APPROX 200' AGL, I HEARD A CALL FROM THE SECOND Z. MY BEST RECOLLECTION IS THAT THE CALL WAS, 'I HAVE AN ACFT DIRECTLY BELOW ME.' THE TWR INSTRUCTED THE Z TO GO AROUND. AT THIS POINT, I AM NOT CERTAIN F THE Z HAD ME IN SIGHT AS THE ACFT 'DIRECTLY BELOW,' OR IT IT WAS SEEING THE SMA. I CONTINUED THE APCH. THE TWR OPERATOR ASKED IF I 'CUT OUT' THE SECOND Z. OBVIOUSLY, I MUST HAVE.

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.