Narrative:

About 25 NM out from smx, small aircraft X called vandenburg approach on 118.0 expressing our intention to land at smx with the current ATIS. Vbg told us to stand by. At approximately 10 NM out vbg had not gotten back to us, so we called smx tower on 118.3 with position and ATIS and were told to make left traffic for runway 30 and to report downwind. When we heard another aircraft cleared for right traffic, we asked for the same. Smx approved. We were told we were #2 to land behind another same type aircraft. Smx then told us there was an small aircraft now on final, and they asked us to extend our downwind to accommodate the small aircraft. We replied that we did not have the small aircraft in sight and asked smx to call our base. Smx did so and again cleared us to land #2 now behind small aircraft. At approximately 1.5 mi from the arrival end of the runway (400 ft AGL), same type small aircraft Y passed us traveling in the same direction. No immediate evasive action was taken by either aircraft. I asked the tower whether they could see another small aircraft Y that had just passed us on our left. The tower then asked us to rock our wings (for identify) then immediately instructed us to make a right '360 degree turn.' I believe it was during our 360 degree turn that small aircraft Y made their first call to smx and was cleared to land. We completed our turn, were cleared to land, and did so without further incident. After small aircraft Y switched to ground control, I asked smx tower whether they had been talking to small aircraft Y and smx replied in the negative. I have subsequently had the opportunity to discuss the incident with all pilots involved as well as with a local pilot who overheard the incident on his hand-held transceiver on the ground. Small aircraft Y was on an instrument flight plan and was on a visual approach to runway 30. Small aircraft Y was flying a very wide pattern. It appears that vandenburg approach did not instruct small aircraft Y to change to smx tower frequency until he was within a 2- mi final approach to the runway. The pilot and passenger of small aircraft Y never did see our aircraft. My ultimate concern is with the ineffectiveness of communications between 2 ATC facilities, vandenburg approach and santa maria tower. It seems very dangerous, indeed, if an arriving aircraft can be flying so far inside an active air traffic area and control zone without communicating with the tower at that airport. In discussing this with local pilots it appears that this may be a chronic problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated there were 3 same type aircraft involved. Small aircraft Z was the aircraft not coordinated with the tower. Reporter stated the FAA hub manager had investigated the incident and said vgb approach control had entered smx air traffic area without coordination. Hub manager further stated the LOA between smx tower and vbg approach control has been changed requiring vbg to coordinate all aircraft with smx tower and complete frequency change to tower prior to entering the air traffic area. Supplemental information from acn 239537: was under vandenburg approach control on an IFR plan, landing at smx. Approach put me on a wide downwind (right) and said I was #4 to land. They turned me on final and said traffic was an small aircraft ahead and to follow him in. I couldn't see him and advised approach. They kept me under their control until I finally spotted the small aircraft touching down. At that point, they told me to contact tower sos I did. At this point I was 1.5 - 2 mi from the end of the runway. I dropped my landing gear and made a normal touchdown and rollout. Right after I had contacted tower I heard them tell another plane to do a 360 degree turn for traffic. After landing, I found out that other traffic had almost hit me. It appears approach had not communicated with the tower to advise them about me on final. I never saw the other plane that came close to me. He was on left downwind and turned base underneath me. Seems approach screwed up on this sequencing and almost caused a midair.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA Y UNCOORD PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE SMX ATA HAD NMAC WITH SMA X. OPDEV. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: ABOUT 25 NM OUT FROM SMX, SMA X CALLED VANDENBURG APCH ON 118.0 EXPRESSING OUR INTENTION TO LAND AT SMX WITH THE CURRENT ATIS. VBG TOLD US TO STAND BY. AT APPROX 10 NM OUT VBG HAD NOT GOTTEN BACK TO US, SO WE CALLED SMX TWR ON 118.3 WITH POS AND ATIS AND WERE TOLD TO MAKE L TFC FOR RWY 30 AND TO RPT DOWNWIND. WHEN WE HEARD ANOTHER ACFT CLRED FOR R TFC, WE ASKED FOR THE SAME. SMX APPROVED. WE WERE TOLD WE WERE #2 TO LAND BEHIND ANOTHER SAME TYPE ACFT. SMX THEN TOLD US THERE WAS AN SMA NOW ON FINAL, AND THEY ASKED US TO EXTEND OUR DOWNWIND TO ACCOMMODATE THE SMA. WE REPLIED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE SMA IN SIGHT AND ASKED SMX TO CALL OUR BASE. SMX DID SO AND AGAIN CLRED US TO LAND #2 NOW BEHIND SMA. AT APPROX 1.5 MI FROM THE ARR END OF THE RWY (400 FT AGL), SAME TYPE SMA Y PASSED US TRAVELING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. NO IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY EITHER ACFT. I ASKED THE TWR WHETHER THEY COULD SEE ANOTHER SMA Y THAT HAD JUST PASSED US ON OUR L. THE TWR THEN ASKED US TO ROCK OUR WINGS (FOR IDENT) THEN IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED US TO MAKE A R '360 DEG TURN.' I BELIEVE IT WAS DURING OUR 360 DEG TURN THAT SMA Y MADE THEIR FIRST CALL TO SMX AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. WE COMPLETED OUR TURN, WERE CLRED TO LAND, AND DID SO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER SMA Y SWITCHED TO GND CTL, I ASKED SMX TWR WHETHER THEY HAD BEEN TALKING TO SMA Y AND SMX REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT WITH ALL PLTS INVOLVED AS WELL AS WITH A LCL PLT WHO OVERHEARD THE INCIDENT ON HIS HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER ON THE GND. SMA Y WAS ON AN INST FLT PLAN AND WAS ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 30. SMA Y WAS FLYING A VERY WIDE PATTERN. IT APPEARS THAT VANDENBURG APCH DID NOT INSTRUCT SMA Y TO CHANGE TO SMX TWR FREQ UNTIL HE WAS WITHIN A 2- MI FINAL APCH TO THE RWY. THE PLT AND PAX OF SMA Y NEVER DID SEE OUR ACFT. MY ULTIMATE CONCERN IS WITH THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF COMS BTWN 2 ATC FACILITIES, VANDENBURG APCH AND SANTA MARIA TWR. IT SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS, INDEED, IF AN ARRIVING ACFT CAN BE FLYING SO FAR INSIDE AN ACTIVE ATA AND CTL ZONE WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWR AT THAT ARPT. IN DISCUSSING THIS WITH LCL PLTS IT APPEARS THAT THIS MAY BE A CHRONIC PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THERE WERE 3 SAME TYPE ACFT INVOLVED. SMA Z WAS THE ACFT NOT COORDINATED WITH THE TWR. RPTR STATED THE FAA HUB MGR HAD INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND SAID VGB APCH CTL HAD ENTERED SMX ATA WITHOUT COORD. HUB MGR FURTHER STATED THE LOA BTWN SMX TWR AND VBG APCH CTL HAS BEEN CHANGED REQUIRING VBG TO COORDINATE ALL ACFT WITH SMX TWR AND COMPLETE FREQ CHANGE TO TWR PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ATA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 239537: WAS UNDER VANDENBURG APCH CTL ON AN IFR PLAN, LNDG AT SMX. APCH PUT ME ON A WIDE DOWNWIND (R) AND SAID I WAS #4 TO LAND. THEY TURNED ME ON FINAL AND SAID TFC WAS AN SMA AHEAD AND TO FOLLOW HIM IN. I COULDN'T SEE HIM AND ADVISED APCH. THEY KEPT ME UNDER THEIR CTL UNTIL I FINALLY SPOTTED THE SMA TOUCHING DOWN. AT THAT POINT, THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT TWR SOS I DID. AT THIS POINT I WAS 1.5 - 2 MI FROM THE END OF THE RWY. I DROPPED MY LNDG GEAR AND MADE A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT. RIGHT AFTER I HAD CONTACTED TWR I HEARD THEM TELL ANOTHER PLANE TO DO A 360 DEG TURN FOR TFC. AFTER LNDG, I FOUND OUT THAT OTHER TFC HAD ALMOST HIT ME. IT APPEARS APCH HAD NOT COMMUNICATED WITH THE TWR TO ADVISE THEM ABOUT ME ON FINAL. I NEVER SAW THE OTHER PLANE THAT CAME CLOSE TO ME. HE WAS ON L DOWNWIND AND TURNED BASE UNDERNEATH ME. SEEMS APCH SCREWED UP ON THIS SEQUENCING AND ALMOST CAUSED A MIDAIR.

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.