Narrative:

Was in contact with bur approach control 17-10 mi north of vny airport in vicinity of bur class C airspace. Bur approach advised of several targets ahead in vicinity of vny and following piper malibu. The advice of the following malibu was interpreted to mean keep my speed up and continue to the airport so as not to conflict with the malibu if he passed me. Bur approach instructed me to contact vny tower with the VFR transponder code of 1200. The tower advised that I continue a straight in approach to runway 16R, and report abeam the reservoir, a standard reporting point. I was advised to continue a straight-in approach. Speed was maintained 150-200 KIAS due to the following malibu. Subsequently, tower notified me that a cessna was ahead of me at the semi valley freeway and asked if I could still make the field (my estimate the cessna was 1-2 mi ahead). I replied I would immediately slow down to about 80 or 90 KTS to preclude overtaking the cessna. (I knew the malibu was somewhere behind me and assumed similar information would be passed to him.) I was instructed to turn right 360 degrees (which I assumed was for spacing). As I started the turn, the malibu flashed past me on the right at the same altitude. My passenger, a private pilot with more logged flying time than I, and I both concur that the malibu's horizontal miss distance did not exceed 125-150 ft. Subsequent tower intercom conversation with tower supervisor after landing indicates malibu may have had engine problem. Nothing heard by me during flight tends to confirm that. My opinion: tower controller goofed and supervisor wanted no problems -- or person on the other end of intercom was not supervisor since I was not allowed to enter tower on workload/shorthanded pretext. Tower controller was either not aware of proximity of both aircraft or inexperience or both. Procedures to preclude recurrence mandatory.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 SMAS HAD AN NMAC APCHING THE TFC PATTERN AT VNY.

Narrative: WAS IN CONTACT WITH BUR APCH CTL 17-10 MI N OF VNY ARPT IN VICINITY OF BUR CLASS C AIRSPACE. BUR APCH ADVISED OF SEVERAL TARGETS AHEAD IN VICINITY OF VNY AND FOLLOWING PIPER MALIBU. THE ADVICE OF THE FOLLOWING MALIBU WAS INTERPRETED TO MEAN KEEP MY SPD UP AND CONTINUE TO THE ARPT SO AS NOT TO CONFLICT WITH THE MALIBU IF HE PASSED ME. BUR APCH INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT VNY TWR WITH THE VFR XPONDER CODE OF 1200. THE TWR ADVISED THAT I CONTINUE A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO RWY 16R, AND RPT ABEAM THE RESERVOIR, A STANDARD RPTING POINT. I WAS ADVISED TO CONTINUE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. SPD WAS MAINTAINED 150-200 KIAS DUE TO THE FOLLOWING MALIBU. SUBSEQUENTLY, TWR NOTIFIED ME THAT A CESSNA WAS AHEAD OF ME AT THE SEMI VALLEY FREEWAY AND ASKED IF I COULD STILL MAKE THE FIELD (MY ESTIMATE THE CESSNA WAS 1-2 MI AHEAD). I REPLIED I WOULD IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN TO ABOUT 80 OR 90 KTS TO PRECLUDE OVERTAKING THE CESSNA. (I KNEW THE MALIBU WAS SOMEWHERE BEHIND ME AND ASSUMED SIMILAR INFO WOULD BE PASSED TO HIM.) I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN R 360 DEGS (WHICH I ASSUMED WAS FOR SPACING). AS I STARTED THE TURN, THE MALIBU FLASHED PAST ME ON THE R AT THE SAME ALT. MY PAX, A PVT PLT WITH MORE LOGGED FLYING TIME THAN I, AND I BOTH CONCUR THAT THE MALIBU'S HORIZ MISS DISTANCE DID NOT EXCEED 125-150 FT. SUBSEQUENT TWR INTERCOM CONVERSATION WITH TWR SUPVR AFTER LNDG INDICATES MALIBU MAY HAVE HAD ENG PROB. NOTHING HEARD BY ME DURING FLT TENDS TO CONFIRM THAT. MY OPINION: TWR CTLR GOOFED AND SUPVR WANTED NO PROBS -- OR PERSON ON THE OTHER END OF INTERCOM WAS NOT SUPVR SINCE I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER TWR ON WORKLOAD/SHORTHANDED PRETEXT. TWR CTLR WAS EITHER NOT AWARE OF PROX OF BOTH ACFT OR INEXPERIENCE OR BOTH. PROCS TO PRECLUDE RECURRENCE MANDATORY.

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.