A part 135 pilot experienced a nighttime near midair collision while on final approach in class C ai...

Attributes
ACN	315468
Time
Date	199509
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fnt
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fnt tower : bos
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Caravan 1 208A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 66 flight time total : 8120 flight time type : 871
ASRS Report	315468
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 600 vertical : 150
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was on a flight from grand rapids, mi, to fnt, in a cessna 208B. After being cleared to descend from cruise altitude of 7000 ft by cleveland center I was handed off to fnt approach control. Fnt approach cleared me for a visual approach to runway 9, and said 'your traffic is a lance on right base for runway 18.' at approximately 10 DME I was cleared to tower frequency after calling runway 18 traffic in sight. After being handed off to tower I was 'cleared to continue, traffic on right base.' I again called the traffic in sight, thinking that tower was referring to the previously called traffic by approach control. At approximately 2 mi final I noticed a red beacon directly ahead and slightly below me. As I called the tower about the light ahead of me, my landing lights began to 'wash' the aircraft ahead of me. I began a climbing turn to the right as the tower instructed me to go around. An uneventful landing followed a right 360 degree to final. I assumed that tower and approach were talking about the same aircraft. They were not. Approach control did not call out local traffic. Usually I expect to hear 'your traffic is on blank approach, tower has blank number of aircraft in the pattern.' tower did not specify the runway that the aircraft ahead of me was landing on. I was looking for right base traffic to runway 18 and he had right base traffic to runway 9. Approach called his traffic as a 'lance,' tower may have called his traffic as a 'cessna.' I didn't catch the difference.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART 135 PLT EXPERIENCED A NIGHTTIME NMAC WHILE ON FINAL APCH IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. PLT MISTOOK THE TFC CALLED BY TWR TO BE THE SAME TFC CALLED BY TRACON.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM GRAND RAPIDS, MI, TO FNT, IN A CESSNA 208B. AFTER BEING CLRED TO DSND FROM CRUISE ALT OF 7000 FT BY CLEVELAND CTR I WAS HANDED OFF TO FNT APCH CTL. FNT APCH CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9, AND SAID 'YOUR TFC IS A LANCE ON R BASE FOR RWY 18.' AT APPROX 10 DME I WAS CLRED TO TWR FREQ AFTER CALLING RWY 18 TFC IN SIGHT. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO TWR I WAS 'CLRED TO CONTINUE, TFC ON R BASE.' I AGAIN CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT, THINKING THAT TWR WAS REFERRING TO THE PREVIOUSLY CALLED TFC BY APCH CTL. AT APPROX 2 MI FINAL I NOTICED A RED BEACON DIRECTLY AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY BELOW ME. AS I CALLED THE TWR ABOUT THE LIGHT AHEAD OF ME, MY LNDG LIGHTS BEGAN TO 'WASH' THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME. I BEGAN A CLBING TURN TO THE R AS THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO GAR. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED A R 360 DEG TO FINAL. I ASSUMED THAT TWR AND APCH WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME ACFT. THEY WERE NOT. APCH CTL DID NOT CALL OUT LCL TFC. USUALLY I EXPECT TO HEAR 'YOUR TFC IS ON BLANK APCH, TWR HAS BLANK NUMBER OF ACFT IN THE PATTERN.' TWR DID NOT SPECIFY THE RWY THAT THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME WAS LNDG ON. I WAS LOOKING FOR R BASE TFC TO RWY 18 AND HE HAD R BASE TFC TO RWY 9. APCH CALLED HIS TFC AS A 'LANCE,' TWR MAY HAVE CALLED HIS TFC AS A 'CESSNA.' I DIDN'T CATCH THE DIFFERENCE.

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.

A part 135 pilot experienced a nighttime near midair collision while on final approach in class C airspace. Pilot mistook the traffic called by tower to be the same traffic called by TRACON.