Narrative:

I was receiving a local chkout from CFI in a PA28-161. We were told to enter a right downwind for runway 30R at gateway airport by the tower and to follow an small aircraft ahead of us. We got a visual on the small aircraft and turned base just as he turned final. We were then instructed to follow the small aircraft again by tower. After I was established on base, I looked left to clear the final. The CFI and I both saw 1 aircraft low and left, obviously going to either runway 30C or 30L. A few seconds later, I picked up a light twin high and left. The CFI said he was going to the center. We had not been warned of this traffic. A few seconds later we realized the small transport Y was on final to the right and that there would be a conflict. Fortunately, the small transport Y picked us up and began a go around. We continued a descending right turn. I did not see the exact miss distance, but estimate we passed 100 ft below the small transport Y twin. The result was everyone broke out of the pattern and tower had to sort us out one by one. It was then that I realized tower had lost situational awareness with respect to the small transport Y. Why? Simply put, I feel the small transport Y was flying an extremely wide pattern, 2-3 mi final. In doing so, he put himself outside the visual scan of the tower and other aircraft in the pattern. I don't usually like to criticize ATC, but I felt that the controller was not very directive in helping us sort out the situation. We were basically on our own for about 30 seconds. I don't have enough knowledge of how it looked from the other cockpits or the tower to comment further.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR PA28 TURNING BASE TO FINAL AND FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT SPOTTED A TWIN ACFT IN CLOSE PROX AND DSNDED AND TURNED TO AVOID THE TWIN ACFT. RPTR ALLEGES THE TWR LCL CTLR LOST THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF HIS TFC.

Narrative: I WAS RECEIVING A LCL CHKOUT FROM CFI IN A PA28-161. WE WERE TOLD TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30R AT GATEWAY ARPT BY THE TWR AND TO FOLLOW AN SMA AHEAD OF US. WE GOT A VISUAL ON THE SMA AND TURNED BASE JUST AS HE TURNED FINAL. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW THE SMA AGAIN BY TWR. AFTER I WAS ESTABLISHED ON BASE, I LOOKED L TO CLR THE FINAL. THE CFI AND I BOTH SAW 1 ACFT LOW AND L, OBVIOUSLY GOING TO EITHER RWY 30C OR 30L. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I PICKED UP A LIGHT TWIN HIGH AND L. THE CFI SAID HE WAS GOING TO THE CTR. WE HAD NOT BEEN WARNED OF THIS TFC. A FEW SECONDS LATER WE REALIZED THE SMT Y WAS ON FINAL TO THE R AND THAT THERE WOULD BE A CONFLICT. FORTUNATELY, THE SMT Y PICKED US UP AND BEGAN A GAR. WE CONTINUED A DSNDING R TURN. I DID NOT SEE THE EXACT MISS DISTANCE, BUT ESTIMATE WE PASSED 100 FT BELOW THE SMT Y TWIN. THE RESULT WAS EVERYONE BROKE OUT OF THE PATTERN AND TWR HAD TO SORT US OUT ONE BY ONE. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED TWR HAD LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WITH RESPECT TO THE SMT Y. WHY? SIMPLY PUT, I FEEL THE SMT Y WAS FLYING AN EXTREMELY WIDE PATTERN, 2-3 MI FINAL. IN DOING SO, HE PUT HIMSELF OUTSIDE THE VISUAL SCAN OF THE TWR AND OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I DON'T USUALLY LIKE TO CRITICIZE ATC, BUT I FELT THAT THE CTLR WAS NOT VERY DIRECTIVE IN HELPING US SORT OUT THE SIT. WE WERE BASICALLY ON OUR OWN FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE OF HOW IT LOOKED FROM THE OTHER COCKPITS OR THE TWR TO COMMENT FURTHER.

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.