A nga aircraft on a visual approach on downwind to follow a beech aircraft reported the aircraft in ...

Attributes
ACN	357476
Time
Date	199701
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pdx
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Beechcraft, Beech Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	arrival other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	357476
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During an IFR flight to portland international airport, approach control asked if I would accept a visual approach, I agreed and was vectored to pdx and handed off to the tower. Procedure was to cross over the center of the runways at 2000 ft and turn left downwind for runway 10L. I was cleared to land by the tower. Upon turning downwind I observed a large twin engine aircraft on what appeared to be final approach to runway 10L. I waited until this aircraft was abeam my left wing and started to turn base. Tower told me to continue downwind which I did while trying to keep my traffic in sight. After a time I became concerned that the tower had forgotten about me and called them. I was also nervous because I could not see the cause for the extended downwind and had not been advised of any traffic by tower including the aircraft I thought I was following. The tower advised that I could follow the traffic, a beech aircraft at 11 O'clock position. I stated that I had the traffic and announced base then stopped my turn because I felt that the tower was referring to a different aircraft than the one I was following. I increased my scan and instinctively looked ahead and to the right to see that the approach lane was clear and spotted a dark blue twin above and slightly to my left. I corrected my track so that I could avoid a collision with the beech and still maintain visual contact so that I could maneuver should he turn, climb, or dive. He passed off my left side, wings level and slightly nose high. Contributing factors: the tower cleared me to land while, I believe, there was a traffic conflict and then changed their mind and extended my downwind without advising me of my traffic. The aircraft involved were dark blue and extremely hard to see against both ground clutter and the dark overcast. The beech may have been sideslipping across from the ILS approach to runway 10R. The basic of always looking right when turning base allowed me to spot the beech in time to take corrective action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NGA ACFT ON A VISUAL APCH ON DOWNWIND TO FOLLOW A BEECH ACFT RPTED THE ACFT IN SIGHT, THEN HAS A NMAC WITH THE ACFT. RPTR BLAMES CTLR.

Narrative: DURING AN IFR FLT TO PORTLAND INTL ARPT, APCH CTL ASKED IF I WOULD ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH, I AGREED AND WAS VECTORED TO PDX AND HANDED OFF TO THE TWR. PROC WAS TO CROSS OVER THE CTR OF THE RWYS AT 2000 FT AND TURN L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10L. I WAS CLRED TO LAND BY THE TWR. UPON TURNING DOWNWIND I OBSERVED A LARGE TWIN ENG ACFT ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE FINAL APCH TO RWY 10L. I WAITED UNTIL THIS ACFT WAS ABEAM MY L WING AND STARTED TO TURN BASE. TWR TOLD ME TO CONTINUE DOWNWIND WHICH I DID WHILE TRYING TO KEEP MY TFC IN SIGHT. AFTER A TIME I BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE TWR HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME AND CALLED THEM. I WAS ALSO NERVOUS BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE THE CAUSE FOR THE EXTENDED DOWNWIND AND HAD NOT BEEN ADVISED OF ANY TFC BY TWR INCLUDING THE ACFT I THOUGHT I WAS FOLLOWING. THE TWR ADVISED THAT I COULD FOLLOW THE TFC, A BEECH ACFT AT 11 O'CLOCK POS. I STATED THAT I HAD THE TFC AND ANNOUNCED BASE THEN STOPPED MY TURN BECAUSE I FELT THAT THE TWR WAS REFERRING TO A DIFFERENT ACFT THAN THE ONE I WAS FOLLOWING. I INCREASED MY SCAN AND INSTINCTIVELY LOOKED AHEAD AND TO THE R TO SEE THAT THE APCH LANE WAS CLR AND SPOTTED A DARK BLUE TWIN ABOVE AND SLIGHTLY TO MY L. I CORRECTED MY TRACK SO THAT I COULD AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE BEECH AND STILL MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT SO THAT I COULD MANEUVER SHOULD HE TURN, CLB, OR DIVE. HE PASSED OFF MY L SIDE, WINGS LEVEL AND SLIGHTLY NOSE HIGH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND WHILE, I BELIEVE, THERE WAS A TFC CONFLICT AND THEN CHANGED THEIR MIND AND EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND WITHOUT ADVISING ME OF MY TFC. THE ACFT INVOLVED WERE DARK BLUE AND EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE AGAINST BOTH GND CLUTTER AND THE DARK OVCST. THE BEECH MAY HAVE BEEN SIDESLIPPING ACROSS FROM THE ILS APCH TO RWY 10R. THE BASIC OF ALWAYS LOOKING R WHEN TURNING BASE ALLOWED ME TO SPOT THE BEECH IN TIME TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION.

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 nga aircraft on a visual approach on downwind to follow a beech aircraft reported the aircraft in sight, then has a near midair collision with the aircraft. Reporter blames controller.