Narrative:

This was my second solo flight as a student pilot. My instructor and I discussed my upcoming solo flight and then did some dual flight touch and goes around the traffic pattern at cos using runway 17R. Several times on this dual flight my instructor and I had some concerns whether or not one of the controllers was a student also. We were given some questionable clrncs which were immediately replaced with other clrncs from a different controller. One particular clearance that was of concern was a clearance from downwind to base. As we turned our base, I spotted another aircraft already on final. After pointing this out to my instructor, he radioed the controller with our visual. We were then told to extend our downwind until further notice. After completing the dual touch and goes, my instructor and I felt that I was competent to solo. The controller was advised that this was one of my first solo flts. I was a bit nervous because of the high wind and low level windshear advisory that went into effect as I was leaving the ground. After completing one touch and go, still using runway 17R in the traffic pattern, I was instructed to continue my upwind until further notice. I did not want to get too far out so I decreased my airspeed a little while maintaining the same heading. While following instructions to continue my upwind, the controller informed me that I was not visible on their screen and requested my location. I gave them my location, heading, altitude and squawk code of 1200. I was told of incoming aircraft south of cos on final and asked if I had a visual. I responded that I had visual of aircraft. I was then instructed to make a left 180 degree turn and line up for runway 35L. I did as instructed but felt that this was odd because I had been making right turns in the pattern. Approximately 90 degrees into my turn a controller asked if I had completed my 180 degrees yet. I responded that I had not yet completed the turn. Controller then said that they still did not see me and asked my location again. I gave my location of being on final for runway 35L and then corrected my response to runway 35R, as my aircraft was lined up for runway 35R after completing the instructed 180 degree turn. While on final I saw the other aircraft below me off my left wing. I informed the controller of my visual and was then given instructions to turn for runway 35L for a full stop. I feel the WX advisories, change of pattern, previous odd clrncs and the possibility of a student controller contributed to my confusion and this unfortunate incident. Supplemental information from acn 365538: unfortunately, the student set up for runway 35R, while another aircraft, a dornier 328, was turning onto final for runway 35R. After some confusion, my student was idented by the tower controller and was told to turn wbound to runway 35L for a full stop. Evidently the dornier 328 and my student's C172 were fairly close (100-300 ft vertical separation) and both pilots were quite rightly concerned. The combination of my student's confusion during the runway change, the strange runway change clearance, and the possibility of a student controller in the control tower combined to cause my student to stray in front and above another aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A STUDENT PLT IN A C172 APCH TO LAND ON THE R PARALLEL RWY AND A DORNIER 328 ON FINAL FOR THE SAME PARALLEL RWY. THE TWR CTLR OBSERVED THE PROB AND INSTRUCTED THE RPTING STUDENT TO GO LEFT OVER TO THE L RWY.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY SECOND SOLO FLT AS A STUDENT PLT. MY INSTRUCTOR AND I DISCUSSED MY UPCOMING SOLO FLT AND THEN DID SOME DUAL FLT TOUCH AND GOES AROUND THE TFC PATTERN AT COS USING RWY 17R. SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS DUAL FLT MY INSTRUCTOR AND I HAD SOME CONCERNS WHETHER OR NOT ONE OF THE CTLRS WAS A STUDENT ALSO. WE WERE GIVEN SOME QUESTIONABLE CLRNCS WHICH WERE IMMEDIATELY REPLACED WITH OTHER CLRNCS FROM A DIFFERENT CTLR. ONE PARTICULAR CLRNC THAT WAS OF CONCERN WAS A CLRNC FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE. AS WE TURNED OUR BASE, I SPOTTED ANOTHER ACFT ALREADY ON FINAL. AFTER POINTING THIS OUT TO MY INSTRUCTOR, HE RADIOED THE CTLR WITH OUR VISUAL. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO EXTEND OUR DOWNWIND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. AFTER COMPLETING THE DUAL TOUCH AND GOES, MY INSTRUCTOR AND I FELT THAT I WAS COMPETENT TO SOLO. THE CTLR WAS ADVISED THAT THIS WAS ONE OF MY FIRST SOLO FLTS. I WAS A BIT NERVOUS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH WIND AND LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR ADVISORY THAT WENT INTO EFFECT AS I WAS LEAVING THE GND. AFTER COMPLETING ONE TOUCH AND GO, STILL USING RWY 17R IN THE TFC PATTERN, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE MY UPWIND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. I DID NOT WANT TO GET TOO FAR OUT SO I DECREASED MY AIRSPD A LITTLE WHILE MAINTAINING THE SAME HEADING. WHILE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE MY UPWIND, THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS NOT VISIBLE ON THEIR SCREEN AND REQUESTED MY LOCATION. I GAVE THEM MY LOCATION, HEADING, ALT AND SQUAWK CODE OF 1200. I WAS TOLD OF INCOMING ACFT S OF COS ON FINAL AND ASKED IF I HAD A VISUAL. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD VISUAL OF ACFT. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A L 180 DEG TURN AND LINE UP FOR RWY 35L. I DID AS INSTRUCTED BUT FELT THAT THIS WAS ODD BECAUSE I HAD BEEN MAKING R TURNS IN THE PATTERN. APPROX 90 DEGS INTO MY TURN A CTLR ASKED IF I HAD COMPLETED MY 180 DEGS YET. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD NOT YET COMPLETED THE TURN. CTLR THEN SAID THAT THEY STILL DID NOT SEE ME AND ASKED MY LOCATION AGAIN. I GAVE MY LOCATION OF BEING ON FINAL FOR RWY 35L AND THEN CORRECTED MY RESPONSE TO RWY 35R, AS MY ACFT WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 35R AFTER COMPLETING THE INSTRUCTED 180 DEG TURN. WHILE ON FINAL I SAW THE OTHER ACFT BELOW ME OFF MY L WING. I INFORMED THE CTLR OF MY VISUAL AND WAS THEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN FOR RWY 35L FOR A FULL STOP. I FEEL THE WX ADVISORIES, CHANGE OF PATTERN, PREVIOUS ODD CLRNCS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A STUDENT CTLR CONTRIBUTED TO MY CONFUSION AND THIS UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 365538: UNFORTUNATELY, THE STUDENT SET UP FOR RWY 35R, WHILE ANOTHER ACFT, A DORNIER 328, WAS TURNING ONTO FINAL FOR RWY 35R. AFTER SOME CONFUSION, MY STUDENT WAS IDENTED BY THE TWR CTLR AND WAS TOLD TO TURN WBOUND TO RWY 35L FOR A FULL STOP. EVIDENTLY THE DORNIER 328 AND MY STUDENT'S C172 WERE FAIRLY CLOSE (100-300 FT VERT SEPARATION) AND BOTH PLTS WERE QUITE RIGHTLY CONCERNED. THE COMBINATION OF MY STUDENT'S CONFUSION DURING THE RWY CHANGE, THE STRANGE RWY CHANGE CLRNC, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A STUDENT CTLR IN THE CTL TWR COMBINED TO CAUSE MY STUDENT TO STRAY IN FRONT AND ABOVE ANOTHER ACFT.

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.