Narrative:

Aircraft X was returning to land following a 1 hour local flight. Approach told me to expect a right downwind runway 13, and handed me off to tower. Upon contacting tower (approximately 5 mi out), I was told to enter left downwind runway 13. (No mention was made to actually report entering downwind.) I was not advised of any other traffic, but I heard tower clear a taylorcraft (Y) for a touch and go shortly thereafter. As I approached airport boundary I spotted touch and go traffic on runway 13 and pointed it out to my right seat passenger. The last I remember seeing other aircraft, it was still climbing out over the runway as I was approaching abeam its position. Normally, one would judge an aircraft in that relative position to not become a factor. I had not yet been cleared to land and was now abeam my intended landing spot on runway, so I prepared to request this clearance. Before I could do this, tower suddenly cleared the taylorcraft for touch and go runway 13. I immediately began looking for traffic, and seconds later my right seat passenger spotted it just as it was overtaking us to our right (on a closer-in downwind than us) and at a lower altitude. I alerted tower and was told to standby. The other aircraft was told to extend downwind for #2 to the field. I requested and was given a left 270 degree downwind to base for additional spacing and was cleared to land. Before I landed and while taxiing, the tower controller apologized to me and thanked me for my help. It is interesting that the tower never gave TA's to either of us. Based on the controller's apologies to me, I believe he simply forgot about my presence. Another possible contributing factor is that the other aircraft was flying a very close-in downwind and apparently didn't climb to pattern altitude, since he was below me. I could have done two things differently. I should have reported entering downwind, even though it wasn't specifically requested by controller. After pointing out touch and go traffic to my passenger, I should have practiced CRM and told him to keep the other aircraft in sight and let me know if he lost sight of it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UPON ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN, PA28 PLT EXECUTES EVASIVE MANEUVER TO AVOID TAYLORCRAFT CLBING FROM RWY INTO TFC PATTERN. PLT ALERTS TWR TO INCIDENT, WHO APOLOGIZES. PA28 PLT RECONSIDERS PATTERN ENTRY AND COM PROCS.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS RETURNING TO LAND FOLLOWING A 1 HR LCL FLT. APCH TOLD ME TO EXPECT A R DOWNWIND RWY 13, AND HANDED ME OFF TO TWR. UPON CONTACTING TWR (APPROX 5 MI OUT), I WAS TOLD TO ENTER L DOWNWIND RWY 13. (NO MENTION WAS MADE TO ACTUALLY RPT ENTERING DOWNWIND.) I WAS NOT ADVISED OF ANY OTHER TFC, BUT I HEARD TWR CLR A TAYLORCRAFT (Y) FOR A TOUCH AND GO SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AS I APCHED ARPT BOUNDARY I SPOTTED TOUCH AND GO TFC ON RWY 13 AND POINTED IT OUT TO MY R SEAT PAX. THE LAST I REMEMBER SEEING OTHER ACFT, IT WAS STILL CLBING OUT OVER THE RWY AS I WAS APCHING ABEAM ITS POS. NORMALLY, ONE WOULD JUDGE AN ACFT IN THAT RELATIVE POS TO NOT BECOME A FACTOR. I HAD NOT YET BEEN CLRED TO LAND AND WAS NOW ABEAM MY INTENDED LNDG SPOT ON RWY, SO I PREPARED TO REQUEST THIS CLRNC. BEFORE I COULD DO THIS, TWR SUDDENLY CLRED THE TAYLORCRAFT FOR TOUCH AND GO RWY 13. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN LOOKING FOR TFC, AND SECONDS LATER MY R SEAT PAX SPOTTED IT JUST AS IT WAS OVERTAKING US TO OUR R (ON A CLOSER-IN DOWNWIND THAN US) AND AT A LOWER ALT. I ALERTED TWR AND WAS TOLD TO STANDBY. THE OTHER ACFT WAS TOLD TO EXTEND DOWNWIND FOR #2 TO THE FIELD. I REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN A L 270 DEG DOWNWIND TO BASE FOR ADDITIONAL SPACING AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. BEFORE I LANDED AND WHILE TAXIING, THE TWR CTLR APOLOGIZED TO ME AND THANKED ME FOR MY HELP. IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE TWR NEVER GAVE TA'S TO EITHER OF US. BASED ON THE CTLR'S APOLOGIES TO ME, I BELIEVE HE SIMPLY FORGOT ABOUT MY PRESENCE. ANOTHER POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS FLYING A VERY CLOSE-IN DOWNWIND AND APPARENTLY DIDN'T CLB TO PATTERN ALT, SINCE HE WAS BELOW ME. I COULD HAVE DONE TWO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. I SHOULD HAVE RPTED ENTERING DOWNWIND, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED BY CTLR. AFTER POINTING OUT TOUCH AND GO TFC TO MY PAX, I SHOULD HAVE PRACTICED CRM AND TOLD HIM TO KEEP THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT AND LET ME KNOW IF HE LOST SIGHT OF IT.

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.