Narrative:

Flying a C182 with 1 passenger I was approaching alexandria, la, from the ese in the afternoon. The WX was VMC with haze and smoke. About 8 NM out (verified on my LORAN C receiver), I contacted aex tower (non radar). After giving pertinent WX information, the tower controller instructed me to report a 'right base runway 32.' I repeated the instruction, began my descent from 2000 ft and changed my heading to about 270 degrees from 292 degrees. Within 30-40 seconds later, the tower controller informed me of an arriving air carrier Y from memphis, of which he had been informed of by phone by fort polk approach control, to be 7 NM northeast of aex. He himself had not yet talked to the air carrier Y. Immediately, my passenger and I began to look for the aircraft (saab) in the direction the aircraft was supposed to be, more or less from our nose to our right and behind our aircraft. By that time I was about 5.5 NM from aex at 1700 ft. Since the tower controller still had not been contacted by the air carrier Y, he instructed me further to change my approach to a 'midfield right downwind entry for runway 32 and to expect to be #2 to land.' I acknowledged my instructions and changed my heading to about 310 degrees to accommodate the incoming traffic, when the air carrier Y checked in on the frequency with 'a visual for runway 32.' after having been informed of our position, aex tower 'cleared air carrier Y to land runway 32.' at that moment my passenger and I saw the air carrier Y coming right toward us at about a 1 - 1:30 O'clock position on a southeast heading about 400 ft high. It appeared the air carrier Y pulled up as I pushed the nose of my plane downward to avoid being run over. I believe he saw us at the same time because he reported to the tower that he had just flown over a small airplane. The tower controller replied something to the extent that he didn't know exactly where either of us was, and cleared him again to land runway 32. I asked him if he wanted me to follow the traffic or to continue per his instructions, upon which he replied to follow the traffic. Upon landing, I called aex tower to question the controller about the incident because I felt that by following his second instructions, he steered me right into the approach path of the air carrier Y. He apologized and blamed it on a lack of communications between all parties, ie, fort polk approach control, air carrier Y and myself, and also the lack of airport radar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 AND A SAAB ACR SEE EACH OTHER ABOUT THE SAME TIME WHILE ENTERING THE DOWNWIND LEG AT AEX RESULTING IN AN NMAC.

Narrative: FLYING A C182 WITH 1 PAX I WAS APCHING ALEXANDRIA, LA, FROM THE ESE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE WX WAS VMC WITH HAZE AND SMOKE. ABOUT 8 NM OUT (VERIFIED ON MY LORAN C RECEIVER), I CONTACTED AEX TWR (NON RADAR). AFTER GIVING PERTINENT WX INFO, THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO RPT A 'R BASE RWY 32.' I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTION, BEGAN MY DSCNT FROM 2000 FT AND CHANGED MY HDG TO ABOUT 270 DEGS FROM 292 DEGS. WITHIN 30-40 SECONDS LATER, THE TWR CTLR INFORMED ME OF AN ARRIVING ACR Y FROM MEMPHIS, OF WHICH HE HAD BEEN INFORMED OF BY PHONE BY FORT POLK APCH CTL, TO BE 7 NM NE OF AEX. HE HIMSELF HAD NOT YET TALKED TO THE ACR Y. IMMEDIATELY, MY PAX AND I BEGAN TO LOOK FOR THE ACFT (SAAB) IN THE DIRECTION THE ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, MORE OR LESS FROM OUR NOSE TO OUR R AND BEHIND OUR ACFT. BY THAT TIME I WAS ABOUT 5.5 NM FROM AEX AT 1700 FT. SINCE THE TWR CTLR STILL HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY THE ACR Y, HE INSTRUCTED ME FURTHER TO CHANGE MY APCH TO A 'MIDFIELD R DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 32 AND TO EXPECT TO BE #2 TO LAND.' I ACKNOWLEDGED MY INSTRUCTIONS AND CHANGED MY HDG TO ABOUT 310 DEGS TO ACCOMMODATE THE INCOMING TFC, WHEN THE ACR Y CHKED IN ON THE FREQ WITH 'A VISUAL FOR RWY 32.' AFTER HAVING BEEN INFORMED OF OUR POS, AEX TWR 'CLRED ACR Y TO LAND RWY 32.' AT THAT MOMENT MY PAX AND I SAW THE ACR Y COMING RIGHT TOWARD US AT ABOUT A 1 - 1:30 O'CLOCK POS ON A SE HDG ABOUT 400 FT HIGH. IT APPEARED THE ACR Y PULLED UP AS I PUSHED THE NOSE OF MY PLANE DOWNWARD TO AVOID BEING RUN OVER. I BELIEVE HE SAW US AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE HE RPTED TO THE TWR THAT HE HAD JUST FLOWN OVER A SMALL AIRPLANE. THE TWR CTLR REPLIED SOMETHING TO THE EXTENT THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE EITHER OF US WAS, AND CLRED HIM AGAIN TO LAND RWY 32. I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED ME TO FOLLOW THE TFC OR TO CONTINUE PER HIS INSTRUCTIONS, UPON WHICH HE REPLIED TO FOLLOW THE TFC. UPON LNDG, I CALLED AEX TWR TO QUESTION THE CTLR ABOUT THE INCIDENT BECAUSE I FELT THAT BY FOLLOWING HIS SECOND INSTRUCTIONS, HE STEERED ME RIGHT INTO THE APCH PATH OF THE ACR Y. HE APOLOGIZED AND BLAMED IT ON A LACK OF COMS BTWN ALL PARTIES, IE, FORT POLK APCH CTL, ACR Y AND MYSELF, AND ALSO THE LACK OF ARPT RADAR.

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.