Narrative:

On the downwind leg, the tower gave a series of directions to multiple aircraft. My instructions were that there was an aircraft at the shoreline on the ILS who would be doing a missed approach and that I was to notify the tower when I had the traffic in sight. The tower then went on to give other directions to other aircraft. I saw the traffic on final and informed the tower I had the traffic in sight. The tower then told me to extend my downwind and come in behind the aircraft and that I was cleared to land. I watched the aircraft pass my wingtip and move behind me. Then I turned to base and then to final. The tower then asked me if I had cut off the other aircraft. Seeing the other plane climbing out in front of me, I informed the tower that, no, I hadn't. The tower then contacted the other plane and asked him if I had cut him off, to which he said identification had. The tower then told me to look off my left wingtip, and slightly above me was another aircraft. I continued to land and the tower said nothing more of the matter. I idented the wrong aircraft and followed it. The aircraft I was told to follow was farther out, on final. Things that I could have done better are to have known the exact location of the shoreline and then if there was any doubt, confirm that the aircraft that passed my wingtip was the correct aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT AND HIS CFI CUT OFF ANOTHER ACFT AS THEY WERE TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 17 AT TIW, WA. AN NMAC OCCURRED WITH OTHER ACFT GOING AROUND.

Narrative: ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE TWR GAVE A SERIES OF DIRECTIONS TO MULTIPLE ACFT. MY INSTRUCTIONS WERE THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT AT THE SHORELINE ON THE ILS WHO WOULD BE DOING A MISSED APCH AND THAT I WAS TO NOTIFY THE TWR WHEN I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. THE TWR THEN WENT ON TO GIVE OTHER DIRECTIONS TO OTHER ACFT. I SAW THE TFC ON FINAL AND INFORMED THE TWR I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. THE TWR THEN TOLD ME TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND AND COME IN BEHIND THE ACFT AND THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I WATCHED THE ACFT PASS MY WINGTIP AND MOVE BEHIND ME. THEN I TURNED TO BASE AND THEN TO FINAL. THE TWR THEN ASKED ME IF I HAD CUT OFF THE OTHER ACFT. SEEING THE OTHER PLANE CLBING OUT IN FRONT OF ME, I INFORMED THE TWR THAT, NO, I HADN'T. THE TWR THEN CONTACTED THE OTHER PLANE AND ASKED HIM IF I HAD CUT HIM OFF, TO WHICH HE SAID ID HAD. THE TWR THEN TOLD ME TO LOOK OFF MY L WINGTIP, AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE ME WAS ANOTHER ACFT. I CONTINUED TO LAND AND THE TWR SAID NOTHING MORE OF THE MATTER. I IDENTED THE WRONG ACFT AND FOLLOWED IT. THE ACFT I WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW WAS FARTHER OUT, ON FINAL. THINGS THAT I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER ARE TO HAVE KNOWN THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE SHORELINE AND THEN IF THERE WAS ANY DOUBT, CONFIRM THAT THE ACFT THAT PASSED MY WINGTIP WAS THE CORRECT 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.