Narrative:

The event started with msp approach control approximately 15 NM south of stp. We were being vectored around for the visual approach to runway 14 at stp. Approach control called the maule traffic at our 12 O'clock position and several mi in front of us inbound from the southeast for runway 14 at stp. After a few moments, we acquired the traffic and were told by msp approach control that the maule would be entering a right downwind for runway 14 and that we would enter a left downwind for runway 14. The maule was handed off to stp tower while we remained with approach. We still had the maule traffic in sight and it appeared that he was heading for a right downwind. We were cleared for the visual approach to runway 14 via a left downwind and contacted stp tower and were advised by stp tower that the maule was at approximately our 2 O'clock position. We were not told that the maule was changing to a left downwind. We still had the maule insight, and it appeared that he was heading for the numbers of runway 32 for a right downwind. The tower then advised us that we were to follow cessna traffic 7 NM to the east. We were 6 NM southeast at this time and xferred our attention to the cessna traffic to the east of the airport, still assuming that the maule was inbound for a right downwind. We began to slow up even more in anticipation of following the cessna aircraft. We were then advised that we were #2 for landing to follow twin cessna traffic on a left downwind turning a left base for runway 14. We acquired the twin cessna and were told to enter a left downwind for landing runway 14. While descending into the left downwind, we noticed the maule directly off our left wing and slightly lower, at a close distance. We were overtaking the traffic at a fairly high rate and were crossing in front of him from his right to left. Tower called the maule traffic for us at this time, but due to frequency congestion and other aircraft being stepped on, we did not call the traffic in sight until after we had passed him. We were surprised to see him on a wide left downwind, when we were earlier told he would be on a right downwind, and when his flight path indicated that he was positioning himself for a right downwind. When we saw the maule on a left downwind, due to our faster airspeed, I could tell that we were not going to hit him. I did, however, shallow our descent in order to stay above his altitude until past him to avoid any maneuver he might make. I do not know how close we were when we descended through his flight path, because he was behind us and we no longer had visual contact. We continued inbound and landed without further incident. Once on the ground at stp, I called the tower in order to see why there was the confusion. I was notified at this time that the maule pilot was filing a near midair report. Supplemental information from acn 438612: while flying inbound to stp from the south, I was receiving TA's from msp approach control. Msp advised me that we had twin commander traffic and asked if I had it in sight. I responded with 'negative.' msp also advised the twin commander of our position and asked, 'do you have the maule traffic in sight?' the commander said that he had us in sight. Msp approach then advised me to fly right traffic for runway 14 and then handed me off to stp tower. At this point, I was at pattern altitude and about 6-10 NM from the airport. After checking in with stp tower, I was instructed to fly left traffic for runway 14. By the time the twin commander was switched to stp tower, I was established on a left downwind in a normal landing pattern for runway 14. Stp tower advised the commander of our position and asked, 'do you have the maule in sight?' he said that he had us in sight. Tower then advised the commander that 'he would pass the maule and is cleared to land.' with a moment, he suddenly appeared descending over my right wing and overtaking us less than 1 wing span away (no more than 50 ft). The twin commander either had us in sight and cut dangerously close to our aircraft or he misidented what he thought was our aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN COMMANDER 500 AND MAULE IN TFC PATTERN AT STP.

Narrative: THE EVENT STARTED WITH MSP APCH CTL APPROX 15 NM S OF STP. WE WERE BEING VECTORED AROUND FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 14 AT STP. APCH CTL CALLED THE MAULE TFC AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS AND SEVERAL MI IN FRONT OF US INBOUND FROM THE SE FOR RWY 14 AT STP. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, WE ACQUIRED THE TFC AND WERE TOLD BY MSP APCH CTL THAT THE MAULE WOULD BE ENTERING A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 14 AND THAT WE WOULD ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 14. THE MAULE WAS HANDED OFF TO STP TWR WHILE WE REMAINED WITH APCH. WE STILL HAD THE MAULE TFC IN SIGHT AND IT APPEARED THAT HE WAS HDG FOR A R DOWNWIND. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 14 VIA A L DOWNWIND AND CONTACTED STP TWR AND WERE ADVISED BY STP TWR THAT THE MAULE WAS AT APPROX OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS. WE WERE NOT TOLD THAT THE MAULE WAS CHANGING TO A L DOWNWIND. WE STILL HAD THE MAULE INSIGHT, AND IT APPEARED THAT HE WAS HDG FOR THE NUMBERS OF RWY 32 FOR A R DOWNWIND. THE TWR THEN ADVISED US THAT WE WERE TO FOLLOW CESSNA TFC 7 NM TO THE E. WE WERE 6 NM SE AT THIS TIME AND XFERRED OUR ATTN TO THE CESSNA TFC TO THE E OF THE ARPT, STILL ASSUMING THAT THE MAULE WAS INBOUND FOR A R DOWNWIND. WE BEGAN TO SLOW UP EVEN MORE IN ANTICIPATION OF FOLLOWING THE CESSNA ACFT. WE WERE THEN ADVISED THAT WE WERE #2 FOR LNDG TO FOLLOW TWIN CESSNA TFC ON A L DOWNWIND TURNING A L BASE FOR RWY 14. WE ACQUIRED THE TWIN CESSNA AND WERE TOLD TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR LNDG RWY 14. WHILE DSNDING INTO THE L DOWNWIND, WE NOTICED THE MAULE DIRECTLY OFF OUR L WING AND SLIGHTLY LOWER, AT A CLOSE DISTANCE. WE WERE OVERTAKING THE TFC AT A FAIRLY HIGH RATE AND WERE XING IN FRONT OF HIM FROM HIS R TO L. TWR CALLED THE MAULE TFC FOR US AT THIS TIME, BUT DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AND OTHER ACFT BEING STEPPED ON, WE DID NOT CALL THE TFC IN SIGHT UNTIL AFTER WE HAD PASSED HIM. WE WERE SURPRISED TO SEE HIM ON A WIDE L DOWNWIND, WHEN WE WERE EARLIER TOLD HE WOULD BE ON A R DOWNWIND, AND WHEN HIS FLT PATH INDICATED THAT HE WAS POSITIONING HIMSELF FOR A R DOWNWIND. WHEN WE SAW THE MAULE ON A L DOWNWIND, DUE TO OUR FASTER AIRSPD, I COULD TELL THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO HIT HIM. I DID, HOWEVER, SHALLOW OUR DSCNT IN ORDER TO STAY ABOVE HIS ALT UNTIL PAST HIM TO AVOID ANY MANEUVER HE MIGHT MAKE. I DO NOT KNOW HOW CLOSE WE WERE WHEN WE DSNDED THROUGH HIS FLT PATH, BECAUSE HE WAS BEHIND US AND WE NO LONGER HAD VISUAL CONTACT. WE CONTINUED INBOUND AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ONCE ON THE GND AT STP, I CALLED THE TWR IN ORDER TO SEE WHY THERE WAS THE CONFUSION. I WAS NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME THAT THE MAULE PLT WAS FILING A NEAR MIDAIR RPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 438612: WHILE FLYING INBOUND TO STP FROM THE S, I WAS RECEIVING TA'S FROM MSP APCH CTL. MSP ADVISED ME THAT WE HAD TWIN COMMANDER TFC AND ASKED IF I HAD IT IN SIGHT. I RESPONDED WITH 'NEGATIVE.' MSP ALSO ADVISED THE TWIN COMMANDER OF OUR POS AND ASKED, 'DO YOU HAVE THE MAULE TFC IN SIGHT?' THE COMMANDER SAID THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT. MSP APCH THEN ADVISED ME TO FLY R TFC FOR RWY 14 AND THEN HANDED ME OFF TO STP TWR. AT THIS POINT, I WAS AT PATTERN ALT AND ABOUT 6-10 NM FROM THE ARPT. AFTER CHKING IN WITH STP TWR, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY L TFC FOR RWY 14. BY THE TIME THE TWIN COMMANDER WAS SWITCHED TO STP TWR, I WAS ESTABLISHED ON A L DOWNWIND IN A NORMAL LNDG PATTERN FOR RWY 14. STP TWR ADVISED THE COMMANDER OF OUR POS AND ASKED, 'DO YOU HAVE THE MAULE IN SIGHT?' HE SAID THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT. TWR THEN ADVISED THE COMMANDER THAT 'HE WOULD PASS THE MAULE AND IS CLRED TO LAND.' WITH A MOMENT, HE SUDDENLY APPEARED DSNDING OVER MY R WING AND OVERTAKING US LESS THAN 1 WING SPAN AWAY (NO MORE THAN 50 FT). THE TWIN COMMANDER EITHER HAD US IN SIGHT AND CUT DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO OUR ACFT OR HE MISIDENTED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS OUR 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.