Narrative:

Third airplane involved was a cessna 172, operated by a flight school on a training mission, unknown flight plan, approaching to land on a controled airport. On right traffic pattern for runway 25R, the cessna 172 on base is cleared for touch and go. The cherokee reports he is on 4 mi final for runway 25R. The tower controller tells the cherokee to follow the cessna 172 turning final. The cherokee decides he is too close to the cessna and states 'I'm doing a 360 degree back to follow,' beginning a right turn. The tower tells him not to do a 360 degrees, but to 'go wide and enter right base.' I believe the cherokee reported 4 mi final when he was much closer, and he was also going too fast to follow a cessna on approach speed. I did not see him until he turned to join base, although I had heard him on frequency and was looking for him. Only when the tower controller tells me to look for the cherokee traffic do I see him, at the same altitude, turning into base, head on 300 ft in front of me. I take control of the plane from my student and steep turn it away from the cherokee who joins base without seeing me, then overshoots his turn to final, still going too fast, catching up to the preceding cessna, until the tower orders him to go around and enter an early crosswind before overtaking the cessna 172 on upwind now.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A CESSNA 152 ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, AND STARTING TO TURN BASE LEG, AND A PIPER CHEROKEE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION STARTING TO ALSO TURN ON BASE LEG PER TWR CTLR INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: THIRD AIRPLANE INVOLVED WAS A CESSNA 172, OPERATED BY A FLT SCHOOL ON A TRAINING MISSION, UNKNOWN FLT PLAN, APCHING TO LAND ON A CTLED ARPT. ON R TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 25R, THE CESSNA 172 ON BASE IS CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO. THE CHEROKEE RPTS HE IS ON 4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 25R. THE TWR CTLR TELLS THE CHEROKEE TO FOLLOW THE CESSNA 172 TURNING FINAL. THE CHEROKEE DECIDES HE IS TOO CLOSE TO THE CESSNA AND STATES 'I'M DOING A 360 DEG BACK TO FOLLOW,' BEGINNING A R TURN. THE TWR TELLS HIM NOT TO DO A 360 DEGS, BUT TO 'GO WIDE AND ENTER R BASE.' I BELIEVE THE CHEROKEE RPTED 4 MI FINAL WHEN HE WAS MUCH CLOSER, AND HE WAS ALSO GOING TOO FAST TO FOLLOW A CESSNA ON APCH SPD. I DID NOT SEE HIM UNTIL HE TURNED TO JOIN BASE, ALTHOUGH I HAD HEARD HIM ON FREQ AND WAS LOOKING FOR HIM. ONLY WHEN THE TWR CTLR TELLS ME TO LOOK FOR THE CHEROKEE TFC DO I SEE HIM, AT THE SAME ALT, TURNING INTO BASE, HEAD ON 300 FT IN FRONT OF ME. I TAKE CTL OF THE PLANE FROM MY STUDENT AND STEEP TURN IT AWAY FROM THE CHEROKEE WHO JOINS BASE WITHOUT SEEING ME, THEN OVERSHOOTS HIS TURN TO FINAL, STILL GOING TOO FAST, CATCHING UP TO THE PRECEDING CESSNA, UNTIL THE TWR ORDERS HIM TO GO AROUND AND ENTER AN EARLY XWIND BEFORE OVERTAKING THE CESSNA 172 ON UPWIND NOW.

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.