Narrative:

I was the flight instructor. While doing touch-and-go's with my student, on downwind, the tower controller cleared us to land and said that we were '#2, cleared to land, traffic on short final.' we were now abeam the touchdown point and I looked for the traffic and saw another warrior on short final about 1/2 mi from the runway. I reported the traffic in sight and we continued a normal pattern for the approach. On short final it was a bit gusty and as a gust caused our airplane to bank to the right slightly, I noticed another warrior approximately 50-100 ft below us and about 100 ft in front of us. I took the controls from the student, executed a climbing 360 degree turn and reported my action to the tower. The controller informed me that the other airplane was my traffic to follow (which means we were #3, not #2 originally). We then landed without incident. I think that this occurrence was caused by controller miscom as well as my failure to adequately clear the approach area during the pattern approach. When I reported the traffic to the controller he did not seem surprised as if we were flying shallow on the approach, the occurrence may also have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 INSTRUCTOR INITIATES GAR WHEN OBSERVING ANOTHER PA28 IN FRONT AND BELOW HIS ACFT WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AT MLB ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS THE FLT INSTRUCTOR. WHILE DOING TOUCH-AND-GO'S WITH MY STUDENT, ON DOWNWIND, THE TWR CTLR CLRED US TO LAND AND SAID THAT WE WERE '#2, CLRED TO LAND, TFC ON SHORT FINAL.' WE WERE NOW ABEAM THE TOUCHDOWN POINT AND I LOOKED FOR THE TFC AND SAW ANOTHER WARRIOR ON SHORT FINAL ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM THE RWY. I RPTED THE TFC IN SIGHT AND WE CONTINUED A NORMAL PATTERN FOR THE APCH. ON SHORT FINAL IT WAS A BIT GUSTY AND AS A GUST CAUSED OUR AIRPLANE TO BANK TO THE R SLIGHTLY, I NOTICED ANOTHER WARRIOR APPROX 50-100 FT BELOW US AND ABOUT 100 FT IN FRONT OF US. I TOOK THE CTLS FROM THE STUDENT, EXECUTED A CLBING 360 DEG TURN AND RPTED MY ACTION TO THE TWR. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS MY TFC TO FOLLOW (WHICH MEANS WE WERE #3, NOT #2 ORIGINALLY). WE THEN LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I THINK THAT THIS OCCURRENCE WAS CAUSED BY CTLR MISCOM AS WELL AS MY FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY CLR THE APCH AREA DURING THE PATTERN APCH. WHEN I RPTED THE TFC TO THE CTLR HE DID NOT SEEM SURPRISED AS IF WE WERE FLYING SHALLOW ON THE APCH, THE OCCURRENCE MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.