Narrative:

Mooney called tmb tower 13 NM west at 2300 ft with ATIS information with request to track localizer inbound. Tower controller asked aircraft X to report qeezy. Tower called out traffic 2 O'clock. Aircraft X reported traffic in sight. Tower told eastbound traffic to make 360 degree turn and follow me on final. Aircraft X intercepted tmb runway 9R GS at 2300 ft, range approximately 7.5 mi. Tower called out traffic 10 O'clock low. Aircraft X reported traffic in sight. Aircraft X requested a 360 degree turn for spacing. Tower told aircraft X to continue approach and reported traffic was inbound for runway 9L. Aircraft X saw traffic at 8 O'clock, higher and converging. Tower called out traffic as aztec at 8 O'clock. Aircraft X reported traffic in sight. Aztec reported mooney in sight. Tower told aztec to follow mooney on final. Aztec separation is very close. Tower asked aircraft X if ahead of aztec and aircraft X replied affirmative. Tower asked aircraft's position. Aircraft X replied coming up to qeezy. Tower asked aztec if he was ahead or behind. Aztec replied 'I'm on top of the mooney, range 1/4 mi.' tower asked X to turn 180 degree heading. Tower told X to make 360 degree turn and rejoin final. Tower cleared X to join right base and cleared to land. Tower told X 'make first left, minimum time on runway (presumably because spacing with following aircraft was tight). Poor coordination between approach and tower resulted in minimal separation of IFR and VFR traffic. Tower controller relied on both aircraft to provide own separation. Tower neglected to place speed restr on aztec and neglected to ask mooney to increase final approach speed. Tower neglected to turn mooney off final to allow for faster inbound traffic. Aztec pilot reduced separation to unsafe minimum. Aztec pilot neglected to ask for s-turns, or alternate runway (9L) or missed approach. Despite the fact that aircraft X was ahead and lower, right-of-way was not granted. In a phone conversation with tower supervisor, the supervisor justified the controller's actions by saying that IFR traffic took precedence. The turn to 180 degree heading at 600 ft was unsafe and uncomfortable. The turn was outside circling safe area, which meant that obstruction clearance was no assured. Although visibility was good, ground features and obstructions were indistinguishable at dusk. That placed aircraft X in uncompromising position of having to be extremely vigilant regarding obstruction clearance below and downwind traffic for runway 9R above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN M20P PLT, ON A VISUAL APCH TO TMB, WAS TOLD TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN AND REJOIN FINAL, WHEN FASTER IFR TFC OVERTOOK HIM.

Narrative: MOONEY CALLED TMB TWR 13 NM W AT 2300 FT WITH ATIS INFO WITH REQUEST TO TRACK LOC INBOUND. TWR CTLR ASKED ACFT X TO RPT QEEZY. TWR CALLED OUT TFC 2 O'CLOCK. ACFT X RPTED TFC IN SIGHT. TWR TOLD EBOUND TFC TO MAKE 360 DEG TURN AND FOLLOW ME ON FINAL. ACFT X INTERCEPTED TMB RWY 9R GS AT 2300 FT, RANGE APPROX 7.5 MI. TWR CALLED OUT TFC 10 O'CLOCK LOW. ACFT X RPTED TFC IN SIGHT. ACFT X REQUESTED A 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING. TWR TOLD ACFT X TO CONTINUE APCH AND RPTED TFC WAS INBOUND FOR RWY 9L. ACFT X SAW TFC AT 8 O'CLOCK, HIGHER AND CONVERGING. TWR CALLED OUT TFC AS AZTEC AT 8 O'CLOCK. ACFT X RPTED TFC IN SIGHT. AZTEC RPTED MOONEY IN SIGHT. TWR TOLD AZTEC TO FOLLOW MOONEY ON FINAL. AZTEC SEPARATION IS VERY CLOSE. TWR ASKED ACFT X IF AHEAD OF AZTEC AND ACFT X REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. TWR ASKED ACFT'S POS. ACFT X REPLIED COMING UP TO QEEZY. TWR ASKED AZTEC IF HE WAS AHEAD OR BEHIND. AZTEC REPLIED 'I'M ON TOP OF THE MOONEY, RANGE 1/4 MI.' TWR ASKED X TO TURN 180 DEG HDG. TWR TOLD X TO MAKE 360 DEG TURN AND REJOIN FINAL. TWR CLRED X TO JOIN R BASE AND CLRED TO LAND. TWR TOLD X 'MAKE FIRST L, MINIMUM TIME ON RWY (PRESUMABLY BECAUSE SPACING WITH FOLLOWING ACFT WAS TIGHT). POOR COORD BTWN APCH AND TWR RESULTED IN MINIMAL SEPARATION OF IFR AND VFR TFC. TWR CTLR RELIED ON BOTH ACFT TO PROVIDE OWN SEPARATION. TWR NEGLECTED TO PLACE SPD RESTR ON AZTEC AND NEGLECTED TO ASK MOONEY TO INCREASE FINAL APCH SPD. TWR NEGLECTED TO TURN MOONEY OFF FINAL TO ALLOW FOR FASTER INBOUND TFC. AZTEC PLT REDUCED SEPARATION TO UNSAFE MINIMUM. AZTEC PLT NEGLECTED TO ASK FOR S-TURNS, OR ALTERNATE RWY (9L) OR MISSED APCH. DESPITE THE FACT THAT ACFT X WAS AHEAD AND LOWER, RIGHT-OF-WAY WAS NOT GRANTED. IN A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH TWR SUPVR, THE SUPVR JUSTIFIED THE CTLR'S ACTIONS BY SAYING THAT IFR TFC TOOK PRECEDENCE. THE TURN TO 180 DEG HDG AT 600 FT WAS UNSAFE AND UNCOMFORTABLE. THE TURN WAS OUTSIDE CIRCLING SAFE AREA, WHICH MEANT THAT OBSTRUCTION CLRNC WAS NO ASSURED. ALTHOUGH VISIBILITY WAS GOOD, GND FEATURES AND OBSTRUCTIONS WERE INDISTINGUISHABLE AT DUSK. THAT PLACED ACFT X IN UNCOMPROMISING POS OF HAVING TO BE EXTREMELY VIGILANT REGARDING OBSTRUCTION CLRNC BELOW AND DOWNWIND TFC FOR RWY 9R ABOVE.

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.