Narrative:

I was the CFI on a local training flight with a post-solo/pre-cross country primary student. Under my supervision, the student had been handling all the flying, navigation, and communication for the flight. We were returning from the designated practice area for touch-and-goes at our home field. Approach instructed us to enter right base for runway 19R and contact tower, which we did. Tower instructed us to proceed right base for runway 19R, which we also acknowledged. On a long right base( approximately 5.8 mi from runway 19R), tower cleared us for the 'option runway 19R, #2 behind a citation to your south.' my student read back the clearance and added 'looking for the traffic.' I looked to the south to see a citation (recognized by its planform) turning on what appeared to be downwind (8-10 mi away). While my student continued to look for the traffic and continue a normal descent and traffic pattern for the runway, I monitored the citation's position but did not point it out to the student as it didn't present a threat and I wanted the student to scan and find the called traffic. Therefore, neither of us called that citation 'in sight' to the tower controller. Still on a right base at approximately 1000 ft AGL and 2 mi from runway 19R, the tower controller told us the citation we were to follow was 'passing beneath us.' my student acknowledged 'looking for the traffic' and continued scanning, particularly below us. I looked at the citation I had been monitoring all along and recognized that he was nowhere near passing beneath us (was still several mi away). At this point I realized that was not the citation originally called as traffic for us and scanned for a different citation passing beneath us (I was thinking if we were 1000 ft AGL and the citation was passing beneath us, he was awfully low). No more than a few (less than 5) seconds later, the tower controller ordered us 'immediate right turn heading 270 degrees' (about a 180 degree right turn). My student complied and acknowledged. Just as we started the turn we saw a citation (cj or CJ2) overtake us less than 200 ft (my estimate) directly above us and slightly to our right -- the direction the controller told us to turn. It was not the citation whose position I had been monitoring, nor was he below us as called out. From that point on, my student flew and I communicated. We continued the evasive turn west, informed the controller of the close call, were resequenced back for landing (no touch-and-goes for us at this point, thank you), and landed without further event. (Somewhere during that time we noticed a different voice for the tower controller, possibly a supervisor)? Replaying the situation after the fact, it did seem the controller was overloaded (another C172 on approach to a different runway asked whether he was cleared to land. The controller seemed to have forgotten about him and had him go around and re-enter. The citation I had been monitoring was issued a couple of 360 degree turns). Although I don't specifically recall any communication between the tower and the near-miss citation, at some point I do recall a response by a citation of 'traffic not in sight,' presumably the near-miss citation telling tower he did not have us in sight either. Lessons learned: after having a day to think about it, review the occurrence with my student, and get the input of the other C172 that went around, I think there are some lessons to be learned: 1) the old saying holds true -- look around, there's always something you missed. 2) while having radar and tower controllers help point out traffic is helpful, nothing beats the mark-1 eyeball for keeping out of each other's hair. Don't depend on the other tools to replace the eyeball. Both aircraft were VMC, we both had an obligation to see and avoid each other. 3) the tower's use of 'traffic to your south' was nonstandard and didn't narrow down exactly where the traffic was. 'South' was an arc of 180 degrees, calling an 'O'clock' direction would have narrowed the arc to approximately 30 degrees. Calling a distance (and altitude) might have allowed me to realize the citation I saw to our south, was not the citation the controller wanted us to see. 4) upon seeing a citation 'to our south' and apparently on downwind, I took the bait that he was who we were following. I should have pointed him out to the student. I should have had the student confirm exactly where the citation he wanted us to follow was (O'clock, distance) and done more to confirm if the citation I saw was the one we were to follow. 5) the controller telling us the traffic was beneath us directed us to look in that direction, when the citation was actually passing over us. Again, we took the bait and were looking where it did little good -- see item #1, look around, there's always something you missed. 6) yes, the controller was busy. But I should have done a better job building a mental image of all the traffic he was controling. As it was, I saw a citation generally where he said he would be and assumed we were following him. With traffic in sight, I was lulled into complacency and did not pay as close attention to any other traffic's radio calls for position as I could have. In hindsight, our evasive right turn actually put us closer to the citation. However, it's possible a left turn would have put us facing oncoming traffic for runway 19L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT HAD AN NMAC WITH A CITATION IN ICT CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS THE CFI ON A LCL TRAINING FLT WITH A POST-SOLO/PRE-XCOUNTRY PRIMARY STUDENT. UNDER MY SUPERVISION, THE STUDENT HAD BEEN HANDLING ALL THE FLYING, NAV, AND COM FOR THE FLT. WE WERE RETURNING FROM THE DESIGNATED PRACTICE AREA FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES AT OUR HOME FIELD. APCH INSTRUCTED US TO ENTER R BASE FOR RWY 19R AND CONTACT TWR, WHICH WE DID. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED R BASE FOR RWY 19R, WHICH WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED. ON A LONG R BASE( APPROX 5.8 MI FROM RWY 19R), TWR CLRED US FOR THE 'OPTION RWY 19R, #2 BEHIND A CITATION TO YOUR S.' MY STUDENT READ BACK THE CLRNC AND ADDED 'LOOKING FOR THE TFC.' I LOOKED TO THE S TO SEE A CITATION (RECOGNIZED BY ITS PLANFORM) TURNING ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE DOWNWIND (8-10 MI AWAY). WHILE MY STUDENT CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR THE TFC AND CONTINUE A NORMAL DSCNT AND TFC PATTERN FOR THE RWY, I MONITORED THE CITATION'S POS BUT DID NOT POINT IT OUT TO THE STUDENT AS IT DIDN'T PRESENT A THREAT AND I WANTED THE STUDENT TO SCAN AND FIND THE CALLED TFC. THEREFORE, NEITHER OF US CALLED THAT CITATION 'IN SIGHT' TO THE TWR CTLR. STILL ON A R BASE AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL AND 2 MI FROM RWY 19R, THE TWR CTLR TOLD US THE CITATION WE WERE TO FOLLOW WAS 'PASSING BENEATH US.' MY STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGED 'LOOKING FOR THE TFC' AND CONTINUED SCANNING, PARTICULARLY BELOW US. I LOOKED AT THE CITATION I HAD BEEN MONITORING ALL ALONG AND RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS NOWHERE NEAR PASSING BENEATH US (WAS STILL SEVERAL MI AWAY). AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT WAS NOT THE CITATION ORIGINALLY CALLED AS TFC FOR US AND SCANNED FOR A DIFFERENT CITATION PASSING BENEATH US (I WAS THINKING IF WE WERE 1000 FT AGL AND THE CITATION WAS PASSING BENEATH US, HE WAS AWFULLY LOW). NO MORE THAN A FEW (LESS THAN 5) SECONDS LATER, THE TWR CTLR ORDERED US 'IMMEDIATE R TURN HDG 270 DEGS' (ABOUT A 180 DEG R TURN). MY STUDENT COMPLIED AND ACKNOWLEDGED. JUST AS WE STARTED THE TURN WE SAW A CITATION (CJ OR CJ2) OVERTAKE US LESS THAN 200 FT (MY ESTIMATE) DIRECTLY ABOVE US AND SLIGHTLY TO OUR R -- THE DIRECTION THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN. IT WAS NOT THE CITATION WHOSE POS I HAD BEEN MONITORING, NOR WAS HE BELOW US AS CALLED OUT. FROM THAT POINT ON, MY STUDENT FLEW AND I COMMUNICATED. WE CONTINUED THE EVASIVE TURN W, INFORMED THE CTLR OF THE CLOSE CALL, WERE RESEQUENCED BACK FOR LNDG (NO TOUCH-AND-GOES FOR US AT THIS POINT, THANK YOU), AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. (SOMEWHERE DURING THAT TIME WE NOTICED A DIFFERENT VOICE FOR THE TWR CTLR, POSSIBLY A SUPVR)? REPLAYING THE SIT AFTER THE FACT, IT DID SEEM THE CTLR WAS OVERLOADED (ANOTHER C172 ON APCH TO A DIFFERENT RWY ASKED WHETHER HE WAS CLRED TO LAND. THE CTLR SEEMED TO HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT HIM AND HAD HIM GO AROUND AND RE-ENTER. THE CITATION I HAD BEEN MONITORING WAS ISSUED A COUPLE OF 360 DEG TURNS). ALTHOUGH I DON'T SPECIFICALLY RECALL ANY COM BTWN THE TWR AND THE NEAR-MISS CITATION, AT SOME POINT I DO RECALL A RESPONSE BY A CITATION OF 'TFC NOT IN SIGHT,' PRESUMABLY THE NEAR-MISS CITATION TELLING TWR HE DID NOT HAVE US IN SIGHT EITHER. LESSONS LEARNED: AFTER HAVING A DAY TO THINK ABOUT IT, REVIEW THE OCCURRENCE WITH MY STUDENT, AND GET THE INPUT OF THE OTHER C172 THAT WENT AROUND, I THINK THERE ARE SOME LESSONS TO BE LEARNED: 1) THE OLD SAYING HOLDS TRUE -- LOOK AROUND, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU MISSED. 2) WHILE HAVING RADAR AND TWR CTLRS HELP POINT OUT TFC IS HELPFUL, NOTHING BEATS THE MARK-1 EYEBALL FOR KEEPING OUT OF EACH OTHER'S HAIR. DON'T DEPEND ON THE OTHER TOOLS TO REPLACE THE EYEBALL. BOTH ACFT WERE VMC, WE BOTH HAD AN OBLIGATION TO SEE AND AVOID EACH OTHER. 3) THE TWR'S USE OF 'TFC TO YOUR S' WAS NONSTANDARD AND DIDN'T NARROW DOWN EXACTLY WHERE THE TFC WAS. 'S' WAS AN ARC OF 180 DEGS, CALLING AN 'O'CLOCK' DIRECTION WOULD HAVE NARROWED THE ARC TO APPROX 30 DEGS. CALLING A DISTANCE (AND ALT) MIGHT HAVE ALLOWED ME TO REALIZE THE CITATION I SAW TO OUR S, WAS NOT THE CITATION THE CTLR WANTED US TO SEE. 4) UPON SEEING A CITATION 'TO OUR S' AND APPARENTLY ON DOWNWIND, I TOOK THE BAIT THAT HE WAS WHO WE WERE FOLLOWING. I SHOULD HAVE POINTED HIM OUT TO THE STUDENT. I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE STUDENT CONFIRM EXACTLY WHERE THE CITATION HE WANTED US TO FOLLOW WAS (O'CLOCK, DISTANCE) AND DONE MORE TO CONFIRM IF THE CITATION I SAW WAS THE ONE WE WERE TO FOLLOW. 5) THE CTLR TELLING US THE TFC WAS BENEATH US DIRECTED US TO LOOK IN THAT DIRECTION, WHEN THE CITATION WAS ACTUALLY PASSING OVER US. AGAIN, WE TOOK THE BAIT AND WERE LOOKING WHERE IT DID LITTLE GOOD -- SEE ITEM #1, LOOK AROUND, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU MISSED. 6) YES, THE CTLR WAS BUSY. BUT I SHOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB BUILDING A MENTAL IMAGE OF ALL THE TFC HE WAS CTLING. AS IT WAS, I SAW A CITATION GENERALLY WHERE HE SAID HE WOULD BE AND ASSUMED WE WERE FOLLOWING HIM. WITH TFC IN SIGHT, I WAS LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY AND DID NOT PAY AS CLOSE ATTN TO ANY OTHER TFC'S RADIO CALLS FOR POS AS I COULD HAVE. IN HINDSIGHT, OUR EVASIVE R TURN ACTUALLY PUT US CLOSER TO THE CITATION. HOWEVER, IT'S POSSIBLE A L TURN WOULD HAVE PUT US FACING ONCOMING TFC FOR RWY 19L.

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.