Narrative:

The plane that I was flying was C172/U in a flight of 2 with a PA28-151 following me. We had made our initial contact with sus tower about 4-5 NM east of eureka, mo. As we approached highway 40/61, the tower advised us to follow, what I heard to be 'the plane from the west' as #2 for runway 26R. I spotted a plane moving westward at my 2 O'clock position. I still could not spot the traffic from the west that I was expected to follow as #2 into runway 26R and I promptly advised the tower that I was over the doubletree hotel. The tower instructed me to head east. After establishing myself, and the plane following me, in the easterly heading, the tower soon advised me to turn for runway 26R and that I was cleared to land. I surveyed my intended flight path for traffic before turning and, not seeing anything in my way, I started to make a smooth turn 180 degrees to my left. 3/4 of the way through my turn, my 2 passenger and I saw the brown stripe on white C172 in front and immediately above us, about 100 or so ft. I put my plane into a dive to avoid the other level flight, we looked back to see the second plane, in our flight of two, also take evasive action by going low and wide in a similar left turn. The brown on white cessna was soon spotted by us heading for runway 26L at sus. Shaken by the 'near miss' both planes in the flight of two landed without further incident. Soon after disembarking, I discovered that the second cessna was being flown by a local CFI and his student. I discussed what had transpired with him. I have concluded that what the tower had instructed me to do was to follow the traffic 'heading' west and that I was #2 for landing at runway 26R. This makes more sense than what I thought I heard 'traffic from the west.' if this is true, then the mistake was my own in not asking for clarification from the tower about who I should follow and where exactly that traffic could be found relative to my position. I also feel that, to a certain extent, I was somewhat intimidated by the controller who had just prior to directing me to follow the traffic to runway 26R, had just scolded the pilot in the second plane in our flight of 2, for having inadvertently requested landing instructions after I had done so for the both of us. In anticipation of a scolding of my own, I decided to not ask the questions that would have prevented the escalation into jeopardy. At this juncture, I am still wondering if there was anything that the CFI in the opposing traffic could have also done to avoid such proximity with our aircraft. I could not get him to tell us if he saw me. He was highly agitated and more concerned about interrogating me and belittling my flying skills than trying to calmly discuss the event. I told him that I would gladly defer to his expertise in the field for being an accomplished pilot, the ranks of a cfii. But I know that accomplished pilots often make, and are not immune to making, 'fatal' mistakes. I only wonder what he could have done to help avoid the situation that developed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN 2 C172'S IN THE TFC PATTERN 4 MI SE OF SUS, MO.

Narrative: THE PLANE THAT I WAS FLYING WAS C172/U IN A FLT OF 2 WITH A PA28-151 FOLLOWING ME. WE HAD MADE OUR INITIAL CONTACT WITH SUS TWR ABOUT 4-5 NM E OF EUREKA, MO. AS WE APCHED HWY 40/61, THE TWR ADVISED US TO FOLLOW, WHAT I HEARD TO BE 'THE PLANE FROM THE W' AS #2 FOR RWY 26R. I SPOTTED A PLANE MOVING WESTWARD AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS. I STILL COULD NOT SPOT THE TFC FROM THE W THAT I WAS EXPECTED TO FOLLOW AS #2 INTO RWY 26R AND I PROMPTLY ADVISED THE TWR THAT I WAS OVER THE DOUBLETREE HOTEL. THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO HEAD E. AFTER ESTABLISHING MYSELF, AND THE PLANE FOLLOWING ME, IN THE EASTERLY HDG, THE TWR SOON ADVISED ME TO TURN FOR RWY 26R AND THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I SURVEYED MY INTENDED FLT PATH FOR TFC BEFORE TURNING AND, NOT SEEING ANYTHING IN MY WAY, I STARTED TO MAKE A SMOOTH TURN 180 DEGS TO MY L. 3/4 OF THE WAY THROUGH MY TURN, MY 2 PAX AND I SAW THE BROWN STRIPE ON WHITE C172 IN FRONT AND IMMEDIATELY ABOVE US, ABOUT 100 OR SO FT. I PUT MY PLANE INTO A DIVE TO AVOID THE OTHER LEVEL FLT, WE LOOKED BACK TO SEE THE SECOND PLANE, IN OUR FLT OF TWO, ALSO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION BY GOING LOW AND WIDE IN A SIMILAR L TURN. THE BROWN ON WHITE CESSNA WAS SOON SPOTTED BY US HEADING FOR RWY 26L AT SUS. SHAKEN BY THE 'NEAR MISS' BOTH PLANES IN THE FLT OF TWO LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. SOON AFTER DISEMBARKING, I DISCOVERED THAT THE SECOND CESSNA WAS BEING FLOWN BY A LCL CFI AND HIS STUDENT. I DISCUSSED WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED WITH HIM. I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT WHAT THE TWR HAD INSTRUCTED ME TO DO WAS TO FOLLOW THE TFC 'HEADING' W AND THAT I WAS #2 FOR LNDG AT RWY 26R. THIS MAKES MORE SENSE THAN WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD 'TFC FROM THE W.' IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN THE MISTAKE WAS MY OWN IN NOT ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION FROM THE TWR ABOUT WHO I SHOULD FOLLOW AND WHERE EXACTLY THAT TFC COULD BE FOUND RELATIVE TO MY POS. I ALSO FEEL THAT, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, I WAS SOMEWHAT INTIMIDATED BY THE CTLR WHO HAD JUST PRIOR TO DIRECTING ME TO FOLLOW THE TFC TO RWY 26R, HAD JUST SCOLDED THE PLT IN THE SECOND PLANE IN OUR FLT OF 2, FOR HAVING INADVERTENTLY REQUESTED LNDG INSTRUCTIONS AFTER I HAD DONE SO FOR THE BOTH OF US. IN ANTICIPATION OF A SCOLDING OF MY OWN, I DECIDED TO NOT ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ESCALATION INTO JEOPARDY. AT THIS JUNCTURE, I AM STILL WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT THE CFI IN THE OPPOSING TFC COULD HAVE ALSO DONE TO AVOID SUCH PROX WITH OUR ACFT. I COULD NOT GET HIM TO TELL US IF HE SAW ME. HE WAS HIGHLY AGITATED AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT INTERROGATING ME AND BELITTLING MY FLYING SKILLS THAN TRYING TO CALMLY DISCUSS THE EVENT. I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD GLADLY DEFER TO HIS EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD FOR BEING AN ACCOMPLISHED PLT, THE RANKS OF A CFII. BUT I KNOW THAT ACCOMPLISHED PLTS OFTEN MAKE, AND ARE NOT IMMUNE TO MAKING, 'FATAL' MISTAKES. I ONLY WONDER WHAT HE COULD HAVE DONE TO HELP AVOID THE SIT THAT DEVELOPED.

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.