Narrative:

While on a local training flight, I instructed my student to land at danbury. We were presently climbing out of the westchester airport traffic pattern. Danbury's victor was reporting a light west wind, 10 SM visibility, and runway 26 as the active. We (the student) made his initial contact 7-10 SM southwest and was instructed to enter the left downwind for runway 26. At this time, 2 aircraft were on final (a luscombe and another aircraft) and an archer on a right base. We made our initial contact to tower at approximately XA00 sep/mon/02. While we were flying towards danbury a twin cessna reported west of the field for landing and was instructed to enter a left downwind for runway 26. Tower did not advise our plane or the twin cessna of each other. We continued inbound and turned our downwind. Shortly thereafter, the twin cessna announced his entry into the downwind. We continued inbound and turned our base. Midway through our base, tower instructed us to turn back onto the downwind. As we made a right turn to rejoin the downwind, the twin cessna was on his base leg several hundred ft above us and to our 10-11 O'clock position. During this time the tower was making several radio calls, mistaking call signs between aircraft, and mistaking aircraft position. We continued on a sbound heading until all other aircraft and aircraft position were accounted for. We were then instructed to turn our base. The time of our close call was XB15. I believe if the tower had instructed us to continue our downwind to let the twin cessna turn his base ahead of us or have us continue our base and re-enter the pattern on the upwind to make room for the faster traffic, the potential for a close call would have been averted. We (myself and the student) could have also refused the tower's instruction to turn back onto the downwind knowing that faster traffic was following us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT IN C152 TURN DOWNWIND LEG ABOUT THE SAME TIME A C401 ALSO TURNS DOWNWIND AT A HIGHER ALT.

Narrative: WHILE ON A LCL TRAINING FLT, I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO LAND AT DANBURY. WE WERE PRESENTLY CLBING OUT OF THE WESTCHESTER ARPT TFC PATTERN. DANBURY'S VICTOR WAS RPTING A LIGHT W WIND, 10 SM VISIBILITY, AND RWY 26 AS THE ACTIVE. WE (THE STUDENT) MADE HIS INITIAL CONTACT 7-10 SM SW AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26. AT THIS TIME, 2 ACFT WERE ON FINAL (A LUSCOMBE AND ANOTHER ACFT) AND AN ARCHER ON A R BASE. WE MADE OUR INITIAL CONTACT TO TWR AT APPROX XA00 SEP/MON/02. WHILE WE WERE FLYING TOWARDS DANBURY A TWIN CESSNA RPTED W OF THE FIELD FOR LNDG AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26. TWR DID NOT ADVISE OUR PLANE OR THE TWIN CESSNA OF EACH OTHER. WE CONTINUED INBOUND AND TURNED OUR DOWNWIND. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE TWIN CESSNA ANNOUNCED HIS ENTRY INTO THE DOWNWIND. WE CONTINUED INBOUND AND TURNED OUR BASE. MIDWAY THROUGH OUR BASE, TWR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN BACK ONTO THE DOWNWIND. AS WE MADE A R TURN TO REJOIN THE DOWNWIND, THE TWIN CESSNA WAS ON HIS BASE LEG SEVERAL HUNDRED FT ABOVE US AND TO OUR 10-11 O'CLOCK POS. DURING THIS TIME THE TWR WAS MAKING SEVERAL RADIO CALLS, MISTAKING CALL SIGNS BTWN ACFT, AND MISTAKING ACFT POS. WE CONTINUED ON A SBOUND HDG UNTIL ALL OTHER ACFT AND ACFT POS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN OUR BASE. THE TIME OF OUR CLOSE CALL WAS XB15. I BELIEVE IF THE TWR HAD INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE OUR DOWNWIND TO LET THE TWIN CESSNA TURN HIS BASE AHEAD OF US OR HAVE US CONTINUE OUR BASE AND RE-ENTER THE PATTERN ON THE UPWIND TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE FASTER TFC, THE POTENTIAL FOR A CLOSE CALL WOULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED. WE (MYSELF AND THE STUDENT) COULD HAVE ALSO REFUSED THE TWR'S INSTRUCTION TO TURN BACK ONTO THE DOWNWIND KNOWING THAT FASTER TFC WAS FOLLOWING US.

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.