Narrative:

I was inbound to vrb on a VFR flight plan from orl. About 15 mi from vrb, I contacted st petersburg FSS to cancel my flight plan, advising I had vrb in sight. About 10 mi north of vrb, I contacted the vrb tower and advised I was inbound for a full-stop and had the ATIS information. They advised me to enter and report a 2 mi left base for runway 11R. As I approached the final approach course for runway 11L at 1000 ft MSL, the tower called and advised me to change runways to runway 11L. Tower advised my traffic to follow was on a 3/4 mi final and I was #2 to land. I responded that I had the traffic in sight and was cleared to land on runway 11L and began my turn to final. About 1 - 1 1/2 mi from the threshold of runway 11L at about 700-800 ft MSL, another piper PA28-161 (it was a company plane) came underneath me about 75-100 ft below from my 7-8 O'clock position. Both he and I were descending and he continued his descent and landing to runway 11L. I made an immediate right turn, banking 45-50 degrees, applied full power, and began a go around to avoid this aircraft. The other aircraft made no evasive action and acted as if he/she never saw my aircraft. I climbed on the runway heading to 1200-1300 ft MSL and after 1 min, I was able to contact the tower to advise I was going around and overflying the runway (runway 11L) at 1300 ft MSL due to the aircraft turning final in front of me. Tower advised me to contact the tower on their other frequency. Apparently, the tower was in the process of splitting frequencys due to high traffic volume at the time. Both the first controller on 126.30 and the second controller on 133.15 seemed unaware of the incident that occurred. The second controller advised me I was clear to re-enter a left downwind for runway 11L and that I was cleared to land. I proceeded to land safely, without incident. I am not sure if the other aircraft was on frequency 126.30 or 133.15. I do not know if this was pilot or controller error. I also do not know the instructions given to the other aircraft. He may have been confused about which traffic he was following to the runway. I think it is terrible that the controllers were unaware of the incident. Splitting frequencys during that time of high traffic volume was unacceptable. There is a possibility that the 2 controllers did not coordinate traffic well between the 2 frequencys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION FROM ANOTHER PA28 IN VRB CLASS D AIRSPACE WHILE ON BASE LEG TURNING TO FINAL.

Narrative: I WAS INBOUND TO VRB ON A VFR FLT PLAN FROM ORL. ABOUT 15 MI FROM VRB, I CONTACTED ST PETERSBURG FSS TO CANCEL MY FLT PLAN, ADVISING I HAD VRB IN SIGHT. ABOUT 10 MI N OF VRB, I CONTACTED THE VRB TWR AND ADVISED I WAS INBOUND FOR A FULL-STOP AND HAD THE ATIS INFO. THEY ADVISED ME TO ENTER AND RPT A 2 MI L BASE FOR RWY 11R. AS I APCHED THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 11L AT 1000 FT MSL, THE TWR CALLED AND ADVISED ME TO CHANGE RWYS TO RWY 11L. TWR ADVISED MY TFC TO FOLLOW WAS ON A 3/4 MI FINAL AND I WAS #2 TO LAND. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 11L AND BEGAN MY TURN TO FINAL. ABOUT 1 - 1 1/2 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 11L AT ABOUT 700-800 FT MSL, ANOTHER PIPER PA28-161 (IT WAS A COMPANY PLANE) CAME UNDERNEATH ME ABOUT 75-100 FT BELOW FROM MY 7-8 O'CLOCK POS. BOTH HE AND I WERE DSNDING AND HE CONTINUED HIS DSCNT AND LNDG TO RWY 11L. I MADE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN, BANKING 45-50 DEGS, APPLIED FULL PWR, AND BEGAN A GAR TO AVOID THIS ACFT. THE OTHER ACFT MADE NO EVASIVE ACTION AND ACTED AS IF HE/SHE NEVER SAW MY ACFT. I CLBED ON THE RWY HDG TO 1200-1300 FT MSL AND AFTER 1 MIN, I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE TWR TO ADVISE I WAS GOING AROUND AND OVERFLYING THE RWY (RWY 11L) AT 1300 FT MSL DUE TO THE ACFT TURNING FINAL IN FRONT OF ME. TWR ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THE TWR ON THEIR OTHER FREQ. APPARENTLY, THE TWR WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SPLITTING FREQS DUE TO HIGH TFC VOLUME AT THE TIME. BOTH THE FIRST CTLR ON 126.30 AND THE SECOND CTLR ON 133.15 SEEMED UNAWARE OF THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED. THE SECOND CTLR ADVISED ME I WAS CLR TO RE-ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 11L AND THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I PROCEEDED TO LAND SAFELY, WITHOUT INCIDENT. I AM NOT SURE IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS ON FREQ 126.30 OR 133.15. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS WAS PLT OR CTLR ERROR. I ALSO DO NOT KNOW THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO THE OTHER ACFT. HE MAY HAVE BEEN CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH TFC HE WAS FOLLOWING TO THE RWY. I THINK IT IS TERRIBLE THAT THE CTLRS WERE UNAWARE OF THE INCIDENT. SPLITTING FREQS DURING THAT TIME OF HIGH TFC VOLUME WAS UNACCEPTABLE. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE 2 CTLRS DID NOT COORDINATE TFC WELL BTWN THE 2 FREQS.

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.