Narrative:

We were in the traffic pattern for runway 17 (right traffic) midway through our downwind, tower called to tell us to make a left 360 degree turn for traffic and we would be #3 behind the astra on a 6 mi final. My student acknowledged the call. I understood us to be #2 -- I had not heard correctly. During our first turn, I requested another turn to give us more spacing from the incoming astra. As we began our second 360 degree turn, I saw an astra land. I told my student the astra was on the ground. As we finished our second turn, I told my student to begin his approach to runway 17 because the astra was on the ground. We started our base. As we neared final, tower ordered us into an immediate turn north (left) to follow our astra traffic. As we turned north, we came head-on with the astra. We both did turns to our respective lefts and avoided each other. The blame is in my misunderstanding our sequence. I do believe that had tower told us that we were now #2 after the first astra landed, I may have caught my misunderstanding. The problem was compounded by 2 astra's one right after another with similar call signs. I believe I heard that we were #2 instead of #3 is because that is what I had expected to hear.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR BE33 INBOUND AT SLN HAS NMAC WITH ASTRA JET.

Narrative: WE WERE IN THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 17 (R TFC) MIDWAY THROUGH OUR DOWNWIND, TWR CALLED TO TELL US TO MAKE A L 360 DEG TURN FOR TFC AND WE WOULD BE #3 BEHIND THE ASTRA ON A 6 MI FINAL. MY STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL. I UNDERSTOOD US TO BE #2 -- I HAD NOT HEARD CORRECTLY. DURING OUR FIRST TURN, I REQUESTED ANOTHER TURN TO GIVE US MORE SPACING FROM THE INCOMING ASTRA. AS WE BEGAN OUR SECOND 360 DEG TURN, I SAW AN ASTRA LAND. I TOLD MY STUDENT THE ASTRA WAS ON THE GND. AS WE FINISHED OUR SECOND TURN, I TOLD MY STUDENT TO BEGIN HIS APCH TO RWY 17 BECAUSE THE ASTRA WAS ON THE GND. WE STARTED OUR BASE. AS WE NEARED FINAL, TWR ORDERED US INTO AN IMMEDIATE TURN N (LEFT) TO FOLLOW OUR ASTRA TFC. AS WE TURNED N, WE CAME HEAD-ON WITH THE ASTRA. WE BOTH DID TURNS TO OUR RESPECTIVE LEFTS AND AVOIDED EACH OTHER. THE BLAME IS IN MY MISUNDERSTANDING OUR SEQUENCE. I DO BELIEVE THAT HAD TWR TOLD US THAT WE WERE NOW #2 AFTER THE FIRST ASTRA LANDED, I MAY HAVE CAUGHT MY MISUNDERSTANDING. THE PROB WAS COMPOUNDED BY 2 ASTRA'S ONE RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. I BELIEVE I HEARD THAT WE WERE #2 INSTEAD OF #3 IS BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I HAD EXPECTED TO HEAR.

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.