Narrative:

I intended to land at goodyear airport. After making the initial approached 20 mi south of the airport, the tower controller advised me to follow a beech bonanza at my left hand side. I followed the bonanza all the way to the airport and into the left downwind of runway 21 but I didn't know that I should go on following in the traffic pattern too. Then, the controller advised me to make a midfield crossing into the right downwind. At this time, the bonanza was not in sight. After arriving in the right downwind, I got my landing clearance as #2 after the bonanza. I confirmed but didn't report that traffic is not in sight but I looked out much more to see the traffic. I hurried into base and shortly before turning final I saw the bonanza on its final, approximately 300 ft horizontal and a little bit below my aircraft. Nearly at the same time the tower controller discovered the misunderstanding and advised me to make a go around on the right hand side of runway 21. There was enough time to react and after the go around I flew again in the right downwind and then executed the landing. To my mind, the problem developed because the controller thought that I had the bonanza in sight all the time, which was not the case. I don't want the controller to blame me because I reported traffic in sight shortly before losing the other plane. However, my mistake was that I didn't put emphasis on making clear that the traffic was not in sight and then turning base without knowing where the other plane was located. The flight on which this incident happened was a training solo flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN THE TFC PATTERN BTWN A PA28 STUDENT PLT ON BASE LEG AND ANOTHER PLT IN A BE33 ON FINAL FOR RWY 21 AT GYR, AZ.

Narrative: I INTENDED TO LAND AT GOODYEAR ARPT. AFTER MAKING THE INITIAL APCHED 20 MI S OF THE ARPT, THE TWR CTLR ADVISED ME TO FOLLOW A BEECH BONANZA AT MY L HAND SIDE. I FOLLOWED THE BONANZA ALL THE WAY TO THE ARPT AND INTO THE L DOWNWIND OF RWY 21 BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I SHOULD GO ON FOLLOWING IN THE TFC PATTERN TOO. THEN, THE CTLR ADVISED ME TO MAKE A MIDFIELD XING INTO THE R DOWNWIND. AT THIS TIME, THE BONANZA WAS NOT IN SIGHT. AFTER ARRIVING IN THE R DOWNWIND, I GOT MY LNDG CLRNC AS #2 AFTER THE BONANZA. I CONFIRMED BUT DIDN'T RPT THAT TFC IS NOT IN SIGHT BUT I LOOKED OUT MUCH MORE TO SEE THE TFC. I HURRIED INTO BASE AND SHORTLY BEFORE TURNING FINAL I SAW THE BONANZA ON ITS FINAL, APPROX 300 FT HORIZ AND A LITTLE BIT BELOW MY ACFT. NEARLY AT THE SAME TIME THE TWR CTLR DISCOVERED THE MISUNDERSTANDING AND ADVISED ME TO MAKE A GAR ON THE R HAND SIDE OF RWY 21. THERE WAS ENOUGH TIME TO REACT AND AFTER THE GAR I FLEW AGAIN IN THE R DOWNWIND AND THEN EXECUTED THE LNDG. TO MY MIND, THE PROB DEVELOPED BECAUSE THE CTLR THOUGHT THAT I HAD THE BONANZA IN SIGHT ALL THE TIME, WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE. I DON'T WANT THE CTLR TO BLAME ME BECAUSE I RPTED TFC IN SIGHT SHORTLY BEFORE LOSING THE OTHER PLANE. HOWEVER, MY MISTAKE WAS THAT I DIDN'T PUT EMPHASIS ON MAKING CLR THAT THE TFC WAS NOT IN SIGHT AND THEN TURNING BASE WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE THE OTHER PLANE WAS LOCATED. THE FLT ON WHICH THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WAS A TRAINING SOLO FLT.

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.