Narrative:

After approaching the airport from the northwest, the initial approach controller vectored me to a right downwind runway 25L, 5 mi north of the airport, on a heading of 090 degrees at 4000 ft. 1 mi east of the airport, on downwind, I was handed over to the next controling sector. Contacting the controller, I was instructed to fly heading 100 degrees and turn a 5 mi final to runway 25L. Now 2.5 mi out, received a traffic call for an airbus at my 10 or 11 O'clock position, which I replied with 'looking for traffic.' still on 100 degree heading, now 3 mi out, instructed to turn to heading of 160 degrees and descend to 3500 ft, which I complied, after reaching the 160 degree heading I saw the airbus at my 8 or 9 O'clock position, turning final approximately 9-10 mi out from my position, and reported. Now I am on a right base for runway 25L, but set up for a 3 mi final turn inbound. Anywhere between 2 to 1 mi north of the runway 26 final approach course I was cleared for straight in approach to runway 25L, keep speed up, traffic to follow you, contact tower. I began my descent on the 160 degree heading and while switching to tower frequency and referencing the airport I didn't have a visual with the airbus. As I approached and passed the runway 26 final, I saw the airbus and immediately increased my descent rate to increase our separation, for I knew we were closer than what would be a normal allowance. Turning final for runway 25L, I contacted tower and was cleared to land, after which clearing the runway a B737 landed. Received a phone number for TRACON which I called. I spoke with the supervisor, who questioned me about my visual contact with the airbus and why I hadn't turned a 5 mi final. All my comments and responses were in reference to the above report. Reviewing the event, I feel that I had followed all of the controller's instructions and was no longer required to turn a 5 mi final after being vectored on a right base for a 3 mi final and once again after being cleared for straight in approach. In conclusion, I feel that losing 100% visual contact with the airbus, not knowing to pass in front of or behind the airbus, and not factoring the airbus' faster approach speed was the primary cause on behalf of the PIC. With regard to the controller, would be a vector for a 3 mi final after asking for a 5 mi final and no instruction to regards on how to pass the airbus. I also believe that both of us became too concerned with the traffic to follow me on runway 25L to allow spacing between myself and the B737.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31 PLT LNDG PHX WAS GIVEN A HURRY UP CONFUSING APCH FROM THE NW IN FRONT OF TFC AND ACROSS 2 FINALS TO RWY 25L.

Narrative: AFTER APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE NW, THE INITIAL APCH CTLR VECTORED ME TO A R DOWNWIND RWY 25L, 5 MI N OF THE ARPT, ON A HEADING OF 090 DEGS AT 4000 FT. 1 MI E OF THE ARPT, ON DOWNWIND, I WAS HANDED OVER TO THE NEXT CTLING SECTOR. CONTACTING THE CTLR, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY HEADING 100 DEGS AND TURN A 5 MI FINAL TO RWY 25L. NOW 2.5 MI OUT, RECEIVED A TFC CALL FOR AN AIRBUS AT MY 10 OR 11 O'CLOCK POS, WHICH I REPLIED WITH 'LOOKING FOR TFC.' STILL ON 100 DEG HDG, NOW 3 MI OUT, INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO HEADING OF 160 DEGS AND DSND TO 3500 FT, WHICH I COMPLIED, AFTER REACHING THE 160 DEG HDG I SAW THE AIRBUS AT MY 8 OR 9 O'CLOCK POS, TURNING FINAL APPROX 9-10 MI OUT FROM MY POS, AND RPTED. NOW I AM ON A R BASE FOR RWY 25L, BUT SET UP FOR A 3 MI FINAL TURN INBOUND. ANYWHERE BTWN 2 TO 1 MI N OF THE RWY 26 FINAL APCH COURSE I WAS CLRED FOR STRAIGHT IN APCH TO RWY 25L, KEEP SPD UP, TFC TO FOLLOW YOU, CONTACT TWR. I BEGAN MY DSCNT ON THE 160 DEG HDG AND WHILE SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ AND REFING THE ARPT I DIDN'T HAVE A VISUAL WITH THE AIRBUS. AS I APCHED AND PASSED THE RWY 26 FINAL, I SAW THE AIRBUS AND IMMEDIATELY INCREASED MY DSCNT RATE TO INCREASE OUR SEPARATION, FOR I KNEW WE WERE CLOSER THAN WHAT WOULD BE A NORMAL ALLOWANCE. TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 25L, I CONTACTED TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND, AFTER WHICH CLRING THE RWY A B737 LANDED. RECEIVED A PHONE NUMBER FOR TRACON WHICH I CALLED. I SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR, WHO QUESTIONED ME ABOUT MY VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRBUS AND WHY I HADN'T TURNED A 5 MI FINAL. ALL MY COMMENTS AND RESPONSES WERE IN REF TO THE ABOVE RPT. REVIEWING THE EVENT, I FEEL THAT I HAD FOLLOWED ALL OF THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND WAS NO LONGER REQUIRED TO TURN A 5 MI FINAL AFTER BEING VECTORED ON A R BASE FOR A 3 MI FINAL AND ONCE AGAIN AFTER BEING CLRED FOR STRAIGHT IN APCH. IN CONCLUSION, I FEEL THAT LOSING 100% VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRBUS, NOT KNOWING TO PASS IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE AIRBUS, AND NOT FACTORING THE AIRBUS' FASTER APCH SPD WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE ON BEHALF OF THE PIC. WITH REGARD TO THE CTLR, WOULD BE A VECTOR FOR A 3 MI FINAL AFTER ASKING FOR A 5 MI FINAL AND NO INSTRUCTION TO REGARDS ON HOW TO PASS THE AIRBUS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT BOTH OF US BECAME TOO CONCERNED WITH THE TFC TO FOLLOW ME ON RWY 25L TO ALLOW SPACING BTWN MYSELF AND THE B737.

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.