Narrative:

Prior to reaching jli, received IFR descent to 16000 ft direct jli, V514, mzb direct myf. At jli, 10000 ft, vectored 210 degrees, descend to 8000 ft, vectored near otay lake area. Descending, advised to head 260 degrees, intercept ILS runway 28R and maintain 2600 ft till on the localizer. Cleared for approach, ILS runway 28R, circle-to-land runway 5. Upon intercepting localizer between mibby intersection and nesty intersection, advised to contact myf 119.2. Advised tower (myf) on localizer inbound runway 28R, circle-to-land runway 5. Requested tower to advise their request to circle right or left of runway 28R(?). Tower advised circle to left. Broke off the ILS runway 28R approach between palos intersection and the MDA and turned left starting my circle for right base to runway 5. The tower asked why I was at 1000 ft now? (I thought that I should be circling, descending to land.) tower said that the last he knew pattern altitude was 2000 ft. I complied and started to climb. Tower then asked, 'do you see the aircraft turning right base for runway 5?' I looked to my left -- nothing, to my right -- nothing. As I was now climbing, I lowered my nose and looked ahead and saw an aircraft, head-on. I increased the climb and turn to right. Told tower I had the target at my 12 O'clock position. Tower then told us to turn right. This I was already doing. Tower then told us, 'you don't understand what runway 5 means?' I replied, 'yes I do, but you instructed us to turn right.' tower then advised us to do a 270 degree turn to the left and land runway 5. We did, contacted tower on 118.22 as instructed, requested taxi to the tie-down. Instructed to cross runway 28L. I do not know how I can be vectored by approach to an ILS runway 28R circle-to-land left turn for a right base to runway 5 and be told the pattern altitude is 2000 ft and be faced with another aircraft. I do not know where I was. It appeared this aircraft had to approach from the west. I was sure the circle-to-land was at an MDA less than 1000 ft, within a 1 - 1 1/2 mi circle. I'm having a problem understanding how the myf tower allowed 2 aircraft to get on a collision course. I know I was on an IFR ILS approach with a circle-to-land. I do not know if this other aircraft was IFR or VFR. Tower did advise me to turn right after I spotted target. I climbed up and turned right before tower advised to turn right, then instructed to do a 270 degree turn to left, land on runway 5.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEAR NMAC BTWN 2 ARR GA ACFT, RPTR'S PA-46 MALIBU IN A CIRCLE TO RWY 5 MANEUVER AT MYF, CA.

Narrative: PRIOR TO REACHING JLI, RECEIVED IFR DSCNT TO 16000 FT DIRECT JLI, V514, MZB DIRECT MYF. AT JLI, 10000 FT, VECTORED 210 DEGS, DSND TO 8000 FT, VECTORED NEAR OTAY LAKE AREA. DSNDING, ADVISED TO HEAD 260 DEGS, INTERCEPT ILS RWY 28R AND MAINTAIN 2600 FT TILL ON THE LOC. CLRED FOR APCH, ILS RWY 28R, CIRCLE-TO-LAND RWY 5. UPON INTERCEPTING LOC BTWN MIBBY INTXN AND NESTY INTXN, ADVISED TO CONTACT MYF 119.2. ADVISED TWR (MYF) ON LOC INBOUND RWY 28R, CIRCLE-TO-LAND RWY 5. REQUESTED TWR TO ADVISE THEIR REQUEST TO CIRCLE R OR L OF RWY 28R(?). TWR ADVISED CIRCLE TO L. BROKE OFF THE ILS RWY 28R APCH BTWN PALOS INTXN AND THE MDA AND TURNED L STARTING MY CIRCLE FOR R BASE TO RWY 5. THE TWR ASKED WHY I WAS AT 1000 FT NOW? (I THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD BE CIRCLING, DSNDING TO LAND.) TWR SAID THAT THE LAST HE KNEW PATTERN ALT WAS 2000 FT. I COMPLIED AND STARTED TO CLB. TWR THEN ASKED, 'DO YOU SEE THE ACFT TURNING R BASE FOR RWY 5?' I LOOKED TO MY L -- NOTHING, TO MY R -- NOTHING. AS I WAS NOW CLBING, I LOWERED MY NOSE AND LOOKED AHEAD AND SAW AN ACFT, HEAD-ON. I INCREASED THE CLB AND TURN TO R. TOLD TWR I HAD THE TARGET AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS. TWR THEN TOLD US TO TURN R. THIS I WAS ALREADY DOING. TWR THEN TOLD US, 'YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT RWY 5 MEANS?' I REPLIED, 'YES I DO, BUT YOU INSTRUCTED US TO TURN R.' TWR THEN ADVISED US TO DO A 270 DEG TURN TO THE L AND LAND RWY 5. WE DID, CONTACTED TWR ON 118.22 AS INSTRUCTED, REQUESTED TAXI TO THE TIE-DOWN. INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 28L. I DO NOT KNOW HOW I CAN BE VECTORED BY APCH TO AN ILS RWY 28R CIRCLE-TO-LAND L TURN FOR A R BASE TO RWY 5 AND BE TOLD THE PATTERN ALT IS 2000 FT AND BE FACED WITH ANOTHER ACFT. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS. IT APPEARED THIS ACFT HAD TO APCH FROM THE W. I WAS SURE THE CIRCLE-TO-LAND WAS AT AN MDA LESS THAN 1000 FT, WITHIN A 1 - 1 1/2 MI CIRCLE. I'M HAVING A PROB UNDERSTANDING HOW THE MYF TWR ALLOWED 2 ACFT TO GET ON A COLLISION COURSE. I KNOW I WAS ON AN IFR ILS APCH WITH A CIRCLE-TO-LAND. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS OTHER ACFT WAS IFR OR VFR. TWR DID ADVISE ME TO TURN R AFTER I SPOTTED TARGET. I CLBED UP AND TURNED R BEFORE TWR ADVISED TO TURN R, THEN INSTRUCTED TO DO A 270 DEG TURN TO L, LAND ON RWY 5.

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.