Narrative:

Following practice air work overwater northwest of monterey, ca, requested VFR to mry from norcal approach and was granted direct to airport, expect right downwind runway 28R. Norcal switched us to tower approximately 5 NM northwest of mry, overwater and on approximately 45 degrees to right downwind runway 28R. Once on tower frequency, was advised of cherokee in my 10-11 O'clock position. Located cherokee and kept him in sight. Tower frequency was extremely busy, and heard tower advising a bonanza of same cherokee traffic, plus me in his 12 O'clock position. I looked to my right and observed beech bonanza less than 100 yards to my right, on collision course, slightly below me. I yanked up on controls just as he passed under me less than 50 ft vertical, zero horizontal. My altitude was approximately 2000 ft MSL. Bonanza made radio call: 'that was less than 100 ft.' on ground, I filed near midair collision with tower. FAA completed investigation and found no one at fault. Contributing factors: 1) mry tower usually is understaffed and 1 controller works several frequencys simultaneously. 2) this was a very clear, warm day, contributing to high volume of VFR traffic (also a wkend day). 3) navy FA18 hornet was taxiing for takeoff at time of incident, creating distraction on airfield (rare occurrence). 4) possibly -- poor coordination between norcal and tower regarding VFR inbound/outbound separation/planning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA22 PLT ENTERING RWY 28R PATTERN, AT MRY SIGHTS ISSUED TFC, BUT HAS AN NMAC WITH A SECOND ACFT NOT ISSUED AS TFC.

Narrative: FOLLOWING PRACTICE AIR WORK OVERWATER NW OF MONTEREY, CA, REQUESTED VFR TO MRY FROM NORCAL APCH AND WAS GRANTED DIRECT TO ARPT, EXPECT R DOWNWIND RWY 28R. NORCAL SWITCHED US TO TWR APPROX 5 NM NW OF MRY, OVERWATER AND ON APPROX 45 DEGS TO R DOWNWIND RWY 28R. ONCE ON TWR FREQ, WAS ADVISED OF CHEROKEE IN MY 10-11 O'CLOCK POS. LOCATED CHEROKEE AND KEPT HIM IN SIGHT. TWR FREQ WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, AND HEARD TWR ADVISING A BONANZA OF SAME CHEROKEE TFC, PLUS ME IN HIS 12 O'CLOCK POS. I LOOKED TO MY R AND OBSERVED BEECH BONANZA LESS THAN 100 YARDS TO MY R, ON COLLISION COURSE, SLIGHTLY BELOW ME. I YANKED UP ON CTLS JUST AS HE PASSED UNDER ME LESS THAN 50 FT VERT, ZERO HORIZ. MY ALT WAS APPROX 2000 FT MSL. BONANZA MADE RADIO CALL: 'THAT WAS LESS THAN 100 FT.' ON GND, I FILED NMAC WITH TWR. FAA COMPLETED INVESTIGATION AND FOUND NO ONE AT FAULT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) MRY TWR USUALLY IS UNDERSTAFFED AND 1 CTLR WORKS SEVERAL FREQS SIMULTANEOUSLY. 2) THIS WAS A VERY CLR, WARM DAY, CONTRIBUTING TO HIGH VOLUME OF VFR TFC (ALSO A WKEND DAY). 3) NAVY FA18 HORNET WAS TAXIING FOR TKOF AT TIME OF INCIDENT, CREATING DISTR ON AIRFIELD (RARE OCCURRENCE). 4) POSSIBLY -- POOR COORD BTWN NORCAL AND TWR REGARDING VFR INBOUND/OUTBOUND SEPARATION/PLANNING.

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.