Narrative:

I was flying back from local flight to pdk airport. Due to high radio usage called at 15 NM out, 7 NM out, was asked for identify about 1 mi from class D boundary. Tower frequency was very busy, got another call from tower at about 1 mi from right downwind for runway 2R, asking for another identify. About 1 min later, I was on downwind for runway 2R, abeam end of runway. I received TA, and in the same moment saw plane ascending to my right after taking off from runway 2R. I didn't catch traffic direction, but assumed controller was calling out this traffic to me, so I responded 'traffic in sight.' later received landing clearance to runway 2R, as #3 in sequence, following a 'turkey.' I started to look for #1 and #2. I noticed plane on runway and descending plane on final, and thought it was #2 and #1 just landed. Soon I turned right for base. When I turned final I noticed I slightly overshot and started correcting it to right -- in this moment I saw twin slightly above overtaking me about 300 ft to my right. I also heard 'what's this guy doing?!' which was probably directed to me. Twin being much faster cleared runway long before I touched down. I heard controller apologizing for this pilot of twin. Whole event scared me a lot, and I think it was my lack of situational awareness which resulted in this incident. Hopefully nothing bad happened, but that was most scary moment in my flying so far. After thinking about what happened, I found a few contributing causes: 1) not recognizing called out traffic. If I knew 'turkey' was a twin, I wouldn't assume plane to my right (taking off) was called out traffic. I also should become suspicious after hearing another TA, 'cessna, 12 O'clock position.' that probably was directed to twin performing straight-in approach and I was flying that cessna. 2) twins fly higher pattern at pdk (2500 ft MSL.) I should remember about this when looking for traffic, not just look at my altitude. 3) I should ask controller 'call my base' when in doubt. I didn't do this due to high radio traffic, and concentrated on landing. Besides, as a result of sooner omissions I felt that everything was ok at that time. 4) I should be much more vigilant about looking for traffic before turning and on base. I became distraction by actions to correct overshoot, I was flying too tight a pattern. 5) this was one of the busier airports I have ever used, and I was a little rusty after a few months break. One hour chkout 2 hours before this flight was all I was flying in last 90 days. Before that, I have flown 70 hours in may. I should have chosen smaller and quieter airport for first flts, but as I came to the united states only for 1 week, I didn't really have time to do extensive search -- went to airport with lots of FBO's. Lessons learned: never ever again perform any turns from downwind when cleared for landing with higher sequence number without counting planes before me 'backwards.' it's not important to see landing plane, if I miss this one right before me. If pattern altitude and shape depends on plane category, remember all, not just the one I'm flying. In case of any doubt, never hesitate to ask ATC for help. It's just hard to ask when radio is so congested. To overcome this, go to small airports for 'catching up.' learn more of those 'traffic' names of different aircraft models. Never make 'quick' look-ups in dense traffic, that's when they are most important!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 LNDG PDK EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH TWIN WHILE TURNING FINAL AT 1800 FT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING BACK FROM LCL FLT TO PDK ARPT. DUE TO HIGH RADIO USAGE CALLED AT 15 NM OUT, 7 NM OUT, WAS ASKED FOR IDENT ABOUT 1 MI FROM CLASS D BOUNDARY. TWR FREQ WAS VERY BUSY, GOT ANOTHER CALL FROM TWR AT ABOUT 1 MI FROM R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 2R, ASKING FOR ANOTHER IDENT. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, I WAS ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 2R, ABEAM END OF RWY. I RECEIVED TA, AND IN THE SAME MOMENT SAW PLANE ASCENDING TO MY R AFTER TAKING OFF FROM RWY 2R. I DIDN'T CATCH TFC DIRECTION, BUT ASSUMED CTLR WAS CALLING OUT THIS TFC TO ME, SO I RESPONDED 'TFC IN SIGHT.' LATER RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC TO RWY 2R, AS #3 IN SEQUENCE, FOLLOWING A 'TURKEY.' I STARTED TO LOOK FOR #1 AND #2. I NOTICED PLANE ON RWY AND DSNDING PLANE ON FINAL, AND THOUGHT IT WAS #2 AND #1 JUST LANDED. SOON I TURNED R FOR BASE. WHEN I TURNED FINAL I NOTICED I SLIGHTLY OVERSHOT AND STARTED CORRECTING IT TO R -- IN THIS MOMENT I SAW TWIN SLIGHTLY ABOVE OVERTAKING ME ABOUT 300 FT TO MY R. I ALSO HEARD 'WHAT'S THIS GUY DOING?!' WHICH WAS PROBABLY DIRECTED TO ME. TWIN BEING MUCH FASTER CLRED RWY LONG BEFORE I TOUCHED DOWN. I HEARD CTLR APOLOGIZING FOR THIS PLT OF TWIN. WHOLE EVENT SCARED ME A LOT, AND I THINK IT WAS MY LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHICH RESULTED IN THIS INCIDENT. HOPEFULLY NOTHING BAD HAPPENED, BUT THAT WAS MOST SCARY MOMENT IN MY FLYING SO FAR. AFTER THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, I FOUND A FEW CONTRIBUTING CAUSES: 1) NOT RECOGNIZING CALLED OUT TFC. IF I KNEW 'TURKEY' WAS A TWIN, I WOULDN'T ASSUME PLANE TO MY R (TAKING OFF) WAS CALLED OUT TFC. I ALSO SHOULD BECOME SUSPICIOUS AFTER HEARING ANOTHER TA, 'CESSNA, 12 O'CLOCK POS.' THAT PROBABLY WAS DIRECTED TO TWIN PERFORMING STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND I WAS FLYING THAT CESSNA. 2) TWINS FLY HIGHER PATTERN AT PDK (2500 FT MSL.) I SHOULD REMEMBER ABOUT THIS WHEN LOOKING FOR TFC, NOT JUST LOOK AT MY ALT. 3) I SHOULD ASK CTLR 'CALL MY BASE' WHEN IN DOUBT. I DIDN'T DO THIS DUE TO HIGH RADIO TFC, AND CONCENTRATED ON LNDG. BESIDES, AS A RESULT OF SOONER OMISSIONS I FELT THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK AT THAT TIME. 4) I SHOULD BE MUCH MORE VIGILANT ABOUT LOOKING FOR TFC BEFORE TURNING AND ON BASE. I BECAME DISTR BY ACTIONS TO CORRECT OVERSHOOT, I WAS FLYING TOO TIGHT A PATTERN. 5) THIS WAS ONE OF THE BUSIER ARPTS I HAVE EVER USED, AND I WAS A LITTLE RUSTY AFTER A FEW MONTHS BREAK. ONE HR CHKOUT 2 HRS BEFORE THIS FLT WAS ALL I WAS FLYING IN LAST 90 DAYS. BEFORE THAT, I HAVE FLOWN 70 HRS IN MAY. I SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN SMALLER AND QUIETER ARPT FOR FIRST FLTS, BUT AS I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES ONLY FOR 1 WK, I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TIME TO DO EXTENSIVE SEARCH -- WENT TO ARPT WITH LOTS OF FBO'S. LESSONS LEARNED: NEVER EVER AGAIN PERFORM ANY TURNS FROM DOWNWIND WHEN CLRED FOR LNDG WITH HIGHER SEQUENCE NUMBER WITHOUT COUNTING PLANES BEFORE ME 'BACKWARDS.' IT'S NOT IMPORTANT TO SEE LNDG PLANE, IF I MISS THIS ONE RIGHT BEFORE ME. IF PATTERN ALT AND SHAPE DEPENDS ON PLANE CATEGORY, REMEMBER ALL, NOT JUST THE ONE I'M FLYING. IN CASE OF ANY DOUBT, NEVER HESITATE TO ASK ATC FOR HELP. IT'S JUST HARD TO ASK WHEN RADIO IS SO CONGESTED. TO OVERCOME THIS, GO TO SMALL ARPTS FOR 'CATCHING UP.' LEARN MORE OF THOSE 'TFC' NAMES OF DIFFERENT ACFT MODELS. NEVER MAKE 'QUICK' LOOK-UPS IN DENSE TFC, THAT'S WHEN THEY ARE MOST IMPORTANT!

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.