Narrative:

After coming in for a touch-and-go on runway 17L; I had just taken off and was climbing. Apa tower advised to switch to 127.6 which is touch-and-go tower frequency. I called in and tower advised me to enter right traffic for runway 17R and follow the cessna off my right wing. I looked to the right and idented the cessna that I just seen take off who was entering the downwind and was off my right wing. After climbing another 100 ft or so; I looked to the right to ensure the other traffic was behind my wing and started my right turn. Right after I started the turn; I idented another cessna that had taken off on runway 17R and was below me to the right. I immediately turned back south and started a climb at vx to create more separation; and the other plane descended and turned more to the west. The other plane called tower and advised of the near miss but the tower missed the entire thing and we had already established good separation. Normally; tower would advise to look for traffic on the parallel runway when a plane is taking off from there; but this time they only advised to look off the right wing. After identing the traffic in the downwind; I assumed it was the plane tower was talking about and reported traffic in sight. Since I was flying from the left seat and the other plane was below me to the right; I did not see the traffic until I banked to the right for the turn. This was my third solo flight and I learned an important lesson about always doublechking the tower instructions; especially when making a crosswind turn over the departure path of the parallel runway. I certainly will be much more vigilant about looking for traffic but I would also see it be a requirement that the tower better identify the location of traffic in a busy pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 IN TFC PATTERN AT APA IS ISSUED TFC ON PARALLEL RWY AND INSTRUCTED TO ENTER OPPOSITE PATTERN; RESULTING IN CONFLICT.

Narrative: AFTER COMING IN FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO ON RWY 17L; I HAD JUST TAKEN OFF AND WAS CLBING. APA TWR ADVISED TO SWITCH TO 127.6 WHICH IS TOUCH-AND-GO TWR FREQ. I CALLED IN AND TWR ADVISED ME TO ENTER R TFC FOR RWY 17R AND FOLLOW THE CESSNA OFF MY R WING. I LOOKED TO THE R AND IDENTED THE CESSNA THAT I JUST SEEN TAKE OFF WHO WAS ENTERING THE DOWNWIND AND WAS OFF MY R WING. AFTER CLBING ANOTHER 100 FT OR SO; I LOOKED TO THE R TO ENSURE THE OTHER TFC WAS BEHIND MY WING AND STARTED MY R TURN. RIGHT AFTER I STARTED THE TURN; I IDENTED ANOTHER CESSNA THAT HAD TAKEN OFF ON RWY 17R AND WAS BELOW ME TO THE R. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK S AND STARTED A CLB AT VX TO CREATE MORE SEPARATION; AND THE OTHER PLANE DSNDED AND TURNED MORE TO THE W. THE OTHER PLANE CALLED TWR AND ADVISED OF THE NEAR MISS BUT THE TWR MISSED THE ENTIRE THING AND WE HAD ALREADY ESTABLISHED GOOD SEPARATION. NORMALLY; TWR WOULD ADVISE TO LOOK FOR TFC ON THE PARALLEL RWY WHEN A PLANE IS TAKING OFF FROM THERE; BUT THIS TIME THEY ONLY ADVISED TO LOOK OFF THE R WING. AFTER IDENTING THE TFC IN THE DOWNWIND; I ASSUMED IT WAS THE PLANE TWR WAS TALKING ABOUT AND RPTED TFC IN SIGHT. SINCE I WAS FLYING FROM THE L SEAT AND THE OTHER PLANE WAS BELOW ME TO THE R; I DID NOT SEE THE TFC UNTIL I BANKED TO THE R FOR THE TURN. THIS WAS MY THIRD SOLO FLT AND I LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON ABOUT ALWAYS DOUBLECHKING THE TWR INSTRUCTIONS; ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING A XWIND TURN OVER THE DEP PATH OF THE PARALLEL RWY. I CERTAINLY WILL BE MUCH MORE VIGILANT ABOUT LOOKING FOR TFC BUT I WOULD ALSO SEE IT BE A REQUIREMENT THAT THE TWR BETTER IDENT THE LOCATION OF TFC IN A BUSY PATTERN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.