Narrative:

I was instructing another pilot in crosswind approachs and lndgs at the cma airport. On departure I heard a malibu reporting in to tower with the numbers and requesting landing instructions. We made a normal entry to downwind at approximately 900 ft AGL. As we approached los posas road; the tower called a malibu at 1 mi. Both myself and the PF looked and did not see the malibu. My assumption was that the malibu was behind us and over the overrun for the runway. This seemed reasonable based upon the earlier transmission I had heard. The PF called tower and stated that she did not see the malibu. The tower came back quickly and said; 'turn base now' which she dutifully did. After the 90 degree turn; the PF still did not see the malibu and started a precautionary turn to the right. At this time I saw the malibu ahead and to my right descending. I estimated we were approximately 500 ft lateral and 100 ft vertical from each other. At that time we were already in a turn away from the traffic so there was no danger of a collision. Had the PF not initiated a turn when she did; we would have had to have taken immediate and violent evasive action within the next 3-5 seconds or have been involved in a midair collision. Bottom line: the tower turned us directly into the malibu. On another approach; the tower called an aircraft holding in position to inform him that a bonanza was 4 mi out. We had been cleared to land and were about 1 mi out turning final. Obviously; the tower didn't know where we were as he never notified the holding aircraft of our location. On our final approach and landing we had been cleared to land and were turning base to final when the tower called us to extend our downwind and that he'd call the turn to case. (Obviously tower again didn't now where we were.) the PF immediately called our position and tower told us to continue. I was concerned and commented that we might have to go around and went over the procedure quickly. Fortunately the aircraft holding started moving and an uneventful landing was made. Based on the above; it is my opinion that the tower controller did not have a clear picture of the traffic in the area that he was charged with controling. This could have resulted in tragic consequences with me being part of the 'tragic consequences.' not a pleasant prospect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 IN TFC PATTERN AT CMA EXPERIENCED CONFLICT AFTER AN ATC DIRECTED TURN TO BASE LEG FOLLOWED BY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONABLE ATC ACTIONS.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTING ANOTHER PLT IN XWIND APCHS AND LNDGS AT THE CMA ARPT. ON DEP I HEARD A MALIBU RPTING IN TO TWR WITH THE NUMBERS AND REQUESTING LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. WE MADE A NORMAL ENTRY TO DOWNWIND AT APPROX 900 FT AGL. AS WE APCHED LOS POSAS ROAD; THE TWR CALLED A MALIBU AT 1 MI. BOTH MYSELF AND THE PF LOOKED AND DID NOT SEE THE MALIBU. MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT THE MALIBU WAS BEHIND US AND OVER THE OVERRUN FOR THE RWY. THIS SEEMED REASONABLE BASED UPON THE EARLIER XMISSION I HAD HEARD. THE PF CALLED TWR AND STATED THAT SHE DID NOT SEE THE MALIBU. THE TWR CAME BACK QUICKLY AND SAID; 'TURN BASE NOW' WHICH SHE DUTIFULLY DID. AFTER THE 90 DEG TURN; THE PF STILL DID NOT SEE THE MALIBU AND STARTED A PRECAUTIONARY TURN TO THE R. AT THIS TIME I SAW THE MALIBU AHEAD AND TO MY R DSNDING. I ESTIMATED WE WERE APPROX 500 FT LATERAL AND 100 FT VERT FROM EACH OTHER. AT THAT TIME WE WERE ALREADY IN A TURN AWAY FROM THE TFC SO THERE WAS NO DANGER OF A COLLISION. HAD THE PF NOT INITIATED A TURN WHEN SHE DID; WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE TAKEN IMMEDIATE AND VIOLENT EVASIVE ACTION WITHIN THE NEXT 3-5 SECONDS OR HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION. BOTTOM LINE: THE TWR TURNED US DIRECTLY INTO THE MALIBU. ON ANOTHER APCH; THE TWR CALLED AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS TO INFORM HIM THAT A BONANZA WAS 4 MI OUT. WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND AND WERE ABOUT 1 MI OUT TURNING FINAL. OBVIOUSLY; THE TWR DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WERE AS HE NEVER NOTIFIED THE HOLDING ACFT OF OUR LOCATION. ON OUR FINAL APCH AND LNDG WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND AND WERE TURNING BASE TO FINAL WHEN THE TWR CALLED US TO EXTEND OUR DOWNWIND AND THAT HE'D CALL THE TURN TO CASE. (OBVIOUSLY TWR AGAIN DIDN'T NOW WHERE WE WERE.) THE PF IMMEDIATELY CALLED OUR POS AND TWR TOLD US TO CONTINUE. I WAS CONCERNED AND COMMENTED THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO AROUND AND WENT OVER THE PROC QUICKLY. FORTUNATELY THE ACFT HOLDING STARTED MOVING AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. BASED ON THE ABOVE; IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE TWR CTLR DID NOT HAVE A CLR PICTURE OF THE TFC IN THE AREA THAT HE WAS CHARGED WITH CTLING. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES WITH ME BEING PART OF THE 'TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES.' NOT A PLEASANT PROSPECT.

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.