Narrative:

While over hat island; I contacted tower and requested permission to land. Tower cleared me to enter left downwind runway 34L and report downwind and that there is traffic between langley and hat island (aircraft a). I reported negative contact on the traffic. While just north of the mukilteo ferry dock; about to enter left downwind to runway 34L; tower asked me if I was just south of the clinton ferry docks. I replied 'affirmative; about to enter downwind for runway 34L and I have converging traffic at my 2 O'clock position (aircraft B on the 45 degree entry to downwind). A few seconds later; tower asked 'who's over the mukilteo ferry dock?' before I had a chance to reply; aircraft B at my 2 O'clock position responded and confirmed that was him. The tower then immediately asked aircraft B to execute a left 360 degrees to which he complied. Unfortunately; since I was established on the downwind; the left 360 degrees executed by aircraft B ahead of me meant that he is about to turn upwind on the downwind leg and directly into my flight path. When I saw that aircraft B is starting the left 360 degree turn; I immediately sidestepped to the right in order to put more spacing between myself and the aircraft. I contacted tower immediately and relayed that I was on downwind and there's an aircraft doing a left 360 degrees directly into my flight path. Unfortunately; as soon as I sidestepped to the right; I saw aircraft a that was formerly behind me overtaking me on the right on a wide left downwind which prevented me from sidestepping out more to the right. Tower then contacted me about aircraft a and I relayed that aircraft a has overtaken me on the right. Tower then asked me to follow that traffic and cleared me to land. The rest of the landing sequence was uneventful. The entire near miss event seems like it lasted less than 20 seconds in total. Reflecting upon the sequence of events which led to this undesirable situation; I believe that I may have responded incorrectly to the controller's inquiry about the aircraft 'south of the clinton ferry dock' when I was really more to the southeast of the dock. Aircraft B then confirmed his position over the mukilteo ferry dock adding to the controller's confusion. The controller's instruction for the left 360 degrees may have been for me rather than aircraft B in order to provide separation for the traffic on the 45 degree entry and for the traffic overtaking me on the right. In order to prevent this from occurring in the future; I must be more diligent in listening to exact position inquiries from the tower and responding only when appropriate. However; I feel that it was also incorrect for aircraft a to not slow down and fly a normal downwind which led to the controller to issue the left 360 degree instruction to the wrong aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRNC FOR A 360 DEGS ON THE DOWNWIND IS ACCEPTED BY THE WRONG ACFT. RPTR'S SUBSEQUENT PRECAUTIONARY AVOIDANCE MANEUVER RESULTS IN NEAR MISS WITH THIRD ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE OVER HAT ISLAND; I CONTACTED TWR AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO LAND. TWR CLRED ME TO ENTER L DOWNWIND RWY 34L AND RPT DOWNWIND AND THAT THERE IS TFC BTWN LANGLEY AND HAT ISLAND (ACFT A). I RPTED NEGATIVE CONTACT ON THE TFC. WHILE JUST N OF THE MUKILTEO FERRY DOCK; ABOUT TO ENTER L DOWNWIND TO RWY 34L; TWR ASKED ME IF I WAS JUST S OF THE CLINTON FERRY DOCKS. I REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE; ABOUT TO ENTER DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34L AND I HAVE CONVERGING TFC AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS (ACFT B ON THE 45 DEG ENTRY TO DOWNWIND). A FEW SECONDS LATER; TWR ASKED 'WHO'S OVER THE MUKILTEO FERRY DOCK?' BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO REPLY; ACFT B AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS RESPONDED AND CONFIRMED THAT WAS HIM. THE TWR THEN IMMEDIATELY ASKED ACFT B TO EXECUTE A L 360 DEGS TO WHICH HE COMPLIED. UNFORTUNATELY; SINCE I WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE DOWNWIND; THE L 360 DEGS EXECUTED BY ACFT B AHEAD OF ME MEANT THAT HE IS ABOUT TO TURN UPWIND ON THE DOWNWIND LEG AND DIRECTLY INTO MY FLT PATH. WHEN I SAW THAT ACFT B IS STARTING THE L 360 DEG TURN; I IMMEDIATELY SIDESTEPPED TO THE R IN ORDER TO PUT MORE SPACING BTWN MYSELF AND THE ACFT. I CONTACTED TWR IMMEDIATELY AND RELAYED THAT I WAS ON DOWNWIND AND THERE'S AN ACFT DOING A L 360 DEGS DIRECTLY INTO MY FLT PATH. UNFORTUNATELY; AS SOON AS I SIDESTEPPED TO THE R; I SAW ACFT A THAT WAS FORMERLY BEHIND ME OVERTAKING ME ON THE R ON A WIDE L DOWNWIND WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM SIDESTEPPING OUT MORE TO THE R. TWR THEN CONTACTED ME ABOUT ACFT A AND I RELAYED THAT ACFT A HAS OVERTAKEN ME ON THE R. TWR THEN ASKED ME TO FOLLOW THAT TFC AND CLRED ME TO LAND. THE REST OF THE LNDG SEQUENCE WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE ENTIRE NEAR MISS EVENT SEEMS LIKE IT LASTED LESS THAN 20 SECONDS IN TOTAL. REFLECTING UPON THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS WHICH LED TO THIS UNDESIRABLE SITUATION; I BELIEVE THAT I MAY HAVE RESPONDED INCORRECTLY TO THE CTLR'S INQUIRY ABOUT THE ACFT 'S OF THE CLINTON FERRY DOCK' WHEN I WAS REALLY MORE TO THE SE OF THE DOCK. ACFT B THEN CONFIRMED HIS POS OVER THE MUKILTEO FERRY DOCK ADDING TO THE CTLR'S CONFUSION. THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTION FOR THE L 360 DEGS MAY HAVE BEEN FOR ME RATHER THAN ACFT B IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SEPARATION FOR THE TFC ON THE 45 DEG ENTRY AND FOR THE TFC OVERTAKING ME ON THE R. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE; I MUST BE MORE DILIGENT IN LISTENING TO EXACT POS INQUIRIES FROM THE TWR AND RESPONDING ONLY WHEN APPROPRIATE. HOWEVER; I FEEL THAT IT WAS ALSO INCORRECT FOR ACFT A TO NOT SLOW DOWN AND FLY A NORMAL DOWNWIND WHICH LED TO THE CTLR TO ISSUE THE L 360 DEG INSTRUCTION TO THE WRONG ACFT.

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.