Narrative:

Our aircraft was being plted by a private pilot on a recurrency ride. We asked for and received permission to remain in the pattern for touch-and-goes. There were between 6-7 aircraft in the pattern. The left seat pilot was very aware of his pattern spacing; and I have over 50 yrs experience flying into congested airports; and routinely teach safe pattern spacing. The tower controller was attempting to effect better pattern spacing by extending downwind leg for most traffic. I believe it was our second pattern when she told us (again) to extend downwind; this time for a seneca making an instrument approach on a modified straight-in. When the seneca passed under our wing; about 2 mi out; we began a base turn. We were still at pattern altitude. The controller immediately shouted; 'aircraft X turn back to downwind; you have inbound traffic in front of you! I will call your base.' we instantly complied; though we had heard no other traffic approaching from the west; nor could we see any. After about 2 more mi; with no call from the tower and apparently no conflicting traffic; I called that we were turning base. We had several aircraft behind us on downwind; impatient to turn to base. (My surmise was that the controller's depth perception at the 2 mi distance did not allow her to properly judge our spacing; or it was the C150 behind us who actually turned; and she confused our numbers.) on our third approach; tower again extended our downwind. She did not call our base leg; but cleared us for touch-and-go. We were about 2 mi out and following a cherokee with as tight a spacing as was safe. On downwind; we heard the controller ask the C150 behind us if they had us in sight; and the answer was in the affirmative. She repeated the question to the C150 on base; and the answer was again in the affirmative. I did not have that aircraft in sight; but was watching spacing with the cherokee ahead. The cherokee just lifted off as we came over the runway threshold and began to flare. In that instant; I heard the controller scream; 'aircraft Y; go around; go around!' a shadow passed over us and the C150 filled our windscreen; about 20 ft above us and just beginning to flare. Luckily; his approach had been higher and faster than ours; as the call for him to go around came almost too late. At an estimated altitude of about 40 ft; aircraft Y finally began a go around. We completed our touch-and-go; mostly to maintain pattern spacing; as cherokee was very close behind us; and aircraft Y now far enough ahead.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT AND INSTRUCTOR HAVE AN NMAC AT RYN.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS BEING PLTED BY A PVT PLT ON A RECURRENCY RIDE. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO REMAIN IN THE PATTERN FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES. THERE WERE BTWN 6-7 ACFT IN THE PATTERN. THE L SEAT PLT WAS VERY AWARE OF HIS PATTERN SPACING; AND I HAVE OVER 50 YRS EXPERIENCE FLYING INTO CONGESTED ARPTS; AND ROUTINELY TEACH SAFE PATTERN SPACING. THE TWR CTLR WAS ATTEMPTING TO EFFECT BETTER PATTERN SPACING BY EXTENDING DOWNWIND LEG FOR MOST TFC. I BELIEVE IT WAS OUR SECOND PATTERN WHEN SHE TOLD US (AGAIN) TO EXTEND DOWNWIND; THIS TIME FOR A SENECA MAKING AN INST APCH ON A MODIFIED STRAIGHT-IN. WHEN THE SENECA PASSED UNDER OUR WING; ABOUT 2 MI OUT; WE BEGAN A BASE TURN. WE WERE STILL AT PATTERN ALT. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY SHOUTED; 'ACFT X TURN BACK TO DOWNWIND; YOU HAVE INBOUND TFC IN FRONT OF YOU! I WILL CALL YOUR BASE.' WE INSTANTLY COMPLIED; THOUGH WE HAD HEARD NO OTHER TFC APCHING FROM THE W; NOR COULD WE SEE ANY. AFTER ABOUT 2 MORE MI; WITH NO CALL FROM THE TWR AND APPARENTLY NO CONFLICTING TFC; I CALLED THAT WE WERE TURNING BASE. WE HAD SEVERAL ACFT BEHIND US ON DOWNWIND; IMPATIENT TO TURN TO BASE. (MY SURMISE WAS THAT THE CTLR'S DEPTH PERCEPTION AT THE 2 MI DISTANCE DID NOT ALLOW HER TO PROPERLY JUDGE OUR SPACING; OR IT WAS THE C150 BEHIND US WHO ACTUALLY TURNED; AND SHE CONFUSED OUR NUMBERS.) ON OUR THIRD APCH; TWR AGAIN EXTENDED OUR DOWNWIND. SHE DID NOT CALL OUR BASE LEG; BUT CLRED US FOR TOUCH-AND-GO. WE WERE ABOUT 2 MI OUT AND FOLLOWING A CHEROKEE WITH AS TIGHT A SPACING AS WAS SAFE. ON DOWNWIND; WE HEARD THE CTLR ASK THE C150 BEHIND US IF THEY HAD US IN SIGHT; AND THE ANSWER WAS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. SHE REPEATED THE QUESTION TO THE C150 ON BASE; AND THE ANSWER WAS AGAIN IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I DID NOT HAVE THAT ACFT IN SIGHT; BUT WAS WATCHING SPACING WITH THE CHEROKEE AHEAD. THE CHEROKEE JUST LIFTED OFF AS WE CAME OVER THE RWY THRESHOLD AND BEGAN TO FLARE. IN THAT INSTANT; I HEARD THE CTLR SCREAM; 'ACFT Y; GO AROUND; GO AROUND!' A SHADOW PASSED OVER US AND THE C150 FILLED OUR WINDSCREEN; ABOUT 20 FT ABOVE US AND JUST BEGINNING TO FLARE. LUCKILY; HIS APCH HAD BEEN HIGHER AND FASTER THAN OURS; AS THE CALL FOR HIM TO GO AROUND CAME ALMOST TOO LATE. AT AN ESTIMATED ALT OF ABOUT 40 FT; ACFT Y FINALLY BEGAN A GAR. WE COMPLETED OUR TOUCH-AND-GO; MOSTLY TO MAINTAIN PATTERN SPACING; AS CHEROKEE WAS VERY CLOSE BEHIND US; AND ACFT Y NOW FAR ENOUGH AHEAD.

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.