Narrative:

I was talking to the tower controller; cleared to overfly the airport at 2000 ft for a right downwind to runway 25R. As I approached the downwind entry; the tower controller cleared me to begin my descent to pattern altitude (1000 ft MSL). Once established on downwind; I was 'cleared to land; runway 25R.' as I was turning base to final; I observed traffic out the left window that was very close and on a collision course. I started to take evasive action back to the right when the tower controller urgently called traffic and directed I continue a right 360 degrees. I was full flaps and 65 KTS making hard maneuvering and excessive bank unsafe. If I had not seen the other aircraft; I would have descended directly into him. Looking around the wing on a high wing aircraft for alignment on final; I was in a poor position to see the other aircraft; and with the other aircraft a high wing they were in a poor position to see me. At no time did I hear the tower talking to the other aircraft or clearing them for the same runway. I do not know if the other aircraft was lined up on the wrong runway; intending runway 25L; which is controled on a separate tower frequency. A possible contributing factor in this instance is the entire approach procedure at long beach airport for traffic arriving from the east. It is my understanding long beach will not accept a handoff for incoming VFR traffic. Long beach and los alamitos airspace overlap; with priority given to long beach. I and several pilots I know have experienced transition from socal approach to los alamitos; only to be dropped by los alamitos (frequency change approved; squawk VFR) literally entering long beach airspace. Since long beach is a very busy airport; it can be difficult to establish communications prior to finding yourself well within class D airspace. Since socal will often tell you what runway to expect; the assumption is to continue to the runway while trying to establish communications. Realistically there isn't anywhere else to go without potentially creating even greater conflict circling in very busy class D airspace between the 2 facilities. Pilots familiar with the area know you have to immediately request frequency change during the initial contact with los alamitos; but the situation is too compacted and unwitting airspace incursions are not uncommon. I believe the entire procedure arriving from the east creates an unsafe flight environment; and that is entirely possible the aircraft I almost collided with arrived through a similar set of circumstances. The time for an aircraft to be dropped at los alamitos and be in the same airspace as long beach aircraft on base leg is maybe 1 min. I believe there are ongoing safety concerns that need to be addressed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PILOT REPORTS CRITICAL CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER CESSNA ARRIVING LGB AND NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE TOWER.

Narrative: I WAS TALKING TO THE TWR CTLR; CLRED TO OVERFLY THE ARPT AT 2000 FT FOR A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 25R. AS I APCHED THE DOWNWIND ENTRY; THE TWR CTLR CLRED ME TO BEGIN MY DSCNT TO PATTERN ALT (1000 FT MSL). ONCE ESTABLISHED ON DOWNWIND; I WAS 'CLRED TO LAND; RWY 25R.' AS I WAS TURNING BASE TO FINAL; I OBSERVED TFC OUT THE L WINDOW THAT WAS VERY CLOSE AND ON A COLLISION COURSE. I STARTED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION BACK TO THE R WHEN THE TWR CTLR URGENTLY CALLED TFC AND DIRECTED I CONTINUE A R 360 DEGS. I WAS FULL FLAPS AND 65 KTS MAKING HARD MANEUVERING AND EXCESSIVE BANK UNSAFE. IF I HAD NOT SEEN THE OTHER ACFT; I WOULD HAVE DSNDED DIRECTLY INTO HIM. LOOKING AROUND THE WING ON A HIGH WING ACFT FOR ALIGNMENT ON FINAL; I WAS IN A POOR POS TO SEE THE OTHER ACFT; AND WITH THE OTHER ACFT A HIGH WING THEY WERE IN A POOR POS TO SEE ME. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR THE TWR TALKING TO THE OTHER ACFT OR CLRING THEM FOR THE SAME RWY. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY; INTENDING RWY 25L; WHICH IS CTLED ON A SEPARATE TWR FREQ. A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INSTANCE IS THE ENTIRE APCH PROC AT LONG BEACH ARPT FOR TFC ARRIVING FROM THE E. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING LONG BEACH WILL NOT ACCEPT A HDOF FOR INCOMING VFR TFC. LONG BEACH AND LOS ALAMITOS AIRSPACE OVERLAP; WITH PRIORITY GIVEN TO LONG BEACH. I AND SEVERAL PLTS I KNOW HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSITION FROM SOCAL APCH TO LOS ALAMITOS; ONLY TO BE DROPPED BY LOS ALAMITOS (FREQ CHANGE APPROVED; SQUAWK VFR) LITERALLY ENTERING LONG BEACH AIRSPACE. SINCE LONG BEACH IS A VERY BUSY ARPT; IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH COMS PRIOR TO FINDING YOURSELF WELL WITHIN CLASS D AIRSPACE. SINCE SOCAL WILL OFTEN TELL YOU WHAT RWY TO EXPECT; THE ASSUMPTION IS TO CONTINUE TO THE RWY WHILE TRYING TO ESTABLISH COMS. REALISTICALLY THERE ISN'T ANYWHERE ELSE TO GO WITHOUT POTENTIALLY CREATING EVEN GREATER CONFLICT CIRCLING IN VERY BUSY CLASS D AIRSPACE BTWN THE 2 FACILITIES. PLTS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA KNOW YOU HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY REQUEST FREQ CHANGE DURING THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH LOS ALAMITOS; BUT THE SITUATION IS TOO COMPACTED AND UNWITTING AIRSPACE INCURSIONS ARE NOT UNCOMMON. I BELIEVE THE ENTIRE PROC ARRIVING FROM THE E CREATES AN UNSAFE FLT ENVIRONMENT; AND THAT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THE ACFT I ALMOST COLLIDED WITH ARRIVED THROUGH A SIMILAR SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THE TIME FOR AN ACFT TO BE DROPPED AT LOS ALAMITOS AND BE IN THE SAME AIRSPACE AS LONG BEACH ACFT ON BASE LEG IS MAYBE 1 MIN. I BELIEVE THERE ARE ONGOING SAFETY CONCERNS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

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.