Narrative:

I called the tower at cdw and was told to report entering a right downwind for runway 22. I had called in 10 mi north of the field and had been listening to the tower for about 5 mins prior to my call. The tower was giving everyone the same instructions who was calling in to land that was report entering a right downwind for runway 22. Coming from the north I was expecting and hoping for a straight in or base entry as I have been given many times in the past. The pattern was not that busy and I only knew of 2 other planes in front of me by the time I was about 5 mi out. When I was flying southwest to get to a position so I could enter at a 45 degrees for a right downwind; I heard another plane call in over a local landmark; boonton reservoir; for landing. That plane was told the same thing as I was and I knew that the plane calling in would be less than a mi away from me at my 2 O'clock position. I thought I was far enough south of the airport to start my left turn to enter the pattern on a 45 degree from the right downwind. I started to turn left and I called the tower to inform them I was entering the pattern. The tower told me traffic at my 1 O'clock position. I saw the traffic and replied traffic in sight. The tower told me the traffic was leaving the pattern. I was now on a right downwind and the traffic climbed behind me. We were never that close for 2 planes in the same pattern; however the tower called me and asked; in the future please fly to square lake and start your entry on a 45 degree there; you will avoid that in the future. The tower thought I should have flown about 1/8 mi further south before I started my 45 degrees. However there was what I thought a good reason not to fly any further south than I did. I just told the tower ok I would do that in the future; thank you. Not to tie up the frequency with my explanation. The reason I turned early was because the other plane that I heard call in over boonton would have also been flying to square lake and I did not see him nor did the tower advise me of him. I felt turning when I did would keep me at a safe distance from that arriving aircraft. My thought on this situation after landing was that the tower was doing their job correctly; however; by giving so many aircraft the same instructions coming from different directions puts everyone in the same location. In a non-twred environment this may be the best practice however with the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TB-20 PILOT EXPERIENCED AN NMAC WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN AT CDW.

Narrative: I CALLED THE TWR AT CDW AND WAS TOLD TO RPT ENTERING A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22. I HAD CALLED IN 10 MI N OF THE FIELD AND HAD BEEN LISTENING TO THE TWR FOR ABOUT 5 MINS PRIOR TO MY CALL. THE TWR WAS GIVING EVERYONE THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS WHO WAS CALLING IN TO LAND THAT WAS RPT ENTERING A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22. COMING FROM THE N I WAS EXPECTING AND HOPING FOR A STRAIGHT IN OR BASE ENTRY AS I HAVE BEEN GIVEN MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. THE PATTERN WAS NOT THAT BUSY AND I ONLY KNEW OF 2 OTHER PLANES IN FRONT OF ME BY THE TIME I WAS ABOUT 5 MI OUT. WHEN I WAS FLYING SW TO GET TO A POS SO I COULD ENTER AT A 45 DEGS FOR A R DOWNWIND; I HEARD ANOTHER PLANE CALL IN OVER A LCL LANDMARK; BOONTON RESERVOIR; FOR LNDG. THAT PLANE WAS TOLD THE SAME THING AS I WAS AND I KNEW THAT THE PLANE CALLING IN WOULD BE LESS THAN A MI AWAY FROM ME AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS. I THOUGHT I WAS FAR ENOUGH S OF THE ARPT TO START MY L TURN TO ENTER THE PATTERN ON A 45 DEG FROM THE R DOWNWIND. I STARTED TO TURN L AND I CALLED THE TWR TO INFORM THEM I WAS ENTERING THE PATTERN. THE TWR TOLD ME TFC AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS. I SAW THE TFC AND REPLIED TFC IN SIGHT. THE TWR TOLD ME THE TFC WAS LEAVING THE PATTERN. I WAS NOW ON A R DOWNWIND AND THE TFC CLBED BEHIND ME. WE WERE NEVER THAT CLOSE FOR 2 PLANES IN THE SAME PATTERN; HOWEVER THE TWR CALLED ME AND ASKED; IN THE FUTURE PLEASE FLY TO SQUARE LAKE AND START YOUR ENTRY ON A 45 DEG THERE; YOU WILL AVOID THAT IN THE FUTURE. THE TWR THOUGHT I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN ABOUT 1/8 MI FURTHER S BEFORE I STARTED MY 45 DEGS. HOWEVER THERE WAS WHAT I THOUGHT A GOOD REASON NOT TO FLY ANY FURTHER S THAN I DID. I JUST TOLD THE TWR OK I WOULD DO THAT IN THE FUTURE; THANK YOU. NOT TO TIE UP THE FREQ WITH MY EXPLANATION. THE REASON I TURNED EARLY WAS BECAUSE THE OTHER PLANE THAT I HEARD CALL IN OVER BOONTON WOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN FLYING TO SQUARE LAKE AND I DID NOT SEE HIM NOR DID THE TWR ADVISE ME OF HIM. I FELT TURNING WHEN I DID WOULD KEEP ME AT A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THAT ARRIVING ACFT. MY THOUGHT ON THIS SITUATION AFTER LNDG WAS THAT THE TWR WAS DOING THEIR JOB CORRECTLY; HOWEVER; BY GIVING SO MANY ACFT THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS COMING FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS PUTS EVERYONE IN THE SAME LOCATION. IN A NON-TWRED ENVIRONMENT THIS MAY BE THE BEST PRACTICE HOWEVER WITH THE TWR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.