Narrative:

My wife and 2 children were on board. I am a private pilot with an instrument rating. I am instrument current. I work in GA and I fly at a busy; uncontrolled airport several times a week. My wife was in the right seat. We used flight following for the entire flight. After about 2 hours in the air; ATC handed us off to tower. We checked in and reported we had ATIS. We were told to report a 3 mi right base for runway 24. At some point; before or after we reported on base; we were instructed to enter the downwind. Neither my wife nor I understood the instruction since we were already in position for a base leg entry. I asked for clarification and was told that if I made a left turn from a right base; I'd be on a right downwind. I understood the instruction as being to turn left to extend the downwind. Since I was inside the reporting point; and had come closer to the airport while clarifying the instructions; I turned downwind as soon as I understood the instruction. Upon rolling out; my wife; son; and I saw the bottom of a canard aircraft above and to our left. It was very close; and seemed to be closing. I maneuvered down and right very abruptly. The distance opened up and the canard seemed to move away. I asked the tower if they knew about a long-ez (the first canard to come to mind) near me. I don't recall my exact words; but I made it clear that he was very close. Tower reported that the aircraft was a vari-ez who had us in sight the whole time. Upon getting stabilized; we entered base and final. On final; my wife called the tower and reported we had just had an near midair collision with a vari-ez; to which the controller responded that the vari-ez had us in sight; and it was not a problem. My wife replied that she doubted they had us in sight with their belly towards us. We landed normally. Everyone on board was quite shaken. After 1 hour or so; I called the tower on the phone. I was routed to the controller who handled us from our initial contact. She told me that the aircraft was a vari-ez. She said it had been behind and to my right from the time I entered their airspace; and was overtaking us. She said he had us in sight during the entire approach. He had been instructed to execute a 360 degree turn for spacing; but she did not tell me which way or at what point. I asked if we had been notified about nearby traffic; and was told no; since he had us in sight. I asked if there was a formal procedure for reporting an near midair collision; and was told no; but that I should take up the matter with the pilot of the vari-ez. I said I didn't know who it was; at which point the controller offered the n-number and that the airplane was parked near us on the ramp. There was a vari-ez; parked a few spots down. I never saw or contacted the pilot. I called back again to ask about preserving the ATC tapes; and was told to contact the local FSDO; which I did. They encouraged me to send an official report to them.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN A NMAC ON DOWNWIND AT A CONTROLLED ARPT.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND 2 CHILDREN WERE ON BOARD. I AM A PVT PLT WITH AN INST RATING. I AM INST CURRENT. I WORK IN GA AND I FLY AT A BUSY; UNCTLED ARPT SEVERAL TIMES A WK. MY WIFE WAS IN THE R SEAT. WE USED FLT FOLLOWING FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. AFTER ABOUT 2 HRS IN THE AIR; ATC HANDED US OFF TO TWR. WE CHKED IN AND RPTED WE HAD ATIS. WE WERE TOLD TO RPT A 3 MI R BASE FOR RWY 24. AT SOME POINT; BEFORE OR AFTER WE RPTED ON BASE; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND. NEITHER MY WIFE NOR I UNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTION SINCE WE WERE ALREADY IN POS FOR A BASE LEG ENTRY. I ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION AND WAS TOLD THAT IF I MADE A L TURN FROM A R BASE; I'D BE ON A R DOWNWIND. I UNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTION AS BEING TO TURN L TO EXTEND THE DOWNWIND. SINCE I WAS INSIDE THE RPTING POINT; AND HAD COME CLOSER TO THE ARPT WHILE CLARIFYING THE INSTRUCTIONS; I TURNED DOWNWIND AS SOON AS I UNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTION. UPON ROLLING OUT; MY WIFE; SON; AND I SAW THE BOTTOM OF A CANARD ACFT ABOVE AND TO OUR L. IT WAS VERY CLOSE; AND SEEMED TO BE CLOSING. I MANEUVERED DOWN AND R VERY ABRUPTLY. THE DISTANCE OPENED UP AND THE CANARD SEEMED TO MOVE AWAY. I ASKED THE TWR IF THEY KNEW ABOUT A LONG-EZ (THE FIRST CANARD TO COME TO MIND) NEAR ME. I DON'T RECALL MY EXACT WORDS; BUT I MADE IT CLR THAT HE WAS VERY CLOSE. TWR RPTED THAT THE ACFT WAS A VARI-EZ WHO HAD US IN SIGHT THE WHOLE TIME. UPON GETTING STABILIZED; WE ENTERED BASE AND FINAL. ON FINAL; MY WIFE CALLED THE TWR AND RPTED WE HAD JUST HAD AN NMAC WITH A VARI-EZ; TO WHICH THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT THE VARI-EZ HAD US IN SIGHT; AND IT WAS NOT A PROB. MY WIFE REPLIED THAT SHE DOUBTED THEY HAD US IN SIGHT WITH THEIR BELLY TOWARDS US. WE LANDED NORMALLY. EVERYONE ON BOARD WAS QUITE SHAKEN. AFTER 1 HR OR SO; I CALLED THE TWR ON THE PHONE. I WAS ROUTED TO THE CTLR WHO HANDLED US FROM OUR INITIAL CONTACT. SHE TOLD ME THAT THE ACFT WAS A VARI-EZ. SHE SAID IT HAD BEEN BEHIND AND TO MY R FROM THE TIME I ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE; AND WAS OVERTAKING US. SHE SAID HE HAD US IN SIGHT DURING THE ENTIRE APCH. HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO EXECUTE A 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING; BUT SHE DID NOT TELL ME WHICH WAY OR AT WHAT POINT. I ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT NEARBY TFC; AND WAS TOLD NO; SINCE HE HAD US IN SIGHT. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A FORMAL PROC FOR RPTING AN NMAC; AND WAS TOLD NO; BUT THAT I SHOULD TAKE UP THE MATTER WITH THE PLT OF THE VARI-EZ. I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW WHO IT WAS; AT WHICH POINT THE CTLR OFFERED THE N-NUMBER AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS PARKED NEAR US ON THE RAMP. THERE WAS A VARI-EZ; PARKED A FEW SPOTS DOWN. I NEVER SAW OR CONTACTED THE PLT. I CALLED BACK AGAIN TO ASK ABOUT PRESERVING THE ATC TAPES; AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE LCL FSDO; WHICH I DID. THEY ENCOURAGED ME TO SEND AN OFFICIAL RPT TO THEM.

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.