Narrative:

I was heading northbound; VFR; and receiving TA's while en route to one of our practice areas. A saab 340 was inbound for a scheduled air carrier stop into ZZZ. ZZZ approach had saab on a base leg for a visual approach to runway 17R. The saab was eastbound on his base leg on the northwest side of the airfield. Departure control called traffic for me; the saab on a visual approach. I reported that I had the traffic in sight to my 10-11 O'clock position and I would proceed wbound to pass behind the saab and then continue northbound. Departure control then informed me that the saab was turning south. I understood that statement to mean that the saab was immediately turning south and directly at me had I turned west. I then replied that I would remain northbound to avoid the saab; however; the saab did not turn south as departure control informed me they were; thus placing us on a converging flight course. When I realized this; I began an immediate climb to gain altitude over the saab; as I thought he was descending on his approach. I saw the saab pitch downward as he passed below me. After my flight I called approach to figure out what happened; and to explain my side of the story. The controller I spoke with was training in a new controller; whom was on the radios. The controller I spoke with said the 'saab turning south' statement should not have been said to me; as then I would have turned west and the conflict would not have happened. The controller stated that he would have done the same thing I did. He also mentioned that the saab responded to an RA from possibly more than 1 aircraft. ZZZ is an extremely busy flight training environment. I very strongly feel that the 'south' statement from the controller is what directly contributed to the incident. Had that false statement not been said; I would have turned west and remained well clear of the saab. Factors were a new; inexperienced controller; high workload for the controllers; many aircraft in the area; and miscom on the controller's part.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 INSTRUCTOR PLT EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH SA34. INVALID COMMUNICATION FROM ATC TRAINEE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED.

Narrative: I WAS HDG NBOUND; VFR; AND RECEIVING TA'S WHILE ENRTE TO ONE OF OUR PRACTICE AREAS. A SAAB 340 WAS INBOUND FOR A SCHEDULED ACR STOP INTO ZZZ. ZZZ APCH HAD SAAB ON A BASE LEG FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17R. THE SAAB WAS EBOUND ON HIS BASE LEG ON THE NW SIDE OF THE AIRFIELD. DEP CTL CALLED TFC FOR ME; THE SAAB ON A VISUAL APCH. I RPTED THAT I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT TO MY 10-11 O'CLOCK POS AND I WOULD PROCEED WBOUND TO PASS BEHIND THE SAAB AND THEN CONTINUE NBOUND. DEP CTL THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE SAAB WAS TURNING S. I UNDERSTOOD THAT STATEMENT TO MEAN THAT THE SAAB WAS IMMEDIATELY TURNING S AND DIRECTLY AT ME HAD I TURNED W. I THEN REPLIED THAT I WOULD REMAIN NBOUND TO AVOID THE SAAB; HOWEVER; THE SAAB DID NOT TURN S AS DEP CTL INFORMED ME THEY WERE; THUS PLACING US ON A CONVERGING FLT COURSE. WHEN I REALIZED THIS; I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO GAIN ALT OVER THE SAAB; AS I THOUGHT HE WAS DSNDING ON HIS APCH. I SAW THE SAAB PITCH DOWNWARD AS HE PASSED BELOW ME. AFTER MY FLT I CALLED APCH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED; AND TO EXPLAIN MY SIDE OF THE STORY. THE CTLR I SPOKE WITH WAS TRAINING IN A NEW CTLR; WHOM WAS ON THE RADIOS. THE CTLR I SPOKE WITH SAID THE 'SAAB TURNING S' STATEMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SAID TO ME; AS THEN I WOULD HAVE TURNED W AND THE CONFLICT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. THE CTLR STATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING I DID. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE SAAB RESPONDED TO AN RA FROM POSSIBLY MORE THAN 1 ACFT. ZZZ IS AN EXTREMELY BUSY FLT TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. I VERY STRONGLY FEEL THAT THE 'SOUTH' STATEMENT FROM THE CTLR IS WHAT DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT. HAD THAT FALSE STATEMENT NOT BEEN SAID; I WOULD HAVE TURNED W AND REMAINED WELL CLR OF THE SAAB. FACTORS WERE A NEW; INEXPERIENCED CTLR; HIGH WORKLOAD FOR THE CTLRS; MANY ACFT IN THE AREA; AND MISCOM ON THE CTLR'S PART.

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.