Narrative:

We were cleared on a visual approach from the northwest to runway xxr behind a cessna citation jet which we had in sight. The jet was much slower than anticipated; and when we rolled final behind him; tower advised that we were overtaking by at least 30 KTS. Since we were urgent with a patient aboard; rather than slow down for spacing; we inquired of the tower if we could land on runway xxl instead. The tower then cleared us for #1 landing on runway xxl. We had been listening to the radio and knew there was a piper cargo aircraft inbound from the south for runway xxl. He was on downwind at that time. Since we were lifeguard; tower then resequenced the piper to follow us and reclred him #2 for landing runway xxl. Then the tower asked the piper to report us; the commander; in sight. After a short pause; he reported us in sight. As we approached 1 mi final; approximately 300 ft AGL; I heard tower instruct the piper to go around and re-enter the left downwind for runway xxl. Simultaneously to that radio transmission I saw an aircraft rapidly banking away from our upper left position. He had gone around from a close-in left base position. Since he had already taken sufficient evasive action by the time I saw him; we continued to an uneventful landing. I think this event occurred because the piper pilot misidented the aircraft he was to follow. When we were on 7 mi final; we were significantly behind the citation jet; but as both the citation and our commander neared the runway; that distance grew shorter as we were traveling faster down final. I suspect that when the piper was on downwind; about to turn left base; he looked for the aircraft he was to follow on final; saw the citation; and waited for appropriate spacing then turned base. However; this put him on left base aimed squarely at us as we descended on final. I think a major factor was the dark night conditions and the fact that our commander is painted dark blue except for the bottom and part of the tail (he would have been looking at our nose; which is dark blue) and the citation was white; thus much easier to see in dark night conditions with lots of distracting ground clutter and lights in the industrial area that the field sits in. Another factor could possibly be that the piper pilot was unfamiliar with commanders and didn't know to look for a high wing turboprop and perhaps when he saw the white citation on final thought that must be the aircraft he was to follow. I elected not to take evasive action myself because once I saw the piper banking rapidly away I deemed that to be sufficient to avoid a collision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AC90 CAPTAIN REPORTS NMAC WITH PIPER DURING NIGHT VISUAL APPROACH. PIPER PILOT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AND THE AC90 CONTINUED TO LAND.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED ON A VISUAL APCH FROM THE NW TO RWY XXR BEHIND A CESSNA CITATION JET WHICH WE HAD IN SIGHT. THE JET WAS MUCH SLOWER THAN ANTICIPATED; AND WHEN WE ROLLED FINAL BEHIND HIM; TWR ADVISED THAT WE WERE OVERTAKING BY AT LEAST 30 KTS. SINCE WE WERE URGENT WITH A PATIENT ABOARD; RATHER THAN SLOW DOWN FOR SPACING; WE INQUIRED OF THE TWR IF WE COULD LAND ON RWY XXL INSTEAD. THE TWR THEN CLRED US FOR #1 LNDG ON RWY XXL. WE HAD BEEN LISTENING TO THE RADIO AND KNEW THERE WAS A PIPER CARGO ACFT INBOUND FROM THE S FOR RWY XXL. HE WAS ON DOWNWIND AT THAT TIME. SINCE WE WERE LIFEGUARD; TWR THEN RESEQUENCED THE PIPER TO FOLLOW US AND RECLRED HIM #2 FOR LNDG RWY XXL. THEN THE TWR ASKED THE PIPER TO RPT US; THE COMMANDER; IN SIGHT. AFTER A SHORT PAUSE; HE RPTED US IN SIGHT. AS WE APCHED 1 MI FINAL; APPROX 300 FT AGL; I HEARD TWR INSTRUCT THE PIPER TO GO AROUND AND RE-ENTER THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY XXL. SIMULTANEOUSLY TO THAT RADIO XMISSION I SAW AN ACFT RAPIDLY BANKING AWAY FROM OUR UPPER L POS. HE HAD GONE AROUND FROM A CLOSE-IN L BASE POS. SINCE HE HAD ALREADY TAKEN SUFFICIENT EVASIVE ACTION BY THE TIME I SAW HIM; WE CONTINUED TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I THINK THIS EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE PIPER PLT MISIDENTED THE ACFT HE WAS TO FOLLOW. WHEN WE WERE ON 7 MI FINAL; WE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND THE CITATION JET; BUT AS BOTH THE CITATION AND OUR COMMANDER NEARED THE RWY; THAT DISTANCE GREW SHORTER AS WE WERE TRAVELING FASTER DOWN FINAL. I SUSPECT THAT WHEN THE PIPER WAS ON DOWNWIND; ABOUT TO TURN L BASE; HE LOOKED FOR THE ACFT HE WAS TO FOLLOW ON FINAL; SAW THE CITATION; AND WAITED FOR APPROPRIATE SPACING THEN TURNED BASE. HOWEVER; THIS PUT HIM ON L BASE AIMED SQUARELY AT US AS WE DSNDED ON FINAL. I THINK A MAJOR FACTOR WAS THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS AND THE FACT THAT OUR COMMANDER IS PAINTED DARK BLUE EXCEPT FOR THE BOTTOM AND PART OF THE TAIL (HE WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT OUR NOSE; WHICH IS DARK BLUE) AND THE CITATION WAS WHITE; THUS MUCH EASIER TO SEE IN DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS WITH LOTS OF DISTRACTING GND CLUTTER AND LIGHTS IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA THAT THE FIELD SITS IN. ANOTHER FACTOR COULD POSSIBLY BE THAT THE PIPER PLT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH COMMANDERS AND DIDN'T KNOW TO LOOK FOR A HIGH WING TURBOPROP AND PERHAPS WHEN HE SAW THE WHITE CITATION ON FINAL THOUGHT THAT MUST BE THE ACFT HE WAS TO FOLLOW. I ELECTED NOT TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION MYSELF BECAUSE ONCE I SAW THE PIPER BANKING RAPIDLY AWAY I DEEMED THAT TO BE SUFFICIENT TO AVOID A COLLISION.

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.