Narrative:

In 7/88 I took from cak on an IFR flight plan to det. I was turned over to dtw approach control and was given vectors for a visual approach to runway 15. At 8 mi we picked up the airport and were turned over to dtw tower. At 5 mi we were issued landing clearance. Shortly after we checked in on dtw tower frequency we overheard a single engine aircraft type call in and dtw tower informed him he was in the air traffic area and called him out to us approximately 2 1/2 mi north of our position. We were turning downwind leg at the time. While we were completing our checklist on downwind leg, we heard the tower ask an aircraft type if they had us in sight. Although I don't remember the reply, my first officer said it was an affirmative. I began my turn to base leg. As my wing lowered I checked the inside of the turn and saw a white and blue small transport just on the inside of my turn in a 30 degree bank away from me about 100' below and 400' distant. I rolled out of my turn to increase the sep. I rolled back in and completed the pattern and landing west/O further incident. After landing I called the tower operator and asked her where the small transport came from. She said it had departed runway 25 which intersects 15 at the departure end of 15 and made a right hand departure. She also said it reported me in sight. Obviously this procedure was unsatisfactory for it resulted in a near collision. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the ATC tower local controller used only the mfr's name when calling 1 of the other 2 aircraft in the pattern, and since both aircraft were of the same name, the reporter was confused and having seen one aircraft did not look for the other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ATX-LTT GA-SMT IN TRAFFIC AT DET.

Narrative: IN 7/88 I TOOK FROM CAK ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO DET. I WAS TURNED OVER TO DTW APCH CTL AND WAS GIVEN VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 15. AT 8 MI WE PICKED UP THE ARPT AND WERE TURNED OVER TO DTW TWR. AT 5 MI WE WERE ISSUED LNDG CLRNC. SHORTLY AFTER WE CHKED IN ON DTW TWR FREQ WE OVERHEARD A SINGLE ENG ACFT TYPE CALL IN AND DTW TWR INFORMED HIM HE WAS IN THE ATA AND CALLED HIM OUT TO US APPROX 2 1/2 MI N OF OUR POS. WE WERE TURNING DOWNWIND LEG AT THE TIME. WHILE WE WERE COMPLETING OUR CHKLIST ON DOWNWIND LEG, WE HEARD THE TWR ASK AN ACFT TYPE IF THEY HAD US IN SIGHT. ALTHOUGH I DON'T REMEMBER THE REPLY, MY F/O SAID IT WAS AN AFFIRMATIVE. I BEGAN MY TURN TO BASE LEG. AS MY WING LOWERED I CHKED THE INSIDE OF THE TURN AND SAW A WHITE AND BLUE SMT JUST ON THE INSIDE OF MY TURN IN A 30 DEG BANK AWAY FROM ME ABOUT 100' BELOW AND 400' DISTANT. I ROLLED OUT OF MY TURN TO INCREASE THE SEP. I ROLLED BACK IN AND COMPLETED THE PATTERN AND LNDG W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE TWR OPERATOR AND ASKED HER WHERE THE SMT CAME FROM. SHE SAID IT HAD DEPARTED RWY 25 WHICH INTERSECTS 15 AT THE DEP END OF 15 AND MADE A RIGHT HAND DEP. SHE ALSO SAID IT RPTED ME IN SIGHT. OBVIOUSLY THIS PROC WAS UNSATISFACTORY FOR IT RESULTED IN A NEAR COLLISION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE ATC TWR LCL CTLR USED ONLY THE MFR'S NAME WHEN CALLING 1 OF THE OTHER 2 ACFT IN THE PATTERN, AND SINCE BOTH ACFT WERE OF THE SAME NAME, THE RPTR WAS CONFUSED AND HAVING SEEN ONE ACFT DID NOT LOOK FOR THE OTHER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.