Narrative:

I was in the traffic pattern shooting touch and goes at dxr (tower controled). Another small aircraft Y was also in closed traffic. After being cleared for touch and go on third or fourth circuit, things got busy. I reported downwind and was told I was #5 for landing. Aircraft Y was flying a very wide pattern. (On my first takeoff, some time after close traffic had done a touch and go, I went out approximately 1/2 mi. At 1200' turned crosswind and looked left for the small aircraft X on downwind. I thought he must be far ahead of me. I turned downwind and reported, and the small aircraft Y reported behind me. He must have extended upwind a long way. I should have looked out every window, and asked his position.) I didn't have him or another small aircraft Z also on downwind in sight. I continued downwind much further than I normally would. Another plane entered downwind behind me, and the tower said to them 'traffic is an small transport X ahead of you, should be turning base.' I was that small aircraft X. I was about 5 NM from the airport on downwind (according to LORAN), and I assumed I had missed seeing the planes ahead of me turn base and final. I thought that the tower's comment was a hint that I should already have turned base, particularly when I noted that I was almost out of the air traffic area. The frequency was busy and so rather than call and ask where all my traffic was, I figured they must have both been on final by now. I turned base, still at pattern altitude of 1700', and a few seconds later noted the small aircraft Z at my 7-8 O'clock position, a couple of hundred ft above me. He was on final and passed over me. He radioed the tower that another small aircraft had passed under him. The tower asked if he could follow me in. I said I was behind him on base and could follow him in. He was cleared to land and then had to go around due to an aircraft on the runway. I then landed. In my training I was taught to keep the pattern within 1/2 mi from the runway. I have never seen planes fly such a very wide pattern before, and I must have been looking where I expected them to be, rather than out to the right where they must have been. I also thought the tower had us all in sight and was telling me when to turn in a nice way. I won't make those kind of assumptions again!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative: I WAS IN THE TFC PATTERN SHOOTING TOUCH AND GOES AT DXR (TWR CTLED). ANOTHER SMA Y WAS ALSO IN CLOSED TFC. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO ON THIRD OR FOURTH CIRCUIT, THINGS GOT BUSY. I RPTED DOWNWIND AND WAS TOLD I WAS #5 FOR LNDG. ACFT Y WAS FLYING A VERY WIDE PATTERN. (ON MY FIRST TKOF, SOME TIME AFTER CLOSE TFC HAD DONE A TOUCH AND GO, I WENT OUT APPROX 1/2 MI. AT 1200' TURNED XWIND AND LOOKED LEFT FOR THE SMA X ON DOWNWIND. I THOUGHT HE MUST BE FAR AHEAD OF ME. I TURNED DOWNWIND AND RPTED, AND THE SMA Y RPTED BEHIND ME. HE MUST HAVE EXTENDED UPWIND A LONG WAY. I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED OUT EVERY WINDOW, AND ASKED HIS POS.) I DIDN'T HAVE HIM OR ANOTHER SMA Z ALSO ON DOWNWIND IN SIGHT. I CONTINUED DOWNWIND MUCH FURTHER THAN I NORMALLY WOULD. ANOTHER PLANE ENTERED DOWNWIND BEHIND ME, AND THE TWR SAID TO THEM 'TFC IS AN SMT X AHEAD OF YOU, SHOULD BE TURNING BASE.' I WAS THAT SMA X. I WAS ABOUT 5 NM FROM THE ARPT ON DOWNWIND (ACCORDING TO LORAN), AND I ASSUMED I HAD MISSED SEEING THE PLANES AHEAD OF ME TURN BASE AND FINAL. I THOUGHT THAT THE TWR'S COMMENT WAS A HINT THAT I SHOULD ALREADY HAVE TURNED BASE, PARTICULARLY WHEN I NOTED THAT I WAS ALMOST OUT OF THE ATA. THE FREQ WAS BUSY AND SO RATHER THAN CALL AND ASK WHERE ALL MY TFC WAS, I FIGURED THEY MUST HAVE BOTH BEEN ON FINAL BY NOW. I TURNED BASE, STILL AT PATTERN ALT OF 1700', AND A FEW SECS LATER NOTED THE SMA Z AT MY 7-8 O'CLOCK POS, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT ABOVE ME. HE WAS ON FINAL AND PASSED OVER ME. HE RADIOED THE TWR THAT ANOTHER SMA HAD PASSED UNDER HIM. THE TWR ASKED IF HE COULD FOLLOW ME IN. I SAID I WAS BEHIND HIM ON BASE AND COULD FOLLOW HIM IN. HE WAS CLRED TO LAND AND THEN HAD TO GO AROUND DUE TO AN ACFT ON THE RWY. I THEN LANDED. IN MY TRNING I WAS TAUGHT TO KEEP THE PATTERN WITHIN 1/2 MI FROM THE RWY. I HAVE NEVER SEEN PLANES FLY SUCH A VERY WIDE PATTERN BEFORE, AND I MUST HAVE BEEN LOOKING WHERE I EXPECTED THEM TO BE, RATHER THAN OUT TO THE RIGHT WHERE THEY MUST HAVE BEEN. I ALSO THOUGHT THE TWR HAD US ALL IN SIGHT AND WAS TELLING ME WHEN TO TURN IN A NICE WAY. I WON'T MAKE THOSE KIND OF ASSUMPTIONS AGAIN!

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