Narrative:

While inbound to sna from th southeast at about 1800 ft MSL approach control cleared us to 'pelican hill', a VFR entry point and switched us to sna tower 119.9 for landing on runway 19L. Tower cleared us to enter left traffic for 19L then limited our descent to 1500 ft MSL and cleared us to cross midfield (wbound) for right traffic 19R and to contact tower on 126.8. On 126.8 we were cleared to cross midfield not below 1000 ft MSL to enter right downwind, while on right downwind for runway 19R we were cleared to land #2 behind an small aircraft straight in to 19R when about 1 mi beyond abeam the landing point on downwind the small aircraft was cleared to land on runway 19L and we were cleared #1 on 19R behind an airliner cleared for takeoff. We turned right to line up on 19R and as soon as we rolled wings level on final (approximately 2 mi) we were told by sna tower 'min time on the runway, medium large transport X at 5 mi to follow.' almost immediately we were told to 'go around'; we started an immediate climb and were told to turn right downwind for landing. I asked 'now?' the tower said 'turn now!' and we turned right for landing. As we rolled into our turn I saw an air carrier (flight medium large transport Y) slightly below (30 ft) and inside our turn (50 ft) in a right bank. He passed inside to the right. At no time did the tower advise us of the close proximity of the medium large transport Y or of a possible mid air conflict. After landing and taxi to FBO aviation I called sna tower and talked to acting tower supervisor. I asked him what happened and he told me of the conflict as I described it and apologized profusely for the unsafe situation which ensued. I asked him if tower radar showed our merging tracks and he told me he thought we had about 2 1/4 mi separation from the medium large transport Y. I asked him if any alert was given for 2 possible conflicts and he said no. I contacted the captain and first officer of medium large transport Y and they said that they were cleared by approach control for a visual approach (from the right) #2 to follow an small aircraft on final for 19R. They flew a tight approach well behind the small aircraft. On tower frequency they heard the instructions for me to go around but were not aware of my position. They saw a climbing aircraft well ahead (an airliner previously cleared to takeoff on runway 19R) and assumed it to be us. When we started our right turn to downwind the medium large transport Y crew saw us for the first time and started an immediate evasive turn to the right. Supplemental information from acn 198554. Tower should advise both aircraft of the impending traffic conflict. Approach control and tower should have been in better coordination of traffic handoffs. Airliners should not be allowed to fly close-in/short visual approachs at orange co/sna. Supplemental information from acn 199235. Medium large transport became involved by not having the correct traffic in sight and by not following controller instructions and turning a 3 mi final. Facility having a LOA with the radar facility for early turn ONS without coordination with the local controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA SMT MAKING GAR AS CLRED AND ACR MLG ON VISUAL APCH WITH SHORT TURN ONTO RWY.

Narrative: WHILE INBOUND TO SNA FROM TH SE AT ABOUT 1800 FT MSL APCH CTL CLRED US TO 'PELICAN HILL', A VFR ENTRY POINT AND SWITCHED US TO SNA TWR 119.9 FOR LNDG ON RWY 19L. TWR CLRED US TO ENTER L TFC FOR 19L THEN LIMITED OUR DSCNT TO 1500 FT MSL AND CLRED US TO CROSS MIDFIELD (WBOUND) FOR R TFC 19R AND TO CONTACT TWR ON 126.8. ON 126.8 WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS MIDFIELD NOT BELOW 1000 FT MSL TO ENTER R DOWNWIND, WHILE ON R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19R WE WERE CLRED TO LAND #2 BEHIND AN SMA STRAIGHT IN TO 19R WHEN ABOUT 1 MI BEYOND ABEAM THE LNDG POINT ON DOWNWIND THE SMA WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 19L AND WE WERE CLRED #1 ON 19R BEHIND AN AIRLINER CLRED FOR TKOF. WE TURNED R TO LINE UP ON 19R AND AS SOON AS WE ROLLED WINGS LEVEL ON FINAL (APPROX 2 MI) WE WERE TOLD BY SNA TWR 'MIN TIME ON THE RWY, MLG X AT 5 MI TO FOLLOW.' ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WE WERE TOLD TO 'GAR'; WE STARTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB AND WERE TOLD TO TURN R DOWNWIND FOR LNDG. I ASKED 'NOW?' THE TWR SAID 'TURN NOW!' AND WE TURNED R FOR LNDG. AS WE ROLLED INTO OUR TURN I SAW AN ACR (FLT MLG Y) SLIGHTLY BELOW (30 FT) AND INSIDE OUR TURN (50 FT) IN A R BANK. HE PASSED INSIDE TO THE R. AT NO TIME DID THE TWR ADVISE US OF THE CLOSE PROX OF THE MLG Y OR OF A POSSIBLE MID AIR CONFLICT. AFTER LNDG AND TAXI TO FBO AVIATION I CALLED SNA TWR AND TALKED TO ACTING TWR SUPVR. I ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED AND HE TOLD ME OF THE CONFLICT AS I DESCRIBED IT AND APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY FOR THE UNSAFE SITUATION WHICH ENSUED. I ASKED HIM IF TWR RADAR SHOWED OUR MERGING TRACKS AND HE TOLD ME HE THOUGHT WE HAD ABOUT 2 1/4 MI SEPARATION FROM THE MLG Y. I ASKED HIM IF ANY ALERT WAS GIVEN FOR 2 POSSIBLE CONFLICTS AND HE SAID NO. I CONTACTED THE CAPT AND FO OF MLG Y AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE CLRED BY APCH CTL FOR A VISUAL APCH (FROM THE R) #2 TO FOLLOW AN SMA ON FINAL FOR 19R. THEY FLEW A TIGHT APCH WELL BEHIND THE SMA. ON TWR FREQ THEY HEARD THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR ME TO GAR BUT WERE NOT AWARE OF MY POS. THEY SAW A CLBING ACFT WELL AHEAD (AN AIRLINER PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO TKOF ON RWY 19R) AND ASSUMED IT TO BE US. WHEN WE STARTED OUR R TURN TO DOWNWIND THE MLG Y CREW SAW US FOR THE FIRST TIME AND STARTED AN IMMEDIATE EVASIVE TURN TO THE R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 198554. TWR SHOULD ADVISE BOTH ACFT OF THE IMPENDING TFC CONFLICT. APCH CTL AND TWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN BETTER COORD OF TFC HDOFS. AIRLINERS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO FLY CLOSE-IN/SHORT VISUAL APCHS AT ORANGE CO/SNA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 199235. MLG BECAME INVOLVED BY NOT HAVING THE CORRECT TFC IN SIGHT AND BY NOT FOLLOWING CTLR INSTRUCTIONS AND TURNING A 3 MI FINAL. FACILITY HAVING A LOA WITH THE RADAR FACILITY FOR EARLY TURN ONS WITHOUT COORD WITH THE LCL CTLR.

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.