Narrative:

2 mi from airport on the 45, we reported our position to the tower and were cleared to land, #2 behind an aircraft that was downwind/base (way ahead/no factor). Just before we turned downwind from the 45, another aircraft was told to follow us and reported us in sight. On rolling out from turn to final, my student pointed out an aircraft below us, slightly to the left -- not in my sight without maneuvering aircraft. It was another high wing small aircraft, approximately 300 ft below us. I initially thought it might be going to land on the parallel runway and maintained my altitude, but it continued straight. The controller told the other airplane to make a right 360 degree on final and us to land. I believe that the other airplane was the one that was 'following' us. I should have been paying more attention to the other traffic in the area and seen this airplane sooner. The controller might also have noticed this sooner -- although his perspective may have made this difficult. If the other aircraft was in fact supposed to be following us, it should have kept us in sight and allowed proper spacing. I also wonder why we weren't given a 360 or go around since we were the higher airplane. We had our landing light on and the other plane did not, so it should have been clear which plane was which.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC WHEN 2 SMA TRAINING ACFT ARE ON FINAL APCH AT THE SAME TIME.

Narrative: 2 MI FROM ARPT ON THE 45, WE RPTED OUR POS TO THE TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND, #2 BEHIND AN ACFT THAT WAS DOWNWIND/BASE (WAY AHEAD/NO FACTOR). JUST BEFORE WE TURNED DOWNWIND FROM THE 45, ANOTHER ACFT WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW US AND RPTED US IN SIGHT. ON ROLLING OUT FROM TURN TO FINAL, MY STUDENT POINTED OUT AN ACFT BELOW US, SLIGHTLY TO THE L -- NOT IN MY SIGHT WITHOUT MANEUVERING ACFT. IT WAS ANOTHER HIGH WING SMA, APPROX 300 FT BELOW US. I INITIALLY THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE GOING TO LAND ON THE PARALLEL RWY AND MAINTAINED MY ALT, BUT IT CONTINUED STRAIGHT. THE CTLR TOLD THE OTHER AIRPLANE TO MAKE A R 360 DEG ON FINAL AND US TO LAND. I BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS 'FOLLOWING' US. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO THE OTHER TFC IN THE AREA AND SEEN THIS AIRPLANE SOONER. THE CTLR MIGHT ALSO HAVE NOTICED THIS SOONER -- ALTHOUGH HIS PERSPECTIVE MAY HAVE MADE THIS DIFFICULT. IF THE OTHER ACFT WAS IN FACT SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING US, IT SHOULD HAVE KEPT US IN SIGHT AND ALLOWED PROPER SPACING. I ALSO WONDER WHY WE WEREN'T GIVEN A 360 OR GAR SINCE WE WERE THE HIGHER AIRPLANE. WE HAD OUR LNDG LIGHT ON AND THE OTHER PLANE DID NOT, SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLR WHICH PLANE WAS WHICH.

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.