Narrative:

My student and I entered the pattern on a left downwind to runway 32 as instructed. We were very busy in the plane and we were having a hard time getting our radio calls in because there were so many people on the frequency and in the pattern. ATC said we would be following small transport traffic on a 2 mi right base. Apparently I didn't hear all of the call, I had traffic on the left base and I thought that was what I was following. We turned to the base leg and were about to turn final when ATC asked if we had the traffic we were following in sight. I replied that we had traffic on short final. ATC then told us to make an immediate hard left 360 degree turn. As I started the turn I saw the small transport behind us, a couple hundred ft away. The small transport passed us and landed, and we followed and landed. I believe factors which contributed to this situation include the fact that my attention was divided between receiving and transmitting radio calls, correcting for a direct 16 KT crosswind, instructing my student, and watching all the traffic in the area, while setting up for landing. Because I was so busy, I was not listening as carefully as I could have been. Fortunately ATC saw the situation and informed me, upon which I took immediate action to correct the situation. To prevent a recurrence in the future, I will have to be more careful when listening to ATC and looking for traffic, especially when I have an increased workload in a busy environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA INSTRUCTOR PLT CUT OUT ANOTHER ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN. NMAC.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I ENTERED THE PATTERN ON A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 32 AS INSTRUCTED. WE WERE VERY BUSY IN THE PLANE AND WE WERE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING OUR RADIO CALLS IN BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE ON THE FREQ AND IN THE PATTERN. ATC SAID WE WOULD BE FOLLOWING SMT TFC ON A 2 MI R BASE. APPARENTLY I DIDN'T HEAR ALL OF THE CALL, I HAD TFC ON THE L BASE AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT I WAS FOLLOWING. WE TURNED TO THE BASE LEG AND WERE ABOUT TO TURN FINAL WHEN ATC ASKED IF WE HAD THE TFC WE WERE FOLLOWING IN SIGHT. I REPLIED THAT WE HAD TFC ON SHORT FINAL. ATC THEN TOLD US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE HARD L 360 DEG TURN. AS I STARTED THE TURN I SAW THE SMT BEHIND US, A COUPLE HUNDRED FT AWAY. THE SMT PASSED US AND LANDED, AND WE FOLLOWED AND LANDED. I BELIEVE FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT INCLUDE THE FACT THAT MY ATTN WAS DIVIDED BTWN RECEIVING AND XMITTING RADIO CALLS, CORRECTING FOR A DIRECT 16 KT XWIND, INSTRUCTING MY STUDENT, AND WATCHING ALL THE TFC IN THE AREA, WHILE SETTING UP FOR LNDG. BECAUSE I WAS SO BUSY, I WAS NOT LISTENING AS CAREFULLY AS I COULD HAVE BEEN. FORTUNATELY ATC SAW THE SIT AND INFORMED ME, UPON WHICH I TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO CORRECT THE SIT. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE IN THE FUTURE, I WILL HAVE TO BE MORE CAREFUL WHEN LISTENING TO ATC AND LOOKING FOR TFC, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE AN INCREASED WORKLOAD IN A BUSY ENVIRONMENT.

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.