Narrative:

I was the PIC of a piper cherokee 140 on an IFR clearance from oshkosh, wi, to dupage airport, il. I was handed-off to the dupage local from chicago approach while on a straight-in visual approach to runway 19R. I reported at approximately 5 mi. Local informed me that I was really on an 8 mi straight-in approach. I was then cleared to land. At the time, 2 cessna 172's were holding short at 19R. The first 172 was cleared for immediate takeoff while I was on about a 2 mi final (#1). The second 172 then called ready and was cleared into position and hold. He was told to be ready for an immediate departure (at this time I was approximately 1/2 - 1 mi for the threshold). The first cessna became airborne and immediately entered a climbing right turn onto downwind (010 degree heading). The second 172 never received a takeoff clearance. I was then told to go around and make right traffic. (#2). I climbed directly behind the first 172 who was now established on a downwind (#3). I climbed to pattern altitude of 1700 ft on about a 360 degree heading and awaited instructions to turn right base to 19R. The first 172 was now at approximately 2000-2100 ft. I was told to 'follow cessna traffic.' I informed local that I was following a cessna 172 at my 12 O'clock position and just above me. Local said I was #4 for the approach behind a piper cherokee beech bonanza, and the (unspecified) cessna. Local asked me for my position. I responded that I was continuing on the 360 heading behind the cessna 172. Local then became confused and stated that he didn't have me in radar contact. Local apparently had no clue who was where within the traffic pattern, and more important, on final approach! (Local announced something to the effect that 'there are 5 aircraft out there and I don't know where you are'). I was instructed to make my right base and fly at 2000 ft directly over the approach end of 19R (#4). As I made my right base turn, a cessna 172 flew directly in front of me on approximately a 010 degree heading at 2000 ft (#5). I announced blindly on the frequency 'cessna, look out your left window!'). The cessna passed within 150 ft of me from right to left. At that time (as I was on my right base), I was face-to-face with another piper cherokee (who was on about a 270 degree heading), (#6). We were at the same altitude (2000 ft) and flying directly at each other. I maneuvered my aircraft to the right to continue my turn to final (as instructed). We came within 100-150 ft of each other at the same altitude. I flew as instructed at 2000 ft directly straight-in to 19R (#7). Local told me that he lost my transponder during the incident (I find it hard to believe as he was the one who originally corrected my statement that I was on a 5-MI final, when, in fact, I was on an 8-MI final). Either way, I believe it was incumbent upon local to tell me immediately when he had lost radar contact. At no time did he do this after I made my initial go around and r-hand pattern). As I was on about a 11/2 mi final to 19R at 2000 ft, the traffic on a 1-MI final was pointed out to me (a bonanza) (#8). I acknowledged that I ;had the traffic in sight. I was told to make a right descending turn and was cleared to land (#9). I complies and landed without incident (#10). This was a potentially extremely dangerous situation. 3 aircraft were within several hundred ft of each other and at the same altitude on the centerline of 19R approximately 5 mi from the threshold. The local controller made the first mistake of clearing the second cessna onto the active runway while I was on a .5 to 1 mi final. There was no way he could have gotten him out in time (as there was a lot of traffic on the frequency). He failed to clarify which cessna traffic I was supposed to follow even after I described the cessna 172 (the first cessna) which I was following. Further, he failed to let me know that he did not have me on his BRITE scope. He had simply lost control of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT DIDN'T LIKE THE TFC SIT AT DPA.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF A PIPER CHEROKEE 140 ON AN IFR CLRNC FROM OSHKOSH, WI, TO DUPAGE ARPT, IL. I WAS HANDED-OFF TO THE DUPAGE LCL FROM CHICAGO APCH WHILE ON A STRAIGHT-IN VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R. I RPTED AT APPROX 5 MI. LCL INFORMED ME THAT I WAS REALLY ON AN 8 MI STRAIGHT-IN APCH. I WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND. AT THE TIME, 2 CESSNA 172'S WERE HOLDING SHORT AT 19R. THE FIRST 172 WAS CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF WHILE I WAS ON ABOUT A 2 MI FINAL (#1). THE SECOND 172 THEN CALLED READY AND WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. HE WAS TOLD TO BE READY FOR AN IMMEDIATE DEP (AT THIS TIME I WAS APPROX 1/2 - 1 MI FOR THE THRESHOLD). THE FIRST CESSNA BECAME AIRBORNE AND IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A CLBING R TURN ONTO DOWNWIND (010 DEG HDG). THE SECOND 172 NEVER RECEIVED A TKOF CLRNC. I WAS THEN TOLD TO GAR AND MAKE R TFC. (#2). I CLIMBED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE FIRST 172 WHO WAS NOW ESTABLISHED ON A DOWNWIND (#3). I CLBED TO PATTERN ALT OF 1700 FT ON ABOUT A 360 DEG HDG AND AWAITED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN R BASE TO 19R. THE FIRST 172 WAS NOW AT APPROX 2000-2100 FT. I WAS TOLD TO 'FOLLOW CESSNA TFC.' I INFORMED LCL THAT I WAS FOLLOWING A CESSNA 172 AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS AND JUST ABOVE ME. LCL SAID I WAS #4 FOR THE APCH BEHIND A PIPER CHEROKEE BEECH BONANZA, AND THE (UNSPECIFIED) CESSNA. LCL ASKED ME FOR MY POS. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS CONTINUING ON THE 360 HDG BEHIND THE CESSNA 172. LCL THEN BECAME CONFUSED AND STATED THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE ME IN RADAR CONTACT. LCL APPARENTLY HAD NO CLUE WHO WAS WHERE WITHIN THE TFC PATTERN, AND MORE IMPORTANT, ON FINAL APCH! (LCL ANNOUNCED SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT 'THERE ARE 5 ACFT OUT THERE AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE'). I WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE MY R BASE AND FLY AT 2000 FT DIRECTLY OVER THE APCH END OF 19R (#4). AS I MADE MY R BASE TURN, A CESSNA 172 FLEW DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME ON APPROX A 010 DEG HDG AT 2000 FT (#5). I ANNOUNCED BLINDLY ON THE FREQ 'CESSNA, LOOK OUT YOUR L WINDOW!'). THE CESSNA PASSED WITHIN 150 FT OF ME FROM R TO L. AT THAT TIME (AS I WAS ON MY R BASE), I WAS FACE-TO-FACE WITH ANOTHER PIPER CHEROKEE (WHO WAS ON ABOUT A 270 DEG HDG), (#6). WE WERE AT THE SAME ALT (2000 FT) AND FLYING DIRECTLY AT EACH OTHER. I MANEUVERED MY ACFT TO THE R TO CONTINUE MY TURN TO FINAL (AS INSTRUCTED). WE CAME WITHIN 100-150 FT OF EACH OTHER AT THE SAME ALT. I FLEW AS INSTRUCTED AT 2000 FT DIRECTLY STRAIGHT-IN TO 19R (#7). LCL TOLD ME THAT HE LOST MY XPONDER DURING THE INCIDENT (I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE AS HE WAS THE ONE WHO ORIGINALLY CORRECTED MY STATEMENT THAT I WAS ON A 5-MI FINAL, WHEN, IN FACT, I WAS ON AN 8-MI FINAL). EITHER WAY, I BELIEVE IT WAS INCUMBENT UPON LCL TO TELL ME IMMEDIATELY WHEN HE HAD LOST RADAR CONTACT. AT NO TIME DID HE DO THIS AFTER I MADE MY INITIAL GAR AND R-HAND PATTERN). AS I WAS ON ABOUT A 11/2 MI FINAL TO 19R AT 2000 FT, THE TFC ON A 1-MI FINAL WAS POINTED OUT TO ME (A BONANZA) (#8). I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I ;HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. I WAS TOLD TO MAKE A R DSNDING TURN AND WAS CLRED TO LAND (#9). I COMPLIES AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT (#10). THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SIT. 3 ACFT WERE WITHIN SEVERAL HUNDRED FT OF EACH OTHER AND AT THE SAME ALT ON THE CTRLINE OF 19R APPROX 5 MI FROM THE THRESHOLD. THE LCL CTLR MADE THE FIRST MISTAKE OF CLRING THE SECOND CESSNA ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY WHILE I WAS ON A .5 TO 1 MI FINAL. THERE WAS NO WAY HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM OUT IN TIME (AS THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC ON THE FREQ). HE FAILED TO CLARIFY WHICH CESSNA TFC I WAS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW EVEN AFTER I DESCRIBED THE CESSNA 172 (THE FIRST CESSNA) WHICH I WAS FOLLOWING. FURTHER, HE FAILED TO LET ME KNOW THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ME ON HIS BRITE SCOPE. HE HAD SIMPLY LOST CTL OF THE SIT.

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.