Narrative:

I was flying VFR from ft collins, co, to santa flight engineer, NM. I reported to santa flight engineer tower about 18-19 NM north of the airport. I was told to report right base for runway 20, and I responded in return. There was another airplane from the north, about 10 NM ahead of me, our airplane flying the DME arc, as well as several reporting in the pattern, some full stop and some touch-and-go. As instructed, I reported right base and reported on final about 5 NM out from the airport. Since I had been listening and was concerned about the traffic and an airplane on downwind, I offered to circle. The tower controller denied that and offered straight down the runway at pattern altitude, but that the touch-and-go airplane would be out of the way so I continued. At about 1 1/2 mi out, I heard an airplane say he saw me and I looked up and to the right and saw a high wing airplane on right base. The controller gave him instructions to break away and cleared me to land on runway 20. I did not hear this airplane before and did not know it was there. Clearly, there was miscom somewhere between the controller and him or the controller and me. I fly routinely into high traffic airports with no problem, but have had problems at saf on my 1 trip each of the last 2 yrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CLRED ON STRAIGHT-IN APCH HEARS ANOTHER ACFT INDICATE HE HAS HIM IN SIGHT. WHEN HE LOOKS, AN ACFT IS ON R BASE AND WITHIN 200 FT. TWR INSTRUCTS SECOND ACFT TO BREAK AWAY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR FROM FT COLLINS, CO, TO SANTA FE, NM. I RPTED TO SANTA FE TWR ABOUT 18-19 NM N OF THE ARPT. I WAS TOLD TO RPT R BASE FOR RWY 20, AND I RESPONDED IN RETURN. THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRPLANE FROM THE N, ABOUT 10 NM AHEAD OF ME, OUR AIRPLANE FLYING THE DME ARC, AS WELL AS SEVERAL RPTING IN THE PATTERN, SOME FULL STOP AND SOME TOUCH-AND-GO. AS INSTRUCTED, I RPTED R BASE AND RPTED ON FINAL ABOUT 5 NM OUT FROM THE ARPT. SINCE I HAD BEEN LISTENING AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TFC AND AN AIRPLANE ON DOWNWIND, I OFFERED TO CIRCLE. THE TWR CTLR DENIED THAT AND OFFERED STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY AT PATTERN ALT, BUT THAT THE TOUCH-AND-GO AIRPLANE WOULD BE OUT OF THE WAY SO I CONTINUED. AT ABOUT 1 1/2 MI OUT, I HEARD AN AIRPLANE SAY HE SAW ME AND I LOOKED UP AND TO THE R AND SAW A HIGH WING AIRPLANE ON R BASE. THE CTLR GAVE HIM INSTRUCTIONS TO BREAK AWAY AND CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 20. I DID NOT HEAR THIS AIRPLANE BEFORE AND DID NOT KNOW IT WAS THERE. CLRLY, THERE WAS MISCOM SOMEWHERE BTWN THE CTLR AND HIM OR THE CTLR AND ME. I FLY ROUTINELY INTO HIGH TFC ARPTS WITH NO PROB, BUT HAVE HAD PROBS AT SAF ON MY 1 TRIP EACH OF THE LAST 2 YRS.

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.