Narrative:

I am a student pilot with approximately 58 hours time. I approached redding municipal (rdd), a class D airport, while on an instructor-endorsed 3-LEG cross country flight, at time and date noted. Approximately 10-12 NM from the airport I contacted redding tower, and was instructed to enter right downwind pattern to land runway 34. Upon entering pattern, I notified tower of my position, and was instructed to 'land following cessna.' I had no visual contact with the other plane, although I could hear tower talking to cessna over the radio. I made the (mistaken) assumption that cessna was well ahead of me, and probably on final for landing to runway 34. I announced to tower as I turned right base and final. I was also careful to visually scan before I made my turns, and I still could not see any other traffic. While on final I heard radio communication between cessna and tower, and I noticed cessna at about 11 O'clock position, approximately 100 ft above my position. The cessna was in left traffic for runway 34, had already seen me, and was making a go around. Tower acknowledged go around with cessna, then contacted me and scolded me for not following cessna as instructed. I confessed my inexperience and apologized profusely, both to the tower as well as the cessna. I assured both that my actions were unintentional. I landed uneventfully, and followed further instructions to taxi off runway. I requested to taxi and park at FBO ramp, which I did. There were no further instructions from tower. After taking a break for 20 mins or so, I departed airport uneventfully, following instructions from ground control and tower. After returning to my airport of origin (alturas), I discussed this incident with my instructor. I made an error in assuming that the cessna was well ahead of me. I was unclr as to the cessna's position and otherwise unable to make visual contact, for whatever reason. I was probably (and mistakenly) reassured by the lack of response from the tower as I announced my turns to base and then to final. I didn't realize that the cessna was in a l-hand pattern for the same runway, although a more experienced pilot would have probably gleaned this information from the radio exchanges between the cessna and the tower. I was focusing too much on setting-up for my own landing. In hindsight, I should have been more diligent in trying to communicate with the tower so as to ascertain the cessna's exact position in relation to my own. Most of my training has been at a non-tower airport (alturas), and I need more experience flying in tower-controled airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A STUDENT PLT ON FINAL IN A LOW WING SEL SMA AND A SEL CESSNA MAKING GAR.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT WITH APPROX 58 HRS TIME. I APCHED REDDING MUNI (RDD), A CLASS D ARPT, WHILE ON AN INSTRUCTOR-ENDORSED 3-LEG XCOUNTRY FLT, AT TIME AND DATE NOTED. APPROX 10-12 NM FROM THE ARPT I CONTACTED REDDING TWR, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER R DOWNWIND PATTERN TO LAND RWY 34. UPON ENTERING PATTERN, I NOTIFIED TWR OF MY POS, AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'LAND FOLLOWING CESSNA.' I HAD NO VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE OTHER PLANE, ALTHOUGH I COULD HEAR TWR TALKING TO CESSNA OVER THE RADIO. I MADE THE (MISTAKEN) ASSUMPTION THAT CESSNA WAS WELL AHEAD OF ME, AND PROBABLY ON FINAL FOR LNDG TO RWY 34. I ANNOUNCED TO TWR AS I TURNED R BASE AND FINAL. I WAS ALSO CAREFUL TO VISUALLY SCAN BEFORE I MADE MY TURNS, AND I STILL COULD NOT SEE ANY OTHER TFC. WHILE ON FINAL I HEARD RADIO COM BTWN CESSNA AND TWR, AND I NOTICED CESSNA AT ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK POS, APPROX 100 FT ABOVE MY POS. THE CESSNA WAS IN L TFC FOR RWY 34, HAD ALREADY SEEN ME, AND WAS MAKING A GAR. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED GAR WITH CESSNA, THEN CONTACTED ME AND SCOLDED ME FOR NOT FOLLOWING CESSNA AS INSTRUCTED. I CONFESSED MY INEXPERIENCE AND APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY, BOTH TO THE TWR AS WELL AS THE CESSNA. I ASSURED BOTH THAT MY ACTIONS WERE UNINTENTIONAL. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY, AND FOLLOWED FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI OFF RWY. I REQUESTED TO TAXI AND PARK AT FBO RAMP, WHICH I DID. THERE WERE NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR. AFTER TAKING A BREAK FOR 20 MINS OR SO, I DEPARTED ARPT UNEVENTFULLY, FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL AND TWR. AFTER RETURNING TO MY ARPT OF ORIGIN (ALTURAS), I DISCUSSED THIS INCIDENT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR. I MADE AN ERROR IN ASSUMING THAT THE CESSNA WAS WELL AHEAD OF ME. I WAS UNCLR AS TO THE CESSNA'S POS AND OTHERWISE UNABLE TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT, FOR WHATEVER REASON. I WAS PROBABLY (AND MISTAKENLY) REASSURED BY THE LACK OF RESPONSE FROM THE TWR AS I ANNOUNCED MY TURNS TO BASE AND THEN TO FINAL. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE CESSNA WAS IN A L-HAND PATTERN FOR THE SAME RWY, ALTHOUGH A MORE EXPERIENCED PLT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY GLEANED THIS INFO FROM THE RADIO EXCHANGES BTWN THE CESSNA AND THE TWR. I WAS FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON SETTING-UP FOR MY OWN LNDG. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DILIGENT IN TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TWR SO AS TO ASCERTAIN THE CESSNA'S EXACT POS IN RELATION TO MY OWN. MOST OF MY TRAINING HAS BEEN AT A NON-TWR ARPT (ALTURAS), AND I NEED MORE EXPERIENCE FLYING IN TWR-CTLED AIRSPACE.

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.