Pilot in PA32 landing vrb has near midair collision with a PA28 opposite direction in the pattern. Both aircraft under tower control.

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Attributes
ACN	494873
Time
Date	200012
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vrb.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vrb.tower
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : vrb.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9300 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	494873
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Arriving at vrb's controled airport from the south, tower instructed me to slow down and report a 2 mi left base to runway 4, as there were other aircraft in the pattern. When I was about to report the 2 mi base, tower advised that I was approaching an opposite direction aircraft. I asked whether I should turn out to the east to avoid the other aircraft since I didn't see it. She responded that I should pull up and turn east, which I did. After talking with the controller by phone, we realized 2 things: the other aircraft was on an exceptionally wide pattern, and that her idea of the location of a 2 mi base and mine were 2 different locations. To prevent a recurrence, tower should discourage exceptionally wide patterns, and I will report farther out on base if there is not too much verbal traffic. Often, at this busy airport, radio conversations are blocked by the large number of aircraft traffic. Another vital need at this airport is radar that tower personnel can use to separate traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN PA32 LNDG VRB HAS NMAC WITH A PA28 OPPOSITE DIRECTION IN THE PATTERN. BOTH ACFT UNDER TWR CTL.

Narrative: ARRIVING AT VRB'S CTLED ARPT FROM THE S, TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO SLOW DOWN AND RPT A 2 MI L BASE TO RWY 4, AS THERE WERE OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO RPT THE 2 MI BASE, TWR ADVISED THAT I WAS APCHING AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT. I ASKED WHETHER I SHOULD TURN OUT TO THE E TO AVOID THE OTHER ACFT SINCE I DIDN'T SEE IT. SHE RESPONDED THAT I SHOULD PULL UP AND TURN E, WHICH I DID. AFTER TALKING WITH THE CTLR BY PHONE, WE REALIZED 2 THINGS: THE OTHER ACFT WAS ON AN EXCEPTIONALLY WIDE PATTERN, AND THAT HER IDEA OF THE LOCATION OF A 2 MI BASE AND MINE WERE 2 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, TWR SHOULD DISCOURAGE EXCEPTIONALLY WIDE PATTERNS, AND I WILL RPT FARTHER OUT ON BASE IF THERE IS NOT TOO MUCH VERBAL TFC. OFTEN, AT THIS BUSY ARPT, RADIO CONVERSATIONS ARE BLOCKED BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF ACFT TFC. ANOTHER VITAL NEED AT THIS ARPT IS RADAR THAT TWR PERSONNEL CAN USE TO SEPARATE TFC.

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.