Narrative:

I was arriving pae from the west. I called paine tower (132.95) over langley and was instructed to proceed to and report arrival at the mukilteo ferry and then enter downwind. I subsequently did so and was instructed to follow a cessna on downwind. I did so. Just prior to my turning base; paine tower instructed me to extend my downwind to make space for another aircraft arriving from the south. As that aircraft passed; I was instructed by tower to turn base and was cleared to land runway 34L. On very short final; I observed a C172 (or possibly C182) entering the runway at the approach end of the runway. I had not heard the tower communicating with the pilot of this aircraft; so I assumed ground control had instructed it to cross the runway. However; just prior to my crossing the fence at approximately 100 ft altitude; the cessna turned onto the runway and began a takeoff run. I immediately called tower and called; 'I have a conflict on the runway.' receiving no immediate response; I again repeated; 'I have a conflict on the runway.' I was already slowed to final approach speed so I could not safely slow further. However; the cessna ahead lifted off and I determined that the safe course of action would be for me to land behind the departing aircraft; rather than going around and again placing our aircraft in conflict. Just prior to landing; the tower controller then called; 'aircraft X; go around.' even though I judged that it would have been safer to land at that point; I also believed I could safely go around. I replied; 'aircraft X; going around;' and complied with the instruction. As I gained altitude; I sidestepped to the right in order to avoid colliding with the cessna; which was approximately 50 ft ahead of me. At this point; tower called; 'aircraft X; do not turn crosswind. Sidestep to the right to avoid the cessna ahead.' I replied; 'I have already sidestepped.' 'aircraft X change frequency to 120.2 for instructions to enter the pattern for runway 34R.' this seemed a strange instruction; since remaining in the pattern for runway 34L would have been the simplest procedure. (At no time; did I hear tower communicate with the cessna ahead.) I changed frequencys. 'Paine tower; citabria.' 'aircraft X; turn crosswind now.' I did so and; without further instruction; I also turned downwind for runway 34R. As I did so; I called; 'aircraft X is turning downwind.' 'aircraft X; follow the cirrus ahead. Cleared to land.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CITABRIA PLT EXECUTES A GAR AT PAE AND EXPERIENCES AN NMAC WITH A PRIOR C172 DEP.

Narrative: I WAS ARRIVING PAE FROM THE W. I CALLED PAINE TWR (132.95) OVER LANGLEY AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED TO AND RPT ARR AT THE MUKILTEO FERRY AND THEN ENTER DOWNWIND. I SUBSEQUENTLY DID SO AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW A CESSNA ON DOWNWIND. I DID SO. JUST PRIOR TO MY TURNING BASE; PAINE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND TO MAKE SPACE FOR ANOTHER ACFT ARRIVING FROM THE S. AS THAT ACFT PASSED; I WAS INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO TURN BASE AND WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 34L. ON VERY SHORT FINAL; I OBSERVED A C172 (OR POSSIBLY C182) ENTERING THE RWY AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY. I HAD NOT HEARD THE TWR COMMUNICATING WITH THE PLT OF THIS ACFT; SO I ASSUMED GND CTL HAD INSTRUCTED IT TO CROSS THE RWY. HOWEVER; JUST PRIOR TO MY XING THE FENCE AT APPROX 100 FT ALT; THE CESSNA TURNED ONTO THE RWY AND BEGAN A TKOF RUN. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TWR AND CALLED; 'I HAVE A CONFLICT ON THE RWY.' RECEIVING NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE; I AGAIN REPEATED; 'I HAVE A CONFLICT ON THE RWY.' I WAS ALREADY SLOWED TO FINAL APCH SPD SO I COULD NOT SAFELY SLOW FURTHER. HOWEVER; THE CESSNA AHEAD LIFTED OFF AND I DETERMINED THAT THE SAFE COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE FOR ME TO LAND BEHIND THE DEPARTING ACFT; RATHER THAN GOING AROUND AND AGAIN PLACING OUR ACFT IN CONFLICT. JUST PRIOR TO LNDG; THE TWR CTLR THEN CALLED; 'ACFT X; GO AROUND.' EVEN THOUGH I JUDGED THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER TO LAND AT THAT POINT; I ALSO BELIEVED I COULD SAFELY GO AROUND. I REPLIED; 'ACFT X; GOING AROUND;' AND COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTION. AS I GAINED ALT; I SIDESTEPPED TO THE R IN ORDER TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH THE CESSNA; WHICH WAS APPROX 50 FT AHEAD OF ME. AT THIS POINT; TWR CALLED; 'ACFT X; DO NOT TURN XWIND. SIDESTEP TO THE R TO AVOID THE CESSNA AHEAD.' I REPLIED; 'I HAVE ALREADY SIDESTEPPED.' 'ACFT X CHANGE FREQ TO 120.2 FOR INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER THE PATTERN FOR RWY 34R.' THIS SEEMED A STRANGE INSTRUCTION; SINCE REMAINING IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 34L WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SIMPLEST PROC. (AT NO TIME; DID I HEAR TWR COMMUNICATE WITH THE CESSNA AHEAD.) I CHANGED FREQS. 'PAINE TWR; CITABRIA.' 'ACFT X; TURN XWIND NOW.' I DID SO AND; WITHOUT FURTHER INSTRUCTION; I ALSO TURNED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34R. AS I DID SO; I CALLED; 'ACFT X IS TURNING DOWNWIND.' 'ACFT X; FOLLOW THE CIRRUS AHEAD. CLRED TO LAND.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.