Narrative:

While practicing lndgs at pao airport and staying in the pattern; I inadvertently turned into a path of a landing aircraft; cleared to land before me. The clearance I heard was 'clear to land; follow a saratoga;' while the clearance; according to the tower; was 'clear to land #3; follow a saratoga.' while on a downwind; I saw a low wing aircraft passing me on the final and I initiated the turn to base. The tower and the pilot of the other aircraft quickly reacted. I executed a go around; per request from the other pilot to the tower. Both aircraft landed uneventfully. A contributing factor was my error in recognizing the aircraft on final as piper saratoga; which it was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT IN THE TFC PATTERN AT PAO TURNED FINAL TOO SOON BECAUSE HE MISIDENTED THE ACFT HE WAS CLRED TO FOLLOW. TWR COMMANDED A GAR TO AVOID CONFLICT.

Narrative: WHILE PRACTICING LNDGS AT PAO ARPT AND STAYING IN THE PATTERN; I INADVERTENTLY TURNED INTO A PATH OF A LNDG ACFT; CLRED TO LAND BEFORE ME. THE CLRNC I HEARD WAS 'CLR TO LAND; FOLLOW A SARATOGA;' WHILE THE CLRNC; ACCORDING TO THE TWR; WAS 'CLR TO LAND #3; FOLLOW A SARATOGA.' WHILE ON A DOWNWIND; I SAW A LOW WING ACFT PASSING ME ON THE FINAL AND I INITIATED THE TURN TO BASE. THE TWR AND THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT QUICKLY REACTED. I EXECUTED A GAR; PER REQUEST FROM THE OTHER PLT TO THE TWR. BOTH ACFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS MY ERROR IN RECOGNIZING THE ACFT ON FINAL AS PIPER SARATOGA; WHICH IT WAS NOT.

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.