Narrative:

It was a clear day with great visibility. I was in the right seat of a C182 with a trainee in the left seat. We were approaching ZZZ from the east and when we called while on right base we were cleared for the option on runway xx. We heard radio traffic of another aircraft with the tower and I recall they were told to be #2 following our aircraft. The C182 is a high wing plane and I did not see the other aircraft; but was busy watching the trainee and his procedures while preparing to turn final. As we began the turn to final I saw another airplane which was on short final for a straight-in landing; the other airplane was beginning to make a climbing right turn to avoid us. It was about 500 ft (or less) from us. At this time I heard a voice over the radio say 'he turned right in front of us.' I then called tower and said 'tower; there's another airplane here near us; are you in radio contact with them?' the tower operator replied; 'affirmative;' and then said something which I interpreted to mean he thought the situation was under control. If the pilot of the other airplane had not seen us and executed an evasive maneuver there likely would have been a collision. In my opinion; the tower controller did not have control of the situation and was directly responsible for allowing an unsafe situation to develop.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PILOT REPORTS CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT; UNDER TOWER CONTROL; DURING VISUAL APPROACH.

Narrative: IT WAS A CLR DAY WITH GREAT VISIBILITY. I WAS IN THE R SEAT OF A C182 WITH A TRAINEE IN THE L SEAT. WE WERE APCHING ZZZ FROM THE E AND WHEN WE CALLED WHILE ON R BASE WE WERE CLRED FOR THE OPTION ON RWY XX. WE HEARD RADIO TFC OF ANOTHER ACFT WITH THE TWR AND I RECALL THEY WERE TOLD TO BE #2 FOLLOWING OUR ACFT. THE C182 IS A HIGH WING PLANE AND I DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT; BUT WAS BUSY WATCHING THE TRAINEE AND HIS PROCS WHILE PREPARING TO TURN FINAL. AS WE BEGAN THE TURN TO FINAL I SAW ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHICH WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG; THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS BEGINNING TO MAKE A CLBING R TURN TO AVOID US. IT WAS ABOUT 500 FT (OR LESS) FROM US. AT THIS TIME I HEARD A VOICE OVER THE RADIO SAY 'HE TURNED RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.' I THEN CALLED TWR AND SAID 'TWR; THERE'S ANOTHER AIRPLANE HERE NEAR US; ARE YOU IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THEM?' THE TWR OPERATOR REPLIED; 'AFFIRMATIVE;' AND THEN SAID SOMETHING WHICH I INTERPED TO MEAN HE THOUGHT THE SITUATION WAS UNDER CTL. IF THE PLT OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE HAD NOT SEEN US AND EXECUTED AN EVASIVE MANEUVER THERE LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. IN MY OPINION; THE TWR CTLR DID NOT HAVE CTL OF THE SIT AND WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALLOWING AN UNSAFE SIT TO DEVELOP.

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.