Narrative:

The problem arose during a series of full-stop lndgs with taxi-back to the 30R threshold each time. Just prior to takeoff #5, the local controller changed from an 'old hand' (male) to an apparently low-time controller (female). Takeoff, upwind, crosswind and downwind were routine. Radio communications were loud and clear. We were cleared to land for the 5TH time and began the descent, turned base, then began the turn to final. During this turn, on a heading of approximately 270 degrees, the female controller came up on 120.7 with, 'oh, my god!' she said nothing else, and I began a full power climbing right turn to a heading of approximately 330 degrees. A friend seated in the left seat saw small aircraft Y at our altitude about 200' off to our left (approximately ten O'clock), placed his hand on the yoke and steepened the right turn. Climbing thru approximately 700' MSL, the female voice instructed us to parallel the runway and reenter downwind. The pattern and landing were made west/O further incident. Sitting in the right seat, making a climbing right turn, I never did see small aircraft Y which was hidden under our left wing. We proceeded to make one more pattern. While in final, I heard a male voice ask, 'did we cut out that other small aircraft?' the female controller responded, 'no, you were cleared to land.' at no time did I hear any radio xmissions to aircraft Y, nor did my friend hear any radio xmissions to aircraft Y. (My friend is a commerical pilot.) we don't know if aircraft Y was making a straight in approach or where he came from. We were not informed while downwind that we were '#2.' during our last pattern and while taxiing in on ground frequency, no mention of this incident was made by any controller. No pilots were asked to 'call the tower,' although I have frequently heard the tower make such a request to other pilots after far less serious incidents. I do not believe that 'oh, my god!' is in the lexicon of standard ATC phraseology, and the female controller provided no help whatsoever in advising either pilot(south) as to what evasive action to take. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter did not realize he should tell ATC if he wished to file an near midair collision report. He expected ATC to contact him later but has not heard from FAA reference the incident. Has heard same tower controller on local control position since incident and says controller makes a lot of mistakes in call signs, etc. Now believes that small aircraft Y was making straight in approach and had been cleared to land while still some distance out from runway, and while reporter was on ground control frequency during previous taxi back operation. Would have liked to listen to tower tapes, but aviation attorney advised him to 'let sleeping dogs lie,' as the FAA might turn incident into certificate action against reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN TWO SMALL ACFT IN TRAFFIC PATTERN AT FAA TWR ARPT. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE DURING A SERIES OF FULL-STOP LNDGS WITH TAXI-BACK TO THE 30R THRESHOLD EACH TIME. JUST PRIOR TO TKOF #5, THE LCL CTLR CHANGED FROM AN 'OLD HAND' (MALE) TO AN APPARENTLY LOW-TIME CTLR (FEMALE). TKOF, UPWIND, XWIND AND DOWNWIND WERE ROUTINE. RADIO COMS WERE LOUD AND CLR. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND FOR THE 5TH TIME AND BEGAN THE DSCNT, TURNED BASE, THEN BEGAN THE TURN TO FINAL. DURING THIS TURN, ON A HDG OF APPROX 270 DEGS, THE FEMALE CTLR CAME UP ON 120.7 WITH, 'OH, MY GOD!' SHE SAID NOTHING ELSE, AND I BEGAN A FULL POWER CLBING RIGHT TURN TO A HDG OF APPROX 330 DEGS. A FRIEND SEATED IN THE LEFT SEAT SAW SMA Y AT OUR ALT ABOUT 200' OFF TO OUR LEFT (APPROX TEN O'CLOCK), PLACED HIS HAND ON THE YOKE AND STEEPENED THE RIGHT TURN. CLBING THRU APPROX 700' MSL, THE FEMALE VOICE INSTRUCTED US TO PARALLEL THE RWY AND REENTER DOWNWIND. THE PATTERN AND LNDG WERE MADE W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. SITTING IN THE RIGHT SEAT, MAKING A CLBING RIGHT TURN, I NEVER DID SEE SMA Y WHICH WAS HIDDEN UNDER OUR LEFT WING. WE PROCEEDED TO MAKE ONE MORE PATTERN. WHILE IN FINAL, I HEARD A MALE VOICE ASK, 'DID WE CUT OUT THAT OTHER SMA?' THE FEMALE CTLR RESPONDED, 'NO, YOU WERE CLRED TO LAND.' AT NO TIME DID I HEAR ANY RADIO XMISSIONS TO ACFT Y, NOR DID MY FRIEND HEAR ANY RADIO XMISSIONS TO ACFT Y. (MY FRIEND IS A COMMERICAL PLT.) WE DON'T KNOW IF ACFT Y WAS MAKING A STRAIGHT IN APCH OR WHERE HE CAME FROM. WE WERE NOT INFORMED WHILE DOWNWIND THAT WE WERE '#2.' DURING OUR LAST PATTERN AND WHILE TAXIING IN ON GND FREQ, NO MENTION OF THIS INCIDENT WAS MADE BY ANY CTLR. NO PLTS WERE ASKED TO 'CALL THE TWR,' ALTHOUGH I HAVE FREQUENTLY HEARD THE TWR MAKE SUCH A REQUEST TO OTHER PLTS AFTER FAR LESS SERIOUS INCIDENTS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT 'OH, MY GOD!' IS IN THE LEXICON OF STANDARD ATC PHRASEOLOGY, AND THE FEMALE CTLR PROVIDED NO HELP WHATSOEVER IN ADVISING EITHER PLT(S) AS TO WHAT EVASIVE ACTION TO TAKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR DID NOT REALIZE HE SHOULD TELL ATC IF HE WISHED TO FILE AN NMAC RPT. HE EXPECTED ATC TO CONTACT HIM LATER BUT HAS NOT HEARD FROM FAA REF THE INCIDENT. HAS HEARD SAME TWR CTLR ON LCL CTL POS SINCE INCIDENT AND SAYS CTLR MAKES A LOT OF MISTAKES IN CALL SIGNS, ETC. NOW BELIEVES THAT SMA Y WAS MAKING STRAIGHT IN APCH AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND WHILE STILL SOME DISTANCE OUT FROM RWY, AND WHILE RPTR WAS ON GND CTL FREQ DURING PREVIOUS TAXI BACK OP. WOULD HAVE LIKED TO LISTEN TO TWR TAPES, BUT AVIATION ATTORNEY ADVISED HIM TO 'LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE,' AS THE FAA MIGHT TURN INCIDENT INTO CERTIFICATE ACTION AGAINST RPTR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.