Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 27; Flight Crew Total 6355; Flight Crew Type 4600
Other / Unknown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert
Human Factors; Procedure; Airport
I had just gone over the top of ATL; having been cleared VFR through Class B. About 5 miles southwest of PDK; Approach Control handed me off to PDK Tower. Tower advised me 1) to enter right downwind for Runway 20R and 2) 12 o'clock opposite direction Waco at 2;000 FT MSL. I slowed my descent to 2;300 FT MSL. Tower advised traffic had passed below on my right side. On resuming descent; I first saw the Waco at my 3 o'clock position; same altitude. PDK Tower advised a Cessna climbing (I surmised right cross wind after departing Runway 20R) to follow me on the right downwind. Simultaneously; my Garmin 530 displayed traffic alert at my 3 o'clock; 100 FT lower. I never saw the Cessna. The Waco never showed on the Garmin 530's traffic advisory. I surmise Waco was not Mode C. I also surmise that the Tower Controller misidentified the Cessna as the Waco on radar scope. Why was the Waco flying opposite direction on the downwind? Was the Tower Controller as badly confused as I think? I had pulsing landing light 'On'; plus five strobes. This was a scary dumb near-miss.
BE33 pilot reports a NMAC in the traffic pattern at PDK.