Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
I was PF on a visual approach to 31L at HIO straight in. Cleared to land approximately 5 NM out. Normal approach until approximately 2 NM final at 600 AGL when my partner and I both spotted a single engine airplane  between us and the runway at approximately 400 AGL. It was at 12 o'clock; about a mile away; and appeared to be moving toward our 4-5 o'clock. I began to maneuver to the left and slowed our descent rate. As I was maneuvering to our left; the tower instructed the aircraft to turn right immediately (directly toward us). I immediately executed a go-around and climbed over the aircraft. At about this time; the tower issued us a traffic alert; obviously a little late; and the Captain announced the go-around to the tower. We were given no instructions; so I leveled at 2000 ft. Eventually the tower instructed us to enter right closed traffic. We did so. To add even more to this event; after coming around the pattern; had we turned base at a normal point (as instructed by the tower); we would have had another conflict with the same aircraft; who had flown straight out and was coming back in on final by the time we went around the pattern. We spotted the traffic and the Captain asked the tower to let us know when it was safe to turn base. They did and the landing was uneventful. The Captain spoke with the tower controller after the flight at our request. It was explained to him that the tower controller was training and the aircraft was a student pilot on a solo (possibly first solo; but that was unclear). I don't know who made the original error; the tower controller or the student pilot; but the controller definitely exacerbated the situation by turning the aircraft into us when he spotted the conflict. He also failed to give us any instructions for the go-around; despite there being numerous planes in the pattern. He then instructed us to fly right closed traffic; which would have put us directly into the aircraft's path for the second time. Another thing I thought was strange and inappropriate here was that we had a near miss; the ATC trainee was obviously involved; and he was still working the tower frequency 30 minutes later when we taxied out. I would think they would give the guy a break.
Corporate jet First Officer reported executing a go-around at HIO when a single engine aircraft turned into their path on final.