PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 15; Flight Crew Total 740; Flight Crew Type 740
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
It was a cloudless day; excellent visibility. My plan for the day was to fly in the traffic pattern at LEE; and then fly to [other airports] I had purchased a mount and a head phone jack for my iPhone so I could record portions of the flight (audio and video). The incident that I am reporting on was both recorded on audio and video. The winds favored runway 31 (06 at 350). I was cleared to depart by the tower - left traffic. The traffic pattern was very busy that morning. A lot of traffic in the pattern which was expected due to the excellent flying conditions that day. I had entered the left downwind for runway 31 and contacted the tower when I was midfield. I was told that I was number two to land behind [an experimental aircraft] on a 3 mile final for runway 31. But I was actually number three to land. (There was a Duchess ahead of the Sierra on final). After about 20 seconds; I saw a plane to my left; at my wing tip. I am too far from the airplane to identify it by type and model. I contacted the tower and announce that I have the traffic. I am told to follow the [Experimental]. The plane at my wing tip is number one. I was told that I was number two but the airplane on my wingtip was a Duchess #1. The [Experimental aircraft] on a longer final was #2 and I was #3.I turned left base... the [Experimental] is then given the number two spot to land behind the Duchess which is in the number one position; and another aircraft is given the number three position to land. The number three aircraft announces that he has me in sight. He is behind me on a left downwind for 31. But he is actually number 4 to land. After listening to the recording; it is clear that the tower miss assigned the position in the pattern. Both the [Experimental] and my Cherokee where identified as number two in the pattern. I was given the number two position in the pattern when I was actually number three and the aircraft on the downwind was given the number three position when it was actually number 4. I thought the aircraft at my wingtip as number one in the pattern (naturally since I was assigned the number 2 position) but the [experimental] on a longer straight in final was number two. I turned final (on the video of the recording; no aircraft is visible); the aircraft ahead of me lands. I am now on short final for 31 when the Sierra announces to the tower that he was cut off in the pattern and that we came within one hundred feet of each other. The [Experimental] went around. Two things contributed to the incident- 1) The tower controller's lack of situational awareness. I was actually number three in the pattern...number three to land... not number two; even though I was identified as number two and 2) My own lack of situational awareness contributed to the incident. I'm not sure how to prevent this from the tower's end; other than controllers need to realize that with the distance between airplanes at times in the pattern; pilots can't always identify the make and model of aircraft. We count planes. I'm number two; that airplane is number one etc. For me; in a busy traffic pattern; I need to develop situational awareness before I'm even in the air. Listening to the radio and identifying the position of each aircraft in the pattern before I am in the air. And I also need to realize that controllers are not infallible.
Piper Cherokee pilot reported an NMAC in the pattern at LEE airport resulting from ATC communication confusion.