DA42 Twin Star
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 125; Flight Crew Total 1175; Flight Crew Type 84
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Airport
We were doing touch and go landings in the pattern and tower was in operation. We did a touch and go and turned a normal right crosswind and downwind. After we turned downwind we heard another aircraft report a near miss. We had not seen the other aircraft prior to following them in for landing. I did not see them when we were on upwind or crosswind and assumed that they were ahead of us; already on downwind.
During a routine training flight I was doing pattern work. We were flying right traffic for runway XY. While we were flying there was another aircraft that was behind us in the pattern. While we were on our crosswind leg our TIS (Traffic Information System) began calling out traffic at the same altitude. We were scanning for the traffic but it was giving us very random positions. I believe the other aircraft was close enough that it could not give an accurate position. As we turned on a right downwind I looked out the right window and saw the left side of Aircraft X as they were also in their turn to downwind inside of us. From what I could determine it seemed that the Aircraft X had turned and early crosswind and then we both turned downwind at the same time. After I saw the Aircraft X I took the controls from my student and made evasive action to avoid collision with the Aircraft X. As I turned out of the pattern I told the tower that I was exiting the pattern and had experienced a near miss. After I informed tower of the situation they asked the Aircraft X if they had me in sight and they said they did not.
Two instructor pilots reported perspectives on a near-mid-air-collision while operating in the traffic pattern of a busy tower controlled airport.