Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Rotorcraft
Air Traffic Control Military 15; Air Traffic Control Radar 20; Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45; Flight Crew Total 4600; Flight Crew Type 100
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors
Tower asked if we had a King Air in sight on approach to Runway 4. Apparently tower thought that the King Air was in front of us. We were asked to do a 360 for spacing and then a second 360 for spacing. On completion of the second 360 we noted the King Air passed just underneath us. Apparently tower had confused our two aircraft on radar. The King Air pilot said nothing though he must have noticed our aircraft in front and just above the King Air. Tower apologized for the error which might well have been fatal to both aircraft. I can understand the first confusion but we should have been properly identified once we completed the first 360. At no time did the tower warn the aircraft as they converged. I am in the process of equipping my aircraft with ABS-B.
The pilot of a small experimental aircraft reported a near-mid-air-collision with a King Air on approach to Vero Beach Airport; reportedly due to aircraft misidentification from ATC.