2 SMAS HAD AN NMAC IN THE TFC PATTERN AT MLB.

Narrative

ON A DUAL TRAINING FLT; WE RETURNED FROM OUR DESIGNATED PRACTICE AREA TO MELBOURNE REGIONAL ARPT FOR TOUCH AND GO'S. ON OUR THIRD TOUCH AND GO; WE WERE APPROX MIDFIELD DOWNWIND WHEN MELBOURNE TWR CALLED AND SAID THAT WE WERE #2; FOLLOW SMA Y ON BASE. I REPLIED 'LOOKING FOR TFC.' AFTER EXTENDING MY DOWNWIND UNUSUALLY LONG; I STILL DIDN'T SEE THE SMA Y. MY INSTRUCTOR PULLED MY ENG TO SIMULATE AN EMER ENG OUT AND TOLD ME TO TURN BASE. I STILL DIDN'T SEE MY TFC (I WAS ALSO VERY BUSY). I TURNED FINAL AND CALLED MELBOURNE TWR ASKING FOR MY TFC. TWR SAID #2; CLRED TO LAND.' I SET MY FLAPS AND PWRED DOWN TO ABOUT 500 FT. JUST THEN; I HEARD TWR SAY 'SMA Y; GAR; GAR!' 'SMA X; CONTINUE APCH; CLRED TO LAND.' I LOOKED TO MY L AND COULD SEE THE COLOR SHIRT THAT THE PLT OF THE SMA Y HAD ON; NO KIDDING. I TURNED R TO AVOID HIM AND THEN CONTINUED MY APCH. A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THIS PROB (AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME) WOULD BE FORE MELBOURNE TWR TO TELL YOU WHERE YOUR TFC IS RATHER THAN JUST 'TURNING BASE' OR DOWNWIND.' THEY COULD BE MORE SPECIFIC AS TO THE LOCATION OF YOUR TFC SO YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK.