SMA PLT CLRED ON STRAIGHT-IN APCH HEARS ANOTHER ACFT INDICATE HE HAS HIM IN SIGHT. WHEN HE LOOKS; AN ACFT IS ON R BASE AND WITHIN 200 FT. TWR INSTRUCTS SECOND ACFT TO BREAK AWAY.

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I WAS FLYING VFR FROM FT COLLINS; CO; TO SANTA FE; NM. I RPTED TO SANTA FE TWR ABOUT 18-19 NM N OF THE ARPT. I WAS TOLD TO RPT R BASE FOR RWY 20; AND I RESPONDED IN RETURN. THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRPLANE FROM THE N; ABOUT 10 NM AHEAD OF ME; OUR AIRPLANE FLYING THE DME ARC; AS WELL AS SEVERAL RPTING IN THE PATTERN; SOME FULL STOP AND SOME TOUCH-AND-GO. AS INSTRUCTED; I RPTED R BASE AND RPTED ON FINAL ABOUT 5 NM OUT FROM THE ARPT. SINCE I HAD BEEN LISTENING AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TFC AND AN AIRPLANE ON DOWNWIND; I OFFERED TO CIRCLE. THE TWR CTLR DENIED THAT AND OFFERED STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY AT PATTERN ALT; BUT THAT THE TOUCH-AND-GO AIRPLANE WOULD BE OUT OF THE WAY SO I CONTINUED. AT ABOUT 1 1/2 MI OUT; I HEARD AN AIRPLANE SAY HE SAW ME AND I LOOKED UP AND TO THE R AND SAW A HIGH WING AIRPLANE ON R BASE. THE CTLR GAVE HIM INSTRUCTIONS TO BREAK AWAY AND CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 20. I DID NOT HEAR THIS AIRPLANE BEFORE AND DID NOT KNOW IT WAS THERE. CLRLY; THERE WAS MISCOM SOMEWHERE BTWN THE CTLR AND HIM OR THE CTLR AND ME. I FLY ROUTINELY INTO HIGH TFC ARPTS WITH NO PROB; BUT HAVE HAD PROBS AT SAF ON MY 1 TRIP EACH OF THE LAST 2 YRS.