C172 NMAC AT FRG IN THE PATTERN.

Narrative

WHILE MAKING AN APCH TO LNDG; I UNINTENTIONALLY ALLOWED MY PLANE TO GET UNDULY CLOSE TO ANOTHER. APPROX 8 MI S OF FRG; I CONTACTED REPUBLIC TWR AND WAS GIVEN A STRAIGHT-IN APCH FOR RWY 32. THE CTLR GOT MY N-NUMBERS WRONG FOR THE SECOND TIME AND FOR SOME REASON WHEN I CALLED BACK TO AGAIN CLARIFY; HE CAME BACK AND CHANGED MY STRAIGHT-IN TO A 'RPT R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32.' BEING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ARPT; I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A BIT AWKWARD AND UNEXPECTED BUT FELT IT WAS UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE RWY 32 IS R TFC. I WAS NOW AT 1200 FT MSL AND SSE OF THE FIELD. SINCE I HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY VECTORS; I TURNED N INTENDING TO PASS THE FIELD BY A WIDE ENOUGH MARGIN ON THE E SIDE AND THEN HEAD W; UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT I COULD TURN L TO ENTER THE 45 DEG R DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 32. HOWEVER; WHEN AT APPROX 2 MI E OF THE FIELD AND ONLY 1-2 MINS SINCE I WAS ON THE STRAIGHT-IN FOR RWY 32; THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO IDENT. I COMPLIED AND THE CTLR RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT HE HAD ME ON DOWNWIND AND I AM CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 32. WHILE I JUST BEGAN TO TURN TO THE L; IN RESPONSE TO THE CTLR'S LAST XMISSION BUT NOT YET ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS CLRNC; THE SECOND ACFT; A BELLANCA WHO HAD JUST RPTED ENTERING DOWNWIND; XMITTED THAT HE WAS ALREADY ON DOWNWIND. THE CTLR REPLIED; BY SAYING THAT HE ONLY WANTED ME (MY N-NUMBER) TO RESPOND. I TOLD HIM SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT I WAS NOT YET ON DOWNWIND. HE ASKED FOR MY HDG. I REPLIED WITH 345 DEGS OR SOME NW HDG. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO AVOID OPPOSITE TFC. I ACKNOWLEDGED ALSO TELLING HIM THAT I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. I BELIEVE THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE OF DIMINISHED PLANNING AND ATTN ON THE PART OF THE CTLR AND A HESITANT; ALL TOO COMPLIANT; ATTITUDE ON MY PART. AT THE TIME THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND; I WAS PREPARED TO MAKE WHAT WOULD HAVE AMOUNTED TO A 250 DEG TURN BECAUSE I FELT THAT THAT WAS WHAT THE CTLR WANTED ME TO DO AND HE MUST KNOW SOMETHING THAT I DO NOT. WHILE I WANTED TO CHALLENGE THE CTLR'S CLRNC I WAS NOT FAST ENOUGH. IF I HAD BEEN SURER OF THE SIT; I MAY HAVE REFUSED THE CLRNC TO LAND EXPLAINING THAT I WAS NOT ON THE DOWNWIND BUT IN FACT MERELY XING THE EXTENDED DOWNWIND LEG AND NOW HDG AWAY FROM IT. IN GENERAL; THE THINGS THAT COULD HAVE IMPROVED THIS SIT: PLT -- 1) REPEAT ALL TWR INSTRUCTIONS. 2) COMMUNICATE MORE QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY WITH THE TWR. 3) IF ANY DOUBT; VOLUNTARILY GIVE YOUR PROPOSED RTE TO THE CTLR. 4) GIVE WIDER BREADTH TO THE ARPT WHEN MANEUVERING; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. 5) DO NOT ACCEPT A CLRNC THAT YOU BELIEVE MAY BE RISKY. 6) IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO FOLLOW A CTLR'S INSTRUCTION BLINDLY. A PLT NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND AS MUCH OF THE SIT AS POSSIBLE. CTLR -- 1) IF AT ALL POSSIBLE; EXPLAIN YOUR INSTRUCTIONS HOWEVER BRIEFLY. 2) AVOID; IF POSSIBLE; CHANGING INSTRUCTIONS REPEATEDLY. 3) KNOW WHO EACH OF THE ACFT IN YOUR AREA ARE AT ALL TIMES AND THEIR DIRECTION OF FLT. 4) DO NOT ALLOW AN UNEXPECTED EVENT; LIKE AN ACFT GOING FOR THE R DOWNWIND INSTEAD OF THE L; TO CONFUSE YOU. 5) ABSOLUTELY DO NOT ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS OR CLRNCS TO AN ACFT THAT YOU HAVE NOT ABSOLUTELY AND POSITIVELY IDENTED BEYOND ANY DOUBT. 6) DO NOT HESITATE TO QUESTION A PLT WITH RESPECT TO OTHER TFC OR WHERE HE/SHE IS IN RELATION TO THE ARPT. PLTS OFTEN ARE A HELPFUL RESOURCE TO CTLRS.