HLG LCL CTLR INSTRUCTED TFC TO ENTER A L BASE BUT APPARENTLY MEANT A R BASE.

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ACFT #1 APCHING FROM SW (FROM EASTERN TN); CONTACTED TWR 12 MI OUT; AGAIN AT 5 MI. TWR CLRED ACFT TO 'L BASE TO RWY 34;' CONFIRMED BY PLT. AS PLT #1 WAS APCHING THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF RWY 3 I HEARD TWR CLR ACFT #2 TO LAND ON RWY 3. ALARMED; BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA WHERE THE ACFT WAS SINCE IT HAD NOT CALLED BEFORE. I LEANED SHARPLY FORWARD; LOOKED UP AND R AND SAW IT COMING STRAIGHT TOWARD A COLLISION COURSE. I SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'LOOK OUT' INTO THE MIKE AT THE SAME TIME I DOVE AND TURNED R. ACFT #2 CLBED AND TURNED R. WE BOTH THEN CONTINUED ON OUR CLRED APCHS. THE TWR CTLR YELLED AT ME 'I THOUGHT I CLRED YOU TO A L BASE FOR RWY 34!' I RPTED 'I AM ON A L BASE FOR RWY 34!' I APCHED RWY 34 AND ASKED FOR CLRNC TO LAND WHICH WAS DENIED. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN THE AIR NOR ON THE RWYS. I THEN ASKED THE TWR CTLR WHAT HE NOW WANTED ME TO DO AND CONTINUED ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 070 DEGS OR 060 DEGS. HE THEN SAID 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 34' AND I LANDED. SEVERAL PEOPLE ON THE GND HEARD THE RADIO XMISSIONS INCLUDING THE FLT SCHOOL DIRECTOR AND A MAN IN THE OFFICE OF THE TWR BUILDING. I AM STILL TRYING TO GET THE NAME OF THE CTLR. HE MUST HAVE HAD SOME KIND OF SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND NOT REALIZED THAT HIS CLRNCS PUT THE 2 ACFT ON A COLLISION COURSE WHICH WAS ONLY AVOIDED BY MY AWARENESS OF ITS POSSIBILITY.