SMT ON VISUAL APCH HAD WRONG ACFT IN SIGHT AND OVERTOOK THE ACFT HE WAS TO FOLLOW; CTLR INTERVENED TO PREVENT MORE SERIOUS INCIDENT.

Narrative

THREE ACFT ON VECTORS FOR VISUAL APCHS TO RWY 4. LGT X 11 MI SSW OF ARPT CLRED FOR APCH. MLG Y IN TRAIL FROM S WITH LGT X IN SIGHT WAS CLRED FO FOLLOW LGT X FOR RWY 4. SMT Z RPTED ARPT IN SIGHT 25 MI SW AND WAS PROCEEDING STRAIGHT IN FOR RWY 4. WHEN SMT Z APPROX 17 MI FINAL; MLG Y TFC ISSUED AT 1 O'CLOCK AND 6 MI. LGT X WAS 12 O'CLOCK AND 9 MI; TFC WAS NOT ISSUED. SMT Z RPTED TFC IN SIGHT AND CLRED TO FOLLOW MLG Y. MLG Y TURNING 10 MI FINAL AND SLOWING TO FOLLOW LGT X. SMT Z WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN AND TFC AGAIN ISSUED; 12 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI; AN MLG Y. SMT Z AGAIN RPTED TFC IN SIGHT AND ADVISED HE WAS SLOWING DOWN. SMT Z ACCEPTED LNDG RWY 7 AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEP WITH THE MLG Y AND FOLLOW TO THE ARPT. SMT Z CONTINUED TO OVERTAKE MLG Y. WHEN LESS THAN 1 MI IN TRAIL; SMT Z WAS VECTORED AND GIVEN ALT TO CLB TO. TFC AGAIN ISSUED. SMT Z RPTED MLG Y IN SIGHT AND SAID HE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING WRONG ACFT. PLTS OF THE SMT Z HAVE REPUTATION FOR FOLLOWING TFC CLOSELY AND KEEPING SPD UP. CTLR FELT SMT Z HAD RIGHT TFC IN SIGHT AND WAS GOING TO FOLLOW CLOSELY BEHIND. PROB CAN BE CORRECT IN 2 WAYS: FIRST; PLT CAN'T ASSUME FIRST ACFT HE SEES IS THE ONE HE IS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW. SECOND; BOTH THE CTLR AND THE PLT SHOULD INDICATE ACFT TYPE WHEN ISSUING AND ACKNOWLEDGING TFC.