A flight instructor with a student experienced an NMAC with another aircraft in the pattern.
Synopsis
A flight instructor with a student experienced an NMAC with another aircraft in the pattern.
Narrative
The student and I were on a training mission preparing the student for a Pre-solo phase check within his determined program. We had requested a closed traffic pattern and were given the north Runway. We had been in the traffic pattern for a little over a half hour when the pattern became full with more aircraft; about 5 training aircraft in total. For the previous 2-3 patterns we had been following a similar aircraft to ours and had been assigned to follow that traffic on the previous patterns to landing. On the pattern of incident; we had not been assigned traffic to follow so we proceeded to make a standard pattern which was left traffic at the time. We waited till our base turn at the 45 degree point and made our turn; pulling power and beginning a descent. While looking at the runway and checking final approach; we turned final and aligned with the center line of the runway. We had turned on final slightly above the PAPI indicators; so we continued to descend in an attempt to attain and maintain the glide slope on approach. As we approached our mandatory 500 foot call-out point we received a radio call from tower to make a go-around due to being 'nearly on top of someone else.' We were unsure what was meant by the call; because as we added throttle and pitched up for a climb we still could not see anyone near or around us. No radio calls had been made to us regarding traffic and we were not given a sequence to land. Traffic was below our aircraft; which is a low wing; and was not in sight at anytime during the pattern. The other aircraft ended up being another airplane from our school; which is where we learned what aircraft we were close to and where he was when we were told to go-around.
Second reporter narrative
The entire flight was close traffic. We already had done a couple of touch and goes; and we were on final for another. Suddenly Tower told us to go around due to traffic. So we did. We couldn't see any traffic so I was wondering why we had to go around. In my perception we did everything according to what Tower told us - normal procedures.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.