Flight Crew Private
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
I was flying the VFR closed traffic pattern for Runway 9R at Sanford International; and had requested a full stop landing while on the downwind leg from ATC. I was cleared to land; I do not recall if I was cleared number one; or cleared to land following traffic in the pattern. I began to descend from pattern altitude; and then began my turn to the base leg. Shortly after my turn from downwind to base; I saw traffic on final for Runway 9R at my 11 o'clock; moving from left to right. The traffic was approximately 100 feet below me; and 600 feet at my 11 o'clock; moving through 12 o'clock. I made a sharp left turn back in the direction I was flying on downwind and added full power to maintain altitude and airspeed. Simultaneously; the tower controller told me to extend my downwind leg. A second controller came on frequency told me to immediately climb to 1;500 feet. Once it was established traffic was no longer a factor; I was cleared to land; and the rest of the approach was flown normally.The problem either arose from my own distractedness; and I missed the instruction to follow traffic; or the tower controller failed to advise me of the traffic. I was distracted because I was talking to a passenger; and was not practicing sterile cockpit procedures.
A distracted pilot made a turn for a SFB Runway 9R base but took evasive action at the same time ATC called to issue a turn and climb because of traffic already on final for 9R.