Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 15; Flight Crew Total 1100; Flight Crew Type 53
Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Procedure; Human Factors; Airspace Structure
On an IFR flight plan I was told by Approach to fly the arrival into ZZZ. The arrival and assigned altitude crossing restriction would set us up to high; to close into the airport for a normal descent and ATC could not give me lower. I elected to cancel IFR and switch to flight following so I could descend on a normal profile.Approximately 10 miles out; for an unknown reason; Approach canceled my flight following and told me to squawk VFR before handing me off to ZZZ tower. A moment later I made my initial call to Tower.  There were multiple aircraft making calls in the vicinity to approach the airport.The tower controller acknowledge my and other transmissions (did not use the terms 'standby' or 'remain clear') but sounded flustered as more aircraft called. At one point he laughed on the frequency but did not give traffic advisories or instructions initially. Many transmissions were stepping on each other and I heard one aircraft saying they were circling over [a lake] so until hearing any instructions from the tower; I elected to alter course to the left to set up for right traffic for the south runway; as per the AFD specified normal traffic pattern. At this point I am about 5nm SSW of the airport near ZZZZ intersection; on a northwest heading to get to the west of the airport absent any tower instructions. I transmitted to tower that they were being stepped on and vice versa and I had not received any instructions.A moment later my non-pilot passenger spotted traffic. It appeared to be a twin departing ZZZ to the south and was climbing while I was descending on a collision course. I altered course immediately to the right and the other aircraft appeared to do the same. I did not hear them on frequency so they may have already been handed off to approach. I did not report this right away to tower because the frequency was too busy and they were dealing with multiple incoming aircraft. I eventually got instructions from the Tower to make left; not right traffic for the south runway and had a normal final approach and landing.From my perspective this chain of events contributed to this traffic conflict:1) Approach dropping me from flight following without warning when I was close to the Class D airspace with multiple aircraft in the vicinity; and not handing me over to Tower.2) The Tower controller getting flustered and not giving proper instructions to multiple approaching aircraft. This turned it into what felt like an uncontrolled airport.3) Me crossing the departure path to set up for the expected traffic pattern as published in the AFD absent any tower instructions.
IFR aircraft inbound to an airport cancelled IFR with Approach Control. The pilot attempted to check on to the Tower frequency for arrival instructions several times; but was not able due to frequency congestion. During this time the pilot sighted a departure from the airport on a converging course and climbing. The pilot took evasive action to avoid the departing traffic.