Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 70; Flight Crew Total 325; Flight Crew Type 325
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
I did not have the correct traffic in sight. ATC told us to look for traffic and we spotted the wrong traffic because we were 3rd in the sequence. We turned base and the other aircraft popped out in front of us on final about 100 ft. lower than us and about 300-500 ft. in front of us. We then made a 360 to the right to give them spacing and landed safely. The problem was we spotted the wrong traffic because ATC only told the direction they said 11 to 12 o'clock which there was an aircraft on short final and that's who we thought we were following originally.
Pilot reported taking evasive action to avoid a collision with another aircraft.