Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 33; Flight Crew Total 380; Flight Crew Type 8
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
I am a Private Pilot working on my commercial ticket. I need dual time in complex so my Instructor and I decided to fly from ZZZ1 to ZZZ; do a full-stop taxi-back and return to ZZZ1. I picked up VFR flight following en route and talked with ZZZ2 Approach and ZZZ3 Approach. Approximately 10 miles from ZZZ; ZZZ3 switched me to advisory so I called ZZZ Tower. Tower instructed me to enter a right base for Runway XX and report a 2 mile right base. There was one other aircraft also intending to land at ZZZ; who was also going to be reporting a base.I don't recall exactly what Tower said when I called my 2 mile right base; but was instructed to look for traffic. I assumed the traffic would be closer to the airport than me; considering that they had entered the pattern prior to my arrival in the Class Delta airspace. They had reported a 2 mile base before I reported mine. I looked 12:00 to 3:00 (straight ahead and along to the numbers) but could not see any traffic. I glanced at the ADS-B traffic on my iPad but did not see any markings there to indicate traffic (aircraft do not require ADS-B in the area at ZZZ). Finally; I saw traffic a few hundred ft. away from me; at my 11:00; at just a slightly lower altitude. This traffic was flying a significantly wider base than is standard (more than 1/2 to 1 mile from the runway threshold). I initiated an immediate 90 deg left turn; then flew a 270 right turn to enter the final approach.When Tower asks me and other traffic to report a 2 mile right base; I am assuming that I will have a 1/2 to 1 mile final; and that I am just on an extended base leg. I'm wondering if the other pilot flew to a 2 mile final; and then called that as their 2 mile base. I know ZZZ is a Class Delta; but I don't believe they get any supporting radar from ZZZ3. If they were using their eyes to sequence us; then their advisories were unhelpful at best. I don't believe that ZZZ Tower had any accurate idea of where the traffic in the air was at any moment. ZZZ was unaware of how close we came to a collision; and didn't seem to care when I told them I was turning onto a downwind; and then doing a 180 to final. I am the Pilot in Command so [I] take full responsibility for my actions; which were correct in that moment to avoid a collision; but I received no further instructions; which would have been an issue if there had been anybody on a straight-in.In the future; I will be more cognizant of scanning left and right when looking for traffic ahead on a right base. I will be less dependent on Towers with no radar backup to provide me with accurate traffic advisories; or any at all. I believe that Tower Controllers need to be more cognizant of where the traffic is in the air so they can provide better traffic advisories. If they aren't sure where an aircraft is; they should be telling the number 2 airplane to keep a wide scan; rather than acting like everybody is flying a standard pattern.
A Private Pilot reported a conflict with another aircraft on an opposing base leg and took evasive action.