Champion Citabria Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 5; Flight Crew Total 488
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Procedure; Aircraft
I was doing pattern work; normally to a full stop each time. I was cleared to take off after an aircraft departing the pattern. I don't remember the Tower advising of traffic to follow in the pattern. I climbed to about 700 ft. MSL and initiated my crosswind turn. I didn't see other traffic; but soon after the turn heard a call from another aircraft that said they were cut off in the pattern. Initially the Tower called a different aircraft in the pattern for the parallel runway so I still didn't realize I was the one that cut off the other traffic until I finally saw them off to my left (I was on a right downwind at that point) and the tower figured out they needed to talk to me. The tower had me climb 500 ft and extend my downwind. I was then sequenced back in with no other issue.I have a couple of take-aways. It's easy to get lulled into assuming if the Tower normally provides traffic advisories to follow traffic that there isn't a traffic concern if they don't say anything. It's important for us pilots to remember the Tower is only providing runway separation so no air traffic advisory doesn't mean there's no traffic. On the flip side; inconsistency in advisories from ATC makes it easier for pilots to fall into this trap. The other point is that the aircraft I was flying has a much higher climb rate than the other aircraft. So I reach an altitude where I can turn crosswind much sooner. I delay the turn so I'm flying a 'normal' pattern; but lower performance aircraft sometimes have to fly a somewhat extended upwind to reach the minimum turn altitude so fly something a little more elongated than they might otherwise. A combination of everyone doing their best to be in an expected location along with a wider scan to look for variations from that is needed.
Citabria pilot reported a near mid-air collision with a Light Sport aircraft while turning crosswind in the pattern.