PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10
Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
The controller advised me to enter a right base for runway 24 when I called from 5 miles [from the airport]. I directed my Archer toward a commonly used marker for the base leg. A short time later a Cirrus inbound from the west called to land. The controller advised me to head straight for the numbers. I responded that I preferred to land after the Cirrus. The controller advised me to circle. I made a counterclockwise standard-rate turn and saw the Cirrus over my right shoulder at about my altitude as we passed each other heading in opposite directions. I reported the Cirrus in sight and the controller directed me to follow it to land. When I rolled out of the turn; I couldn't find the Cirrus again; but I thought it must be well ahead of me. I searched for it without success and upon reaching the sand pit I informed the tower that I didn't see the Cirrus. The controller asked the Cirrus if he saw me and received an affirmative response. I then spotted the Cirrus off my left wing at about my altitude of 1000 ft and 500-1000 ft away. The controller advised the Cirrus to do whatever was necessary to avoid me and advised me to land.I made faulty assumptions: that the Cirrus was traveling much faster than I was and that our passing each other while traveling in opposite directions as I was making a standard-rate turn meant we would be well separated. I also made a third assumption of which I wasn't conscious at the time: that the Cirrus would fly a pattern of about the same size as mine. My faulty assumptions led me to conclude mistakenly that not seeing the Cirrus immediately after rolling out of my turn was neither unexpected nor a serious problem because the Cirrus was too far ahead to be a collision risk. Events proved me wrong. I should have informed the tower immediately after completing the turn that I no longer had the Cirrus in sight.
PA28 pilot reported an airborne conflict with a Cirrus during a visual approach to a Tower controlled airport. The PA28 pilot was told to circle and passed the Cirrus going the opposite direction and assumed both aircraft would not be in conflict and returned to the pattern.