Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 16; Flight Crew Total 5500; Flight Crew Type 750
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC
Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Human Factors
We were doing pattern/TOL work on Runway 18 in the Class D airspace of ZZZ airport in a C182 with 2 other aircraft doing the same thing. ZZZ is 12 nm from ZZZ1; a Class B airport whose Approach Control offers TIS [Traffic Information] Service.On our last pattern; we were alerted by the TIS system of traffic at 1 mile to our left at the same altitude. Looking towards where the TIS advised; we were surprised to find a C150 slightly below and just behind us at about 200 feet distance (it looked about as far away as the tow plane during a tow on a 200 feet rope). We did not take evasive action as we were faster and pulling away from the other aircraft; which was between us and the airport. Before we could call the Tower; it told the other aircraft to make an immediate 360 to the right to provide along track separation.The other aircraft also terminated their pattern work after us and we were able to talk to the commercial rated pilot who was flying solo. He was one of the other two aircraft in the pattern and behind us. He said he did not see us ahead of him after takeoff and finally decided that we had terminated on our last takeoff and turned crosswind to fly a normal pattern. There is an approximately 300 feet AGL tower 1 mile south and 2;000 feet to the left of the extended centerline of the departure end of the runway. It is common to turn crosswind before or after the tower to avoid flying over it. We had done a stop and go and turned crosswind after passing the tower. The following C150; turned crosswind before the tower; inside of us. He did not see us until he has started the immediate turn commanded by the tower.The other pilot said he was concentrating on the airport to his left (we were to his right). We were looking for traffic - but only ahead of us in the pattern and possibly entering the pattern; not expecting an aircraft to turn inside us in the pattern. Once we were both flying downwind; even though we were close; the collision risk was not as great as when the other aircraft was on crosswind and we were on intersecting flight paths and luck was the only thing that kept us separated. If we had continued without the Tower increasing the separation; the risk of collision would have gone up again when we turned base in from of the other aircraft.After talking to the other pilot; we each learned something - the other aircraft was probably visible to us while on base and on the beginning of the downwind while it was on crosswind and we should have been scanning there. The other pilot learned that when confused about other traffic in the pattern at a controlled field one should communicate with the Tower. We also both learned that one can't depend on the Tower to cover your see and avoid responsibility.
C182 pilot reported a near mid-air collision with a C150 in the traffic pattern before the Tower could separate the traffic.