MAULE ACFT LNDG VGT BELIEVED HE WAS FOLLOWING THE TFC HE SIGHTED ON BASE LEG AND OVERTOOK A CESSNA AHEAD ON FINAL.

Narrative

MAULE RPTED INBOUND TO TWR 'FOLLOWING CESSNA AHEAD IN SIGHT;' (CESSNA WAS LESS THAN 1 MI AHEAD OF THE MAULE ALSO INBOUND TO ARPT). TWR INSTRUCTED MAULE TO FOLLOW THE CESSNA AND WAS SEQUENCED #3 (ADDITIONAL TFC WAS ON L BASE #1). NEXT OBSERVED (MINS LATER) THAT MAULE APPEARED TO BE ON TOP OF CESSNA. TWR ASKED MAULE IF HE WAS STILL FOLLOWING CESSNA AS PREVIOUSLY INSTRUCTED AND ACKNOWLEDGED AND REPLIED HE WAS DOING OK. CESSNA WHO PREVIOUSLY WAS AHEAD OF THE MAULE STATED 'GOING AROUND.' THE MAULE HAD TURNED BASE AND FINAL AHEAD OF THE CESSNA HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW. WHEN THE MAULE PLT WAS ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED; HE SAID THAT HE HAD LOST SIGHT OF THE ACFT IN THE LIGHTS AND THEN THOUGHT HE WAS FOLLOWING THE ACFT ON L BASE. I BELIEVE THE MAULE PLT DID NOT PROCESS THAT THE CALL SIGN TO THE CESSNA AHEAD TO FOLLOW CESSNA ON BASE WAS NOT HIS INSTRUCTION. PLT SHOULD HAVE ALERTED ATC IMMEDIATELY WHEN HE COULD NO LONGER SEE THE ACFT HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW. PLT SHOULD NOT HAVE TURNED INBOUND TO FOLLOW TFC ON L BASE WHEN THE TFC HE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING FOR THE LAST 10 MI WAS ON R DOWNWIND LIKE HIMSELF.