PA28 PLT EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH PITTS BIPLANE ON LNDG APCH.

Narrative

CONTACTED TWR 10 MI OUT; INBOUND; REQUESTING DIRECT TO INTXN AWEMO (7 MI FROM END OF RWY) TO FOLLOW THE LDA RWY 34 APCH; TWR CTLR APPROVED TOLD TO RPT AWEMO; 3-4 ACFT AROUND IN VARIOUS PHASES IN CLASS D AIRSPACE. I NOTIFIED FYV ATC WHEN AT AWEMO; ALT 3500 FT; ATC RPTED 1 ACFT DEPARTING 2 OTHERS; INCLUDING MYSELF; APCHING AND 1 IN THE PATTERN; I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL AND INFORMED I'D BE #2 FOR LNDG. AT ABOUT 2 MI OUT ATC CLRED ME FOR LNDG; ADVISED OF LNDG TFC; A CESSNA TURNING BASE AND THAT I WAS TO FOLLOW THE TFC AND WOULD BE #2 FOR LNDG. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND THAT I HAD TFC IN SIGHT. A PITTS WAS MANEUVERING AROUND THE ARPT; WIDE PATTERN; AND WAS INFORMED HE WOULD BE #3 FOR LNDG; ADVISED OF TFC (A CHEROKEE WHICH WAS MY ACFT); AND WAS TO FOLLOW THE TFC. THE PLT OF THE PITTS ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAID HE HAD 'TFC IN SIGHT.' I LOOKED DOWN TO TURN ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP; LOOKED UP; AND THE PITTS WAS AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS; SAME ALT; MAKING A SHARP TURN TO BASE (I WAS ON AN EXTENDED FINAL); MAYBE 150 FT FROM MY ACFT. KNOWING THAT THE PITTS HAD REQUESTED THE OPTION; I ADVISED ATC I WAS MAKING A 360 DEG TURN TO 'GIVE THE LNDG ACFT TIME TO LAND.' TWR ASKED IF THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME WAS TOO 'TIGHT;' THINKING IT WAS THE CESSNA; I RESPONDED THAT THE PITTS WAS CLOSE BUT I DIDN'T HAVE A PROB PERFORMING THE 360 DEGS; WAS ALREADY PERFORMING THE MANEUVER. TRAINING HAS TAUGHT ME TO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING WHEN FLYING; EVEN A TRUSTED CTLR AND TO BE PREPARED; NEVER GIVE UP RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACFT SEPARATION OR AVOIDANCE. MY RESPONSE TO MAKE THE 360 DEGS AVOIDED A 'COMPLICATION;' GAVE THE LNDG ACFT TIME; AND SPACED US OUT. I HAD THOUGHT OF A GAR BUT THE OTHER PLT OBVIOUSLY WASN'T AWARE OF OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN AND HAD THEN DONE A TOUCH AND GO; SO A GAR COULD HAVE HAD US JUST MISSING 1 COLLISION TO THEN HAVE ANOTHER AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SCANNING HARDER; I ASSUMED THE PITTS WAS BEHIND ME SINCE THE CTLR TOLD HIM TO FOLLOW ME. WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH ASSUMPTIONS. LOOKING DOWN; EVEN FOR A BRIEF MOMENT; TOOK ONLY A SECOND BUT COULD HAVE BEEN THE MARGIN OF TIME NEEDED FOR EARLIER AWARENESS. I HAD MY 7 YR OLD SON WITH ME BUT HE'S FLOWN ENOUGH TO KNOW ABOUT THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE; 'WE DON'T TALK WHEN PAPA'S LNDG;' SO THIS WASN'T A FACTOR. AGAIN; I BELIEVE I MADE A SOLID PIC DECISION AND REALLY SEE HOW TRAINING AND PRACTICE PROB SOLVING; CRITICAL THINKING; REALLY PAID OFF!