Cessna 172 pilot reported an airborne conflict with a pilatus due to misidentifying other traffic.

Narrative:

This event occurred while approaching from the west for a landing. I had contacted tower reporting my position as being north [of city] and requested landing with parking. I was told to report the water tower. I reported the water tower and was asked if I wanted xxr or xxl. I indicated my preference for xxr. I was instructed to look for and follow a pilatus on final. I saw what I thought to be the pilatus on a course and in a position to be the aircraft I was to follow and reported seeing that aircraft. I was instructed to follow the pilatus. I set a course; a base leg that would allow me to be spaced behind that aircraft. Given my closeness to that aircraft I requested runway xxl to allow better spacing. It was then my [passenger] alerted me to an aircraft; a pilatus; approaching from the left. That aircraft passes below me. The pilatus pilot was concerned to the point of wanting to speak with the tower via phone after landing. I was also concerned that I had mistaken another aircraft for the called traffic. This happened in deep twilight conditions; dark to the point that visually identifying things was not easy. My plane is equipped with ads-B in and out via a stratus esg transponder and a stratus 2i receiver. Navigation maps and traffic is displayed on an ipad mini via foreflight. No warning of conflicting traffic was noted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Cessna 172 pilot reported an airborne conflict with a Pilatus due to misidentifying other traffic.

Narrative: This event occurred while approaching from the west for a landing. I had contacted Tower reporting my position as being north [of city] and requested landing with parking. I was told to report the water tower. I reported the water tower and was asked if I wanted XXR or XXL. I indicated my preference for XXR. I was instructed to look for and follow a Pilatus on final. I saw what I thought to be the Pilatus on a course and in a position to be the aircraft I was to follow and reported seeing that aircraft. I was instructed to follow the Pilatus. I set a course; a base leg that would allow me to be spaced behind that aircraft. Given my closeness to that aircraft I requested Runway XXL to allow better spacing. It was then my [passenger] alerted me to an aircraft; a Pilatus; approaching from the left. That aircraft passes below me. The Pilatus pilot was concerned to the point of wanting to speak with the Tower via phone after landing. I was also concerned that I had mistaken another aircraft for the called traffic. This happened in deep twilight conditions; dark to the point that visually identifying things was not easy. My plane is equipped with ADS-B in and out via a Stratus ESG transponder and a Stratus 2i receiver. Navigation maps and traffic is displayed on an iPad mini via Foreflight. No warning of conflicting traffic was noted.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	1581059
Time
Date	201809
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Landing
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	PC-12
Flight Phase	Landing
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Person 1
Function	Local Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20 Flight Crew Total 3178 Flight Crew Type 3178
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Conflict Airborne Conflict