AN LTT JET CUT AN SMA OUT OF A TFC PATTERN. IT WAS DUSK.

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ON RETURNING FROM A MAINT TEST FLT; WE CALLED THE MANASSAS TWR AND ADVISED THEM WE WERE APCHING FROM THE W FOR LNDG. THE TWR IS NON RADAR AND THEY ADVISED US TO RPT A 2 MI R BASE FOR 16L. UPON REACHING OUR RPTING POINT; WE ATTEMPTED TO CALL AND ADVISE; BUT DUE TO THE HIGH USE OF THE FREQ; WE WERE APPROX 1-1 1/2 MI OUT BEFORE CONTACT WAS MADE. THE TWR ASKED IF WE HAD THE SMA ON A 1 MI FINAL. WE ADVISED WE HAD THE ACFT AND SLOWED TO FOLLOW. UPON TURNING FINAL; I ADVISED THE PNF TO ASK IF THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US WAS TOUCH-AND-GO OR FULL STOP. THE TWR ADVISED THAT OUR TFC TO FOLLOW WAS NOW BEHIND US AND WE HAD TURNED IN FRONT OF IT. THE TFC WE WERE TO FOLLOW THEN REPLIED THAT WE HAD ALMOST HIT THEM. THE TWR THEN RESPONDED 'YES; WE SAW THAT.' CONSEQUENTLY; WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND; AFTER LNDG; I CALLED THE TWR TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING AND CONFUSION. WE HAD NEVER SEEN THE SMA; AND; UPON SEEING THE ACFT ON FINAL; IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH ITS TYPE BEING THAT IT WAS DUSK. WE THOUGHT WE HAD IDENTED THE CORRECT ACFT TO FOLLOW.