NMAC BTWN AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND PVT ACFT AND AN SMA TWIN PVT ACFT APCH ARPT AT TFC PATTERN ALT.

Date: 1993-11 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

NMAC BTWN AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND PVT ACFT AND AN SMA TWIN PVT ACFT APCH ARPT AT TFC PATTERN ALT.

Narrative

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED APPROX 7 STATUTE MI SE OF NEW BEDFORD; MASSACHUSETTS. I SAW A TWIN PASS OVERHEAD FROM BEHIND WITH ABOUT 400 FT CLRNC. THE ACFT MADE A HARD 90 DEG TURN TO THE SW; FLEW OUT FOR A MI OR 2; THEN MADE A 90 DEG TURN TO THE ARPT. THE ACFT CALLED EWB FOR LNDG CLRNC AFTER TURNING TOWARDS THE ARPT. NEW BEDFORD TWR CALLED THE TWIN AND SAID THERE WAS TFC INBOUND FROM THE SAME AREA. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR AT THE TIME AND I WAS THE TFC. THE TWIN RESPONDED AND STATED HE NEARLY HIT ME BECAUSE I HAD NO NAV LIGHTS OR BEACON. WE MET AT THE FBO AND I ESTABLISHED AN ATTITUDE. WE CHKED AND THE NAV LIGHTS WERE OPERATIONAL; BUT DIM. I STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS EXEMPT FROM THE BEACON OR STROBE BECAUSE IT HAD NO ELECTRICAL SYS AND WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1948. I PROCEEDED ON TO QUONSET STATE ARPT IN RI. IT IS APPROX 20 MI. AS TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF; I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE DIM BUT STATED THAT WE HAD CHKED THEM AND THAT THEY WERE OPERATIONAL. NEW BEDFORD HANDED ME OVER TO PROVIDENCE APCH. APCH ADVISED ME OF A POSSIBLE PLT DEV AND REQUESTED I CONTACT THEM. ON ARR TO QUONSET; I WAS UNABLE TO KEY UP THE RWY LIGHTS FOR 34. WIND WAS FROM THE N AT ABOUT 15 ACCORDING TO PROVIDENCE ATIS. I HAD ENOUGH SIGHT OF THE RWY; THAT I ELECTED TO LAND 34 RATHER THAN TO RISK A HIGH XWIND ON 5-23. THE ACFT IS A TAILWHEEL ACFT AND CAN BE UNRULY AT NIGHT. I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON TAXIING OFF THE RWY; I ALMOST HIT A BARRICADE THAT WAS UNLIT. BRIDGEPORT FSS DID NOT ADVISE ME OF ANY CONSTRUCTION NOTAMS WHEN I WAS BRIEFED IN THE AFTERNOON FOR THE FLT. AT THAT POINT; I HAD A VERY BAD ATTITUDE AND WAS RUDE TO BOTH PROVIDENCE APCH AND NEW BEDFORD TWR ON THE PHONE. I FELT THAT I WAS IN COMPLIANCE AND THAT THE TWIN PLT WAS BEING OBSTINATE; AND I WASN'T. UPON REACHING HOME; I CALLED THE FBO AND OBTAINED THE PLT'S NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. I APOLOGIZED AND WE DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT. UPON REVIEWING FAR 91.205 AND 91.209; IT HAD BECOME APPARENT I HAD MISREAD THE ROTATING BEACON RULES. I CALLED NEW BEDFORD TWR AND APOLOGIZED. SAT; I FLEW TO N CENTRAL STATE ARPT TO TALK TO AN ACCIDENT PREVENTION COUNSELOR. SUN; I DROVE TO PROVIDENCE APCH TO PICK UP A NASA FORM. FIRST OFF; I WAS WRONG IN MISREADING THE FARS ON NIGHT REQUIREMENTS. I WAS WRONG IN MAKING A FLT THAT WAS LIKELY TO CONTINUE INTO NIGHT WITHOUT CHKING THE CHARGE ON THE BATTERY. I WAS WRONG IN ESTABLISHING A BAD ATTITUDE ABOUT THE INCIDENT. I WAS MOSTLY WRONG IN CONTINUING THE FLT BACK TO HOME BASE; AFTER DISCOVERING THAT THE POS LIGHTS WERE DIM; AND NOT PROPERLY DISCUSSING THE INCIDENT WITH ALL INVOLVED. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING. I LIKE TO THINK I AM A CONSIDERATE PLT AND TRY TO BE SAFE. I REALIZE I NEED TO WORK HARD AT MY ATTITUDE IN SITS OF EXTREME STRESS. MY FAILURE AT MAINTAINING A GOOD ATTITUDE IS THE BIGGEST THING I DID WRONG.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.