PA32-300T PLT EXPECTING L TFC PROCEEDS ON HABIT RATHER THAN ATC INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER R TFC AND HAS CONFLICT (NMAC) ARRIVING CDW.

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ON SEP/XA/99; I WAS RETURNING TO HOME BASE ZZZ; NJ; FROM A PLEASURE FLT TO BLOCK ISLAND; RI (BID). WX WAS VFR; VISIBILITY 10 MI; CLR BELOW 12000 FT; NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. I CROSSED THE CARMEL VOR AT 4500 FT; THEN PROCEEDED W ON THE 260 DEG RADIAL. I DSNDED TO 3000 FT; THEN TO 2000 FT TO REMAIN CLR OF NEW YORK CLASS C AIRSPACE. AT APPROX XC15; I OBTAINED CURRENT ATIS AT CALDWELL (USING RWY 22) AND INTERCEPTED THE LOC APPROX 15 MI FROM THE ARPT. I SWITCHED FROM NEW YORK APCH FREQ TO CALDWELL TWR TO MONITOR TFC FLOW. NOTE: WHEN RWY 22 IS IN USE; TWR WILL USUALLY ALLOW A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. APPROX 8 MI OUT (GPS); I CALLED THE TWR FOR LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED AND ADVISED OF A 'BONANZA ON THE LOC 7 MI OUT' AND ASKED IF I HAD TFC IN SIGHT. I REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE. THE CTLR ASKED AGAIN; THEN DENIED THE STRAIGHT-IN APCH DUE TO TFC AND INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND REPEATED 'L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22.' THE CTLR ASKED TWICE MORE ABOUT THE TFC AHEAD OF ME. I OBSERVED NO TFC. THE OTHER PLT ALSO RPTED 'NO CONTACT.' I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT BONANZA PLT WAS INCORRECT IN RPTING HIS POS SINCE I WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE SEEN HIM ONLY 1 MI AHEAD OF ME. I BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH THIS OTHER ACFT BELIEVING THAT HE MAY; IN FACT; HAVE BEEN BEHIND ME. CONTRARY TO INSTRUCTIONS; I PROCEEDED TO FLY TO THE W OF THE FIELD TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22. THE STANDARD TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 22 IS R TFC. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IN 8 YRS OF FLYING OUT OF CALDWELL; I HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED TO FLY L TFC FOR RWY 22. I APPARENTLY HEARD AND ACKNOWLEDGED MY INSTRUCTIONS AND ACTED BASED ON WHAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR. AS I WAS W OF THE FIELD AT PATTERN ALT (1200 FT); THE CTLR ASKED FOR MY POS. I RPTED W OF THE FIELD; WHEN HE REPLIED 'I TOLD YOU TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND. NOW ENTER R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22; USE CAUTION FOR A CESSNA DEPARTING RWY 27.' I PROCEEDED TO SQUARE LAKE (RPTING POINT FOR R DOWNWIND ENTRY TO RWY 22). AS I DID SO; THE CESSNA; DEPARTING RWY 27; PASSED UNDER ME AT APPROX 200 FT. BEING A LOW WING ACFT; MY VISION BELOW WAS LIMITED. THE CESSNA PLT ANGRILY RPTED THAT I HAD JUST PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. THE CTLR REPLIED 'WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT ON THE GND.' I RPTED 'OVER SQUARE LAKE.' THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAD 'THE HIGH WING ON DOWNWIND IN SIGHT.' I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO FOLLOW THE CESSNA AND THAT I WAS '#2; CLRED TO LAND.' I FOLLOWED THE CESSNA AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON LNDG; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO SWITCH TO GND. I DID SO AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO THE T-HANGARS. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COM WITH THE TWR. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS MY PREOCCUPATION WITH THE POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT WHILE APCHING THE ARPT AND MY FAILURE TO LISTEN AND ACT ON WHAT WAS SAID RATHER THAN ACTING ON WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD AND WHAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR. I HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON.