Narrative:

Small aircraft Y almost landed on top of my small aircraft X at night at a controled airport. Small aircraft X: 'wilmington tower, small aircraft X 10 southwest with tango, destination FBO.' tower: 'X wilmington, enter and report left base 32'. Small aircraft X: 'report left base 32, 76Z'. 1 min passes... Small aircraft Y: 'wilmington, small aircraft Y 12 northwest with information.' tower: 'Y wilmington, enter and report left downwind runway 1.' small aircraft Y: 'roger, Y.' 3 mins pass... Small aircraft Y: 'wilmington, Y is left downwind 1.' tower: 'roger, what's your destination on the field?' small aircraft Y: 'FBO aviation.' tower: 'Y enter left downwind 32.' small aircraft Y: 'okay, Y is left downwind 32.' small aircraft X: 'wilmington, X left base 32.' (I have the landing light on, and the Y in sight about 1 mi behind me in the pattern.) tower: 'X cleared to land 32.' (I keep speed up, dogleg to final, am at 50' AGL when I hear...) tower: 'Y cleared to land 32.' (and as I touch down...) small aircraft Y: 'wilmington, this is Y I'm going around, there's an aircraft on the runway!!!' roar as he passes overhead. Tower: (carefully timed pause) 'X are you clear?' small aircraft X: (turning onto taxiway while looking up at Y's taillight) 'affirm.' tower: 'Y the runway was clear.' (untrue, but he got it on the tower tape!) 'there was an aircraft on the runway!' tower: Y, report left downwind 32'... All three of us made mistakes. The tower never called me as traffic for the Y. Tower should have said Y #2 to follow X. So responsibility for sep remained with the tower. They should have figured out that I was ahead of him, and extended downwind, or asked the tower, or both. I was wondering if the Y had me in sight, but assumed that the tower had us both in sight and knew the sep was good. Here is my real mistake: my white tail navigation light had burned out the day before, and I knew it. The screws on the tail light assembly had rusted into place, so I couldn't easily replace the bulb. I flew anyway, even though I was illegal. My rotating beacon was working, but it is almost invisible from above. The small aircraft Y had little chance of seeing me against the background of runway lights, VASI lights, etc. He didn't see me until my landing lights shined on the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA-SMA ON LNDG AND GA-SMA ON GO AROUND DUE INADEQUATE SEPARATION.

Narrative: SMA Y ALMOST LANDED ON TOP OF MY SMA X AT NIGHT AT A CTLED ARPT. SMA X: 'WILMINGTON TWR, SMA X 10 SW WITH TANGO, DEST FBO.' TWR: 'X WILMINGTON, ENTER AND RPT LEFT BASE 32'. SMA X: 'RPT LEFT BASE 32, 76Z'. 1 MIN PASSES... SMA Y: 'WILMINGTON, SMA Y 12 NW WITH INFORMATION.' TWR: 'Y WILMINGTON, ENTER AND RPT LEFT DOWNWIND RWY 1.' SMA Y: 'ROGER, Y.' 3 MINS PASS... SMA Y: 'WILMINGTON, Y IS LEFT DOWNWIND 1.' TWR: 'ROGER, WHAT'S YOUR DEST ON THE FIELD?' SMA Y: 'FBO AVIATION.' TWR: 'Y ENTER LEFT DOWNWIND 32.' SMA Y: 'OKAY, Y IS LEFT DOWNWIND 32.' SMA X: 'WILMINGTON, X LEFT BASE 32.' (I HAVE THE LNDG LIGHT ON, AND THE Y IN SIGHT ABOUT 1 MI BEHIND ME IN THE PATTERN.) TWR: 'X CLRED TO LAND 32.' (I KEEP SPD UP, DOGLEG TO FINAL, AM AT 50' AGL WHEN I HEAR...) TWR: 'Y CLRED TO LAND 32.' (AND AS I TOUCH DOWN...) SMA Y: 'WILMINGTON, THIS IS Y I'M GOING AROUND, THERE'S AN ACFT ON THE RWY!!!' ROAR AS HE PASSES OVERHEAD. TWR: (CAREFULLY TIMED PAUSE) 'X ARE YOU CLR?' SMA X: (TURNING ONTO TXWY WHILE LOOKING UP AT Y'S TAILLIGHT) 'AFFIRM.' TWR: 'Y THE RWY WAS CLR.' (UNTRUE, BUT HE GOT IT ON THE TWR TAPE!) 'THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE RWY!' TWR: Y, RPT LEFT DOWNWIND 32'... ALL THREE OF US MADE MISTAKES. THE TWR NEVER CALLED ME AS TFC FOR THE Y. TWR SHOULD HAVE SAID Y #2 TO FOLLOW X. SO RESPONSIBILITY FOR SEP REMAINED WITH THE TWR. THEY SHOULD HAVE FIGURED OUT THAT I WAS AHEAD OF HIM, AND EXTENDED DOWNWIND, OR ASKED THE TWR, OR BOTH. I WAS WONDERING IF THE Y HAD ME IN SIGHT, BUT ASSUMED THAT THE TWR HAD US BOTH IN SIGHT AND KNEW THE SEP WAS GOOD. HERE IS MY REAL MISTAKE: MY WHITE TAIL NAV LIGHT HAD BURNED OUT THE DAY BEFORE, AND I KNEW IT. THE SCREWS ON THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD RUSTED INTO PLACE, SO I COULDN'T EASILY REPLACE THE BULB. I FLEW ANYWAY, EVEN THOUGH I WAS ILLEGAL. MY ROTATING BEACON WAS WORKING, BUT IT IS ALMOST INVISIBLE FROM ABOVE. THE SMA Y HAD LITTLE CHANCE OF SEEING ME AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF RWY LIGHTS, VASI LIGHTS, ETC. HE DIDN'T SEE ME UNTIL MY LNDG LIGHTS SHINED ON THE RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.