GA small aircraft continued night training flight with inoperative running lights and flew at 5570' ...

Attributes
ACN	163966
Time
Date	199011
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lib
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5750
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gso
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	enroute airway : gso
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 200 flight time type : 90
ASRS Report	163966
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Night IFR training practice. Departed W52 for VOR holding practice. Upon departure, altitude gyro tumbled and remained so. Elected to continue flight as it was VFR conditions. En route to NAVAID noticed that strobe and wing tip lights inoperative. Cycled altitude switch, landing light switch, strobe, etc. Strobe became operational. We noticed a lot of traffic at that time. Proceeded to climb to an intermediate altitude of 5750' to avoid IFR and VFR cruising altitudes. Strobes again inoperative over VORTAC (lib). Gso approach called out a traffic conflict to an en route IFR aircraft approaching lib at 6000'. Strobes and wing tip lights again inoperative. We had visibility contact but other did not. Proceeded to take proper action. We asked the approaching IFR aircraft if they could see our strobe or wing tip lights. They could not. At that time gso said we were at illegal altitude. We acknowledged and departed to 5500' and area. Contributing factors were: inoperative or intermittent equipment and not advising ATC of intentions (although not required) before entering hold. Other factors were inoperative attitude indicators. Also with the intent of avoiding both IFR and VFR aircraft due to malfunctioning lights, being at wrong altitude. My decision to continue flight with inoperative attitude indicators and intermittent lights was probably wrong.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA CONTINUED NIGHT TRAINING FLT WITH INOPERATIVE RUNNING LIGHTS AND FLEW AT 5570' SO THEY WOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH IFR OR VFR ACFT.

Narrative: NIGHT IFR TRNING PRACTICE. DEPARTED W52 FOR VOR HOLDING PRACTICE. UPON DEP, ALT GYRO TUMBLED AND REMAINED SO. ELECTED TO CONTINUE FLT AS IT WAS VFR CONDITIONS. ENRTE TO NAVAID NOTICED THAT STROBE AND WING TIP LIGHTS INOP. CYCLED ALT SWITCH, LNDG LIGHT SWITCH, STROBE, ETC. STROBE BECAME OPERATIONAL. WE NOTICED A LOT OF TFC AT THAT TIME. PROCEEDED TO CLB TO AN INTERMEDIATE ALT OF 5750' TO AVOID IFR AND VFR CRUISING ALTS. STROBES AGAIN INOP OVER VORTAC (LIB). GSO APCH CALLED OUT A TFC CONFLICT TO AN ENRTE IFR ACFT APCHING LIB AT 6000'. STROBES AND WING TIP LIGHTS AGAIN INOP. WE HAD VIS CONTACT BUT OTHER DID NOT. PROCEEDED TO TAKE PROPER ACTION. WE ASKED THE APCHING IFR ACFT IF THEY COULD SEE OUR STROBE OR WING TIP LIGHTS. THEY COULD NOT. AT THAT TIME GSO SAID WE WERE AT ILLEGAL ALT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND DEPARTED TO 5500' AND AREA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: INOP OR INTERMITTENT EQUIP AND NOT ADVISING ATC OF INTENTIONS (ALTHOUGH NOT REQUIRED) BEFORE ENTERING HOLD. OTHER FACTORS WERE INOP ATTITUDE INDICATORS. ALSO WITH THE INTENT OF AVOIDING BOTH IFR AND VFR ACFT DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING LIGHTS, BEING AT WRONG ALT. MY DECISION TO CONTINUE FLT WITH INOP ATTITUDE INDICATORS AND INTERMITTENT LIGHTS WAS PROBABLY WRONG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

GA small aircraft continued night training flight with inoperative running lights and flew at 5570' so they would not interfere with IFR or VFR aircraft.