Narrative:

The incident occurred approximately 7 statute mi southeast of new bedford, massachusetts. I saw a twin pass overhead from behind with about 400 ft clearance. The aircraft made a hard 90 degree turn to the southwest, flew out for a mi or 2, then made a 90 degree turn to the airport. The aircraft called ewb for landing clearance after turning towards the airport. New bedford tower called the twin and said there was traffic inbound from the same area. I was in contact with the tower at the time and I was the traffic. The twin responded and stated he nearly hit me because I had no navigation lights or beacon. We met at the FBO and I established an attitude. We checked and the navigation lights were operational, but dim. I stated that the aircraft was exempt from the beacon or strobe because it had no electrical system and was manufactured in 1948. I proceeded on to quonset state airport in ri. It is approximately 20 mi. As tower cleared me for takeoff, I acknowledged that the lights were dim but stated that we had checked them and that they were operational. New bedford handed me over to providence approach. Approach advised me of a possible pilot deviation and requested I contact them. On arrival to quonset, I was unable to key up the runway lights for 34. Wind was from the north at about 15 according to providence ATIS. I had enough sight of the runway, that I elected to land 34 rather than to risk a high crosswind on 5-23. The aircraft is a tailwheel aircraft and can be unruly at night. I landed without incident. Upon taxiing off the runway, 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 flight. At that point, I had a very bad attitude and was rude to both providence approach and new bedford tower on the phone. I felt that I was in compliance and that the twin pilot was being obstinate, and I wasn't. Upon reaching home, I called the FBO and obtained the pilot'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 tower and apologized. Sat, I flew to north central state airport to talk to an accident prevention counselor. Sun, I drove to providence approach to pick up a NASA form. First off, I was wrong in misreading the FARS on night requirements. I was wrong in making a flight that was likely to continue into night without checking the charge on the battery. I was wrong in establishing a bad attitude about the incident. I was mostly wrong in continuing the flight back to home base, after discovering that the position lights were dim, and not properly discussing the incident with all involved. Attitude is everything. I like to think I am a considerate pilot 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.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 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.

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.