Narrative:

While on a flight from my home field, old bridge, nj, to albert whitted airport, st petersburg, fl, a trip I had made before, a decision was made to remain overnight at rocky mount-wilson, nc, due to poor WX at 1600. Sun morning was sunny and clear as I headed for florence, sc. Apparently, I caught up with the front about an hour later and headed for myrtle beach where the VFR WX was good and stayed so until I landed at mckinnon-jekyl island, GA, for a cold drink and fueled up at that time. Shortly before landing, I noticed that the volt meter was indicating about 13 volts, a little low, I thought, but still enough to navigation to albert whitted at st. Petersburg -- a bad mistake. I neglected to add the current drain from the transponder on other instruments. I also misjudged the sunset and arrived over tampa bay after sunset with the current too low to get a good indication from the VOR or contact tampa approach for vectors. While flying down from lakeland I tried to use the power sparingly. I was flying along sarasota beaches looking for the sky-way bridge on route 75, which I knew would lead me to south st. Peteersberg and from there it would be simple to find albert whitted airport. At this time, I inadvertently crossed the flight path of a small twin making an instrument approach to sarasota-bradenton airport, causing him to go around. I will be forever grateful that the pilot of the twin was alert enough to see my plane and avoid what might have been an accident. In 20 yrs of flying my small aircraft, including trips to canada, puerto rico, and many flts to florida, with no problems, I am embarrassed and ashamed by my poor judgement in not landing en route and solving my problem, which was a blown circuit breaker caused by a broken landing light. Shortly after this near miss, I was able to land at albert whitted with the tower able to hear my transmission after I got closer to the airport. In a phone conversation with the tower at sarasota, I was told to 'call and confess.' I have done a great deal of soul searching about my actions that night, and I have learned a hard lesson.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT PRESSES ON TO DEST ARPT WITH ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION. EXPERIENCES NMAC AFTER UNAUTH PENETRATION OF ATA CTL ZONE, 'D' AIRSPACE. NIGHT OP UNANTICIPATED.

Narrative: WHILE ON A FLT FROM MY HOME FIELD, OLD BRIDGE, NJ, TO ALBERT WHITTED ARPT, ST PETERSBURG, FL, A TRIP I HAD MADE BEFORE, A DECISION WAS MADE TO REMAIN OVERNIGHT AT ROCKY MOUNT-WILSON, NC, DUE TO POOR WX AT 1600. SUN MORNING WAS SUNNY AND CLR AS I HEADED FOR FLORENCE, SC. APPARENTLY, I CAUGHT UP WITH THE FRONT ABOUT AN HR LATER AND HEADED FOR MYRTLE BEACH WHERE THE VFR WX WAS GOOD AND STAYED SO UNTIL I LANDED AT MCKINNON-JEKYL ISLAND, GA, FOR A COLD DRINK AND FUELED UP AT THAT TIME. SHORTLY BEFORE LNDG, I NOTICED THAT THE VOLT METER WAS INDICATING ABOUT 13 VOLTS, A LITTLE LOW, I THOUGHT, BUT STILL ENOUGH TO NAV TO ALBERT WHITTED AT ST. PETERSBURG -- A BAD MISTAKE. I NEGLECTED TO ADD THE CURRENT DRAIN FROM THE XPONDER ON OTHER INSTS. I ALSO MISJUDGED THE SUNSET AND ARRIVED OVER TAMPA BAY AFTER SUNSET WITH THE CURRENT TOO LOW TO GET A GOOD INDICATION FROM THE VOR OR CONTACT TAMPA APCH FOR VECTORS. WHILE FLYING DOWN FROM LAKELAND I TRIED TO USE THE PWR SPARINGLY. I WAS FLYING ALONG SARASOTA BEACHES LOOKING FOR THE SKY-WAY BRIDGE ON RTE 75, WHICH I KNEW WOULD LEAD ME TO S ST. PETEERSBERG AND FROM THERE IT WOULD BE SIMPLE TO FIND ALBERT WHITTED ARPT. AT THIS TIME, I INADVERTENTLY CROSSED THE FLT PATH OF A SMALL TWIN MAKING AN INST APCH TO SARASOTA-BRADENTON ARPT, CAUSING HIM TO GAR. I WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL THAT THE PLT OF THE TWIN WAS ALERT ENOUGH TO SEE MY PLANE AND AVOID WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. IN 20 YRS OF FLYING MY SMA, INCLUDING TRIPS TO CANADA, PUERTO RICO, AND MANY FLTS TO FLORIDA, WITH NO PROBS, I AM EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED BY MY POOR JUDGEMENT IN NOT LNDG ENRTE AND SOLVING MY PROB, WHICH WAS A BLOWN CIRCUIT BREAKER CAUSED BY A BROKEN LNDG LIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS NEAR MISS, I WAS ABLE TO LAND AT ALBERT WHITTED WITH THE TWR ABLE TO HEAR MY XMISSION AFTER I GOT CLOSER TO THE ARPT. IN A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE TWR AT SARASOTA, I WAS TOLD TO 'CALL AND CONFESS.' I HAVE DONE A GREAT DEAL OF SOUL SEARCHING ABOUT MY ACTIONS THAT NIGHT, AND I HAVE LEARNED A HARD LESSON.

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.