Narrative:

While approaching sgh airport, VFR at night, I had heard dayton speaking to a C185, also heading into sgh, in the course of what sounded like VFR flight following. I cannot remember exactly how far in from me they were, but I believe it was in the neighborhood of 10 mi. The aircraft requested dayton follow them during an ILS, and dayton told them they could do that on their own. At no time did I hear from aircraft Y that they were in any difficulty. At no time during my approach did I hear aircraft Y broadcast a position report. At no time was I able to see aircraft Y in the pattern, and I looked particularly on what would have been a practice ILS 24 approach. Dayton was landing runway 6, and the winds definitely favored runway 6 in the area. I canceled my IFR with dayton approach while approximately 6 mi north by northwest of sgh. I began an extended left base for runway 6, announcing my position on 120.7 at 6 mi out, 3 mi out, 1 mi out, and while turning final, and while on short final. While about 4-5 mi out, I noticed that the runway lights were not on, which I thought strange since another plane had been about 5 mins or so ahead of me, so I turned them on by clicking on 120.7. Having heard the exchanges with dayton prior to canceling, I was aware there was another airplane in the vicinity, and was watching carefully for lights, and listening hard for position reports. No lights were visible, and no position reports were broadcast. Seconds before touchdown (after already having crossed the threshold), a landing light appeared just above the approach end of runway 24. After I nearly wet my pants, I calculated it was safest to complete the landing and, if necessary, divert onto the grass or taxiway if a collision appeared imminent. After exiting the runway via the taxiway, and pulling onto the ramp, I observed an airplane taxiing hesitantly up runway 25, stopping occasionally. I called on 120.7, and was asked by the taxiing plane where the terminal was. I guided the plane down the runway, to a taxiway, and to the pad in front of the terminal. After the pilot had shut down, I asked why he had not: 1) familiarized himself with the airport prior to landing, 2) turned on the runway lights and taxiway lights while on approach, 3) reported his position while on approach, final and short final, 4) landed on runway 6 when the wind clearly favored runway 6 and all traffic into dayton, very nearby, was landing runway 6, and 5) turned on his landing lights and navigation till immediately prior to touchdown. His response was that he was having trouble with his lights and his panel, which further increased my concern. I told him that was more reason to communicate often and follow outlined procedures, including reporting to dayton and during position reports that he was flying without lights and in difficulty. I asked him to get some recurrent training before coming back to springfield, particularly for a night landing, as I did not want to meet him propeller to propeller. The pilot, of course, felt he had flown absolutely safely, and took umbrage at the suggestion he had not. I believe the pilot was flying with somebody clearly younger than himself in the airplane, and was trying to avoid declaring an emergency, or even requesting assistance. Upon landing he attempted to affect a repair of the panel on his own. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to correct this situation other than rewire the 6 inches of overconfident unsafe attitude residing between the ears of the proud pilot of aircraft Y or pull his ticket till he gets intensive recurrent training. Hopefully he will do that, or take himself out of our airspace on his own without taking another pilot, passenger, or innocent bystanders with him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA AND C185 HAD NEAR COLLISION AFTER LNDG AT SGH.

Narrative: WHILE APCHING SGH ARPT, VFR AT NIGHT, I HAD HEARD DAYTON SPEAKING TO A C185, ALSO HDG INTO SGH, IN THE COURSE OF WHAT SOUNDED LIKE VFR FLT FOLLOWING. I CANNOT REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW FAR IN FROM ME THEY WERE, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 10 MI. THE ACFT REQUESTED DAYTON FOLLOW THEM DURING AN ILS, AND DAYTON TOLD THEM THEY COULD DO THAT ON THEIR OWN. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR FROM ACFT Y THAT THEY WERE IN ANY DIFFICULTY. AT NO TIME DURING MY APCH DID I HEAR ACFT Y BROADCAST A POS RPT. AT NO TIME WAS I ABLE TO SEE ACFT Y IN THE PATTERN, AND I LOOKED PARTICULARLY ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PRACTICE ILS 24 APCH. DAYTON WAS LNDG RWY 6, AND THE WINDS DEFINITELY FAVORED RWY 6 IN THE AREA. I CANCELED MY IFR WITH DAYTON APCH WHILE APPROX 6 MI N BY NW OF SGH. I BEGAN AN EXTENDED L BASE FOR RWY 6, ANNOUNCING MY POS ON 120.7 AT 6 MI OUT, 3 MI OUT, 1 MI OUT, AND WHILE TURNING FINAL, AND WHILE ON SHORT FINAL. WHILE ABOUT 4-5 MI OUT, I NOTICED THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE NOT ON, WHICH I THOUGHT STRANGE SINCE ANOTHER PLANE HAD BEEN ABOUT 5 MINS OR SO AHEAD OF ME, SO I TURNED THEM ON BY CLICKING ON 120.7. HAVING HEARD THE EXCHANGES WITH DAYTON PRIOR TO CANCELING, I WAS AWARE THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRPLANE IN THE VICINITY, AND WAS WATCHING CAREFULLY FOR LIGHTS, AND LISTENING HARD FOR POS RPTS. NO LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE, AND NO POS RPTS WERE BROADCAST. SECONDS BEFORE TOUCHDOWN (AFTER ALREADY HAVING CROSSED THE THRESHOLD), A LNDG LIGHT APPEARED JUST ABOVE THE APCH END OF RWY 24. AFTER I NEARLY WET MY PANTS, I CALCULATED IT WAS SAFEST TO COMPLETE THE LNDG AND, IF NECESSARY, DIVERT ONTO THE GRASS OR TXWY IF A COLLISION APPEARED IMMINENT. AFTER EXITING THE RWY VIA THE TXWY, AND PULLING ONTO THE RAMP, I OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE TAXIING HESITANTLY UP RWY 25, STOPPING OCCASIONALLY. I CALLED ON 120.7, AND WAS ASKED BY THE TAXIING PLANE WHERE THE TERMINAL WAS. I GUIDED THE PLANE DOWN THE RWY, TO A TXWY, AND TO THE PAD IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL. AFTER THE PLT HAD SHUT DOWN, I ASKED WHY HE HAD NOT: 1) FAMILIARIZED HIMSELF WITH THE ARPT PRIOR TO LNDG, 2) TURNED ON THE RWY LIGHTS AND TXWY LIGHTS WHILE ON APCH, 3) RPTED HIS POS WHILE ON APCH, FINAL AND SHORT FINAL, 4) LANDED ON RWY 6 WHEN THE WIND CLRLY FAVORED RWY 6 AND ALL TFC INTO DAYTON, VERY NEARBY, WAS LNDG RWY 6, AND 5) TURNED ON HIS LNDG LIGHTS AND NAV TILL IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH HIS LIGHTS AND HIS PANEL, WHICH FURTHER INCREASED MY CONCERN. I TOLD HIM THAT WAS MORE REASON TO COMMUNICATE OFTEN AND FOLLOW OUTLINED PROCS, INCLUDING RPTING TO DAYTON AND DURING POS RPTS THAT HE WAS FLYING WITHOUT LIGHTS AND IN DIFFICULTY. I ASKED HIM TO GET SOME RECURRENT TRAINING BEFORE COMING BACK TO SPRINGFIELD, PARTICULARLY FOR A NIGHT LNDG, AS I DID NOT WANT TO MEET HIM PROP TO PROP. THE PLT, OF COURSE, FELT HE HAD FLOWN ABSOLUTELY SAFELY, AND TOOK UMBRAGE AT THE SUGGESTION HE HAD NOT. I BELIEVE THE PLT WAS FLYING WITH SOMEBODY CLRLY YOUNGER THAN HIMSELF IN THE AIRPLANE, AND WAS TRYING TO AVOID DECLARING AN EMER, OR EVEN REQUESTING ASSISTANCE. UPON LNDG HE ATTEMPTED TO AFFECT A REPAIR OF THE PANEL ON HIS OWN. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS LITTLE THAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS SIT OTHER THAN REWIRE THE 6 INCHES OF OVERCONFIDENT UNSAFE ATTITUDE RESIDING BTWN THE EARS OF THE PROUD PLT OF ACFT Y OR PULL HIS TICKET TILL HE GETS INTENSIVE RECURRENT TRAINING. HOPEFULLY HE WILL DO THAT, OR TAKE HIMSELF OUT OF OUR AIRSPACE ON HIS OWN WITHOUT TAKING ANOTHER PLT, PAX, OR INNOCENT BYSTANDERS WITH HIM.

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.