Narrative:

I was en route to david wayne hooks airport houston, tx, in an small aircraft. Over madisonville, tx, I noticed lightning towards the houston area. As I neared houston I began to feel uneasy watching that lightning since I was only a VFR pilot with 175 hours total. I tuned in ATIS 124.95 and verified that hooks tower was closed, which I knew should be at that time of the morning. I then contacted houston radar on 119.7 and asked for flight following into hooks. They gave me a squawk frequency and told me to advise when I had the airport in sight. When I finally got the airport in sight I was about 5 mi northwest and houston was asking me if I had contact yet. My attention was still very much on the storm up until I had visibility contact with the airport. Houston advised frequency change approved squawk 1200 ect. Then before I changed frequency I heard houston talking to an small transport inbound for hooks. I did not hear the location of the small transport so I called houston and they advised he was 15 mi north inbound for landing. By this time I was entering a 2 mi right base of runway 17 now my attention was diverted between the small transport, the WX, and keeping the airport in sight as I tuned in the hooks unicom frequency to advise my position. When I reached final I advised my position and could see the small transport which still looked to be 10 mi out and at a much higher altitude. When I was about 1/2 mi from touchdown at about 500 ft MSL, the runway lights dimmed. I figured the small transport pilot had dimmed them and wondered why he was dimming the lights when he was so far out. I turned around to see where he was and when I looked through the back window all I could see was his landing lights right in my eyes. I immediately made a hard right turn and the small transport shot past and landed safely. I completed a 360 degree turn to the right and landed safely. I realize after reevaluating the facts that my lack of experience, recent proficiency, and familiarity with ATC area during hours when the tower was closed contributed a great deal to the situation. Getting distraction and tuning to the wrong frequency also was of great contribution to the incident. I am now taking action to prevent future occurrences by getting further ground instruction from a qualified flight instructor. I intend to upgrade my proficiency and knowledge of flight procedures. I am very glad to be alive and intend to let this incident make me a safer pilot as I pursue my commercial rating. Safer for myself as well as for the safety of others.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA HAD NMAC WITH SMT AT 500 FT MSL ON VFR APCH TO DWH.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO DAVID WAYNE HOOKS ARPT HOUSTON, TX, IN AN SMA. OVER MADISONVILLE, TX, I NOTICED LIGHTNING TOWARDS THE HOUSTON AREA. AS I NEARED HOUSTON I BEGAN TO FEEL UNEASY WATCHING THAT LIGHTNING SINCE I WAS ONLY A VFR PLT WITH 175 HRS TOTAL. I TUNED IN ATIS 124.95 AND VERIFIED THAT HOOKS TWR WAS CLOSED, WHICH I KNEW SHOULD BE AT THAT TIME OF THE MORNING. I THEN CONTACTED HOUSTON RADAR ON 119.7 AND ASKED FOR FLT FOLLOWING INTO HOOKS. THEY GAVE ME A SQUAWK FREQ AND TOLD ME TO ADVISE WHEN I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE ARPT IN SIGHT I WAS ABOUT 5 MI NW AND HOUSTON WAS ASKING ME IF I HAD CONTACT YET. MY ATTN WAS STILL VERY MUCH ON THE STORM UP UNTIL I HAD VIS CONTACT WITH THE ARPT. HOUSTON ADVISED FREQ CHANGE APPROVED SQUAWK 1200 ECT. THEN BEFORE I CHANGED FREQ I HEARD HOUSTON TALKING TO AN SMT INBOUND FOR HOOKS. I DID NOT HEAR THE LOCATION OF THE SMT SO I CALLED HOUSTON AND THEY ADVISED HE WAS 15 MI N INBOUND FOR LNDG. BY THIS TIME I WAS ENTERING A 2 MI R BASE OF RWY 17 NOW MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED BTWN THE SMT, THE WX, AND KEEPING THE ARPT IN SIGHT AS I TUNED IN THE HOOKS UNICOM FREQ TO ADVISE MY POS. WHEN I REACHED FINAL I ADVISED MY POS AND COULD SEE THE SMT WHICH STILL LOOKED TO BE 10 MI OUT AND AT A MUCH HIGHER ALT. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN AT ABOUT 500 FT MSL, THE RWY LIGHTS DIMMED. I FIGURED THE SMT PLT HAD DIMMED THEM AND WONDERED WHY HE WAS DIMMING THE LIGHTS WHEN HE WAS SO FAR OUT. I TURNED AROUND TO SEE WHERE HE WAS AND WHEN I LOOKED THROUGH THE BACK WINDOW ALL I COULD SEE WAS HIS LNDG LIGHTS R IN MY EYES. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A HARD R TURN AND THE SMT SHOT PAST AND LANDED SAFELY. I COMPLETED A 360 DEG TURN TO THE R AND LANDED SAFELY. I REALIZE AFTER REEVALUATING THE FACTS THAT MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE, RECENT PROFICIENCY, AND FAMILIARITY WITH ATC AREA DURING HRS WHEN THE TWR WAS CLOSED CONTRIBUTED A GREAT DEAL TO THE SITUATION. GETTING DISTR AND TUNING TO THE WRONG FREQ ALSO WAS OF GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE INCIDENT. I AM NOW TAKING ACTION TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES BY GETTING FURTHER GND INSTRUCTION FROM A QUALIFIED FLT INSTRUCTOR. I INTEND TO UPGRADE MY PROFICIENCY AND KNOWLEDGE OF FLT PROCS. I AM VERY GLAD TO BE ALIVE AND INTEND TO LET THIS INCIDENT MAKE ME A SAFER PLT AS I PURSUE MY COMMERCIAL RATING. SAFER FOR MYSELF AS WELL AS FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.

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.