No one says that the pilot of MDX did well that night. He was trying to make a living for his family in GA and was in well over his head, poor bugger. NVMC "ratings" are a topic for another thread, but designed to allow outback pilots to "get home after dark", they are in my opinion terribly misused. I am sure you "aces of the bases" types out there could do inky black NVMC 360's all night but as the Kennedys found out NVMC without an horizon is very difficult for some.
Let's discuss how ATC could (and should) have done better please, that is the topic.
MDX wasn't over the Barringtons because the pilot wanted to be.