Narrative:

During approach to landing lead aircraft had to go around due to fouled control by front seat belts. Lead pilot was unsure of position of chase aircraft. Recommend better preflight communication between pilots and formation aircraft and emphasis on hand signal and emergency operations. 3 ground aviation aircraft took off simultaneously for a flight to a breakfast fly-in. Even though all 3 pilots were acquaintances, no formal pre-briefing was held on formation flight. As aircraft approached for landing, a go around was made and normal landing made. Normal landing was then made by second and third aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: there was more to this event than the original text by reporter. Reporter stated that the event started with an informal talk of going to 0k5 for breakfast but that no briefings were held regarding a formation flight. After takeoff, reporter, aircraft X, joined up with the other 2 aircraft. He stated that he was not waved off so assumed that the lead pilot did not object. The only radio in the formation of 3 aircraft was in aircraft X. The pilot in aircraft Y was in the lead and did not know where he was in relation to the stl TCA and turned east, from a heading of north, into the TCA at 1500'. Reporter stated that he followed as he had no way to communicate with aircraft Y. The formation then dropped slightly below 1000' and was over a populated area. Aircraft Z was an experimental design and was occupied by the pilot and 2 youngsters, aged 3 and 4, the youngest being seated on his father's lap in the rear seat, no seat belt or harness was noted for restraint of this child. The formation proceeded to 0k5 and aircraft Z fell slightly behind. No reason given. The approach to landing was disrupted by an unexpected go around by aircraft Y in the lead as the seat belt in the front seat became entangled with the control stick. Pilot of aircraft X slid to rear and right of aircraft Y, confusing pilot of Y. Aircraft X made room for Z to slip into landing sequence and all landed in trail. 0k5 airport is a non tower airport and has a unicom, pilot of aircraft X did not announce formation's intention to land and, in fact, was on the wrong frequency to do so. Reporter stated that he did not feel that he had endangered anyone as he was a proficient acrobatic pilot and flew for a living. He was rather bothered by the threat of the wife of pilot of aircraft Z to turn him in to the FAA for making the trip so hazardous. There was a comment by him to an intermediary that perhaps he should say something about the TCA penetration to pilot of aircraft Z. No FAA action at this time but a written letter is being held in anticipation of any FAA action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SUNDAY PLEASURE FLT BY AN UNCOORD FORMATION FLT PENETRATES TCA, OVERFLYS POPULATED AREA AT LOW ALT AND LANDS UNANNOUNCED AT A UNICOM ARPT AFTER AN NMAC, ALL WITH ILLEGAL PASSENGERS ON ONE ACFT.

Narrative: DURING APCH TO LNDG LEAD ACFT HAD TO GO AROUND DUE TO FOULED CONTROL BY FRONT SEAT BELTS. LEAD PLT WAS UNSURE OF POSITION OF CHASE ACFT. RECOMMEND BETTER PREFLT COM BETWEEN PLTS AND FORMATION ACFT AND EMPHASIS ON HAND SIGNAL AND EMER OPERATIONS. 3 GND AVIATION ACFT TOOK OFF SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR A FLT TO A BREAKFAST FLY-IN. EVEN THOUGH ALL 3 PLTS WERE ACQUAINTANCES, NO FORMAL PRE-BRIEFING WAS HELD ON FORMATION FLT. AS ACFT APCHED FOR LNDG, A GO AROUND WAS MADE AND NORMAL LNDG MADE. NORMAL LNDG WAS THEN MADE BY SECOND AND THIRD ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THERE WAS MORE TO THIS EVENT THAN THE ORIGINAL TEXT BY REPORTER. REPORTER STATED THAT THE EVENT STARTED WITH AN INFORMAL TALK OF GOING TO 0K5 FOR BREAKFAST BUT THAT NO BRIEFINGS WERE HELD REGARDING A FORMATION FLT. AFTER TKOF, REPORTER, ACFT X, JOINED UP WITH THE OTHER 2 ACFT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS NOT WAVED OFF SO ASSUMED THAT THE LEAD PLT DID NOT OBJECT. THE ONLY RADIO IN THE FORMATION OF 3 ACFT WAS IN ACFT X. THE PLT IN ACFT Y WAS IN THE LEAD AND DID NOT KNOW WHERE HE WAS IN RELATION TO THE STL TCA AND TURNED EAST, FROM A HDG OF NORTH, INTO THE TCA AT 1500'. REPORTER STATED THAT HE FOLLOWED AS HE HAD NO WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH ACFT Y. THE FORMATION THEN DROPPED SLIGHTLY BELOW 1000' AND WAS OVER A POPULATED AREA. ACFT Z WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND WAS OCCUPIED BY THE PLT AND 2 YOUNGSTERS, AGED 3 AND 4, THE YOUNGEST BEING SEATED ON HIS FATHER'S LAP IN THE REAR SEAT, NO SEAT BELT OR HARNESS WAS NOTED FOR RESTRAINT OF THIS CHILD. THE FORMATION PROCEEDED TO 0K5 AND ACFT Z FELL SLIGHTLY BEHIND. NO REASON GIVEN. THE APCH TO LNDG WAS DISRUPTED BY AN UNEXPECTED GO AROUND BY ACFT Y IN THE LEAD AS THE SEAT BELT IN THE FRONT SEAT BECAME ENTANGLED WITH THE CONTROL STICK. PLT OF ACFT X SLID TO REAR AND RIGHT OF ACFT Y, CONFUSING PLT OF Y. ACFT X MADE ROOM FOR Z TO SLIP INTO LNDG SEQUENCE AND ALL LANDED IN TRAIL. 0K5 ARPT IS A NON TWR ARPT AND HAS A UNICOM, PLT OF ACFT X DID NOT ANNOUNCE FORMATION'S INTENTION TO LAND AND, IN FACT, WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ TO DO SO. REPORTER STATED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL THAT HE HAD ENDANGERED ANYONE AS HE WAS A PROFICIENT ACROBATIC PLT AND FLEW FOR A LIVING. HE WAS RATHER BOTHERED BY THE THREAT OF THE WIFE OF PLT OF ACFT Z TO TURN HIM IN TO THE FAA FOR MAKING THE TRIP SO HAZARDOUS. THERE WAS A COMMENT BY HIM TO AN INTERMEDIARY THAT PERHAPS HE SHOULD SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE TCA PENETRATION TO PLT OF ACFT Z. NO FAA ACTION AT THIS TIME BUT A WRITTEN LETTER IS BEING HELD IN ANTICIPATION OF ANY FAA ACTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.