Narrative:

During a modified downwind on approach to fll we heard approach control talk to flight a and flight F. They appeared to be setting up for a straight-in to runway 9L and we couldn't determine if there were 2 single aircraft or a flight of several aircraft. Flight a eventually called the field in sight and was cleared by approach for a visual to runway 9L. Our aircraft (air carrier xyz) was subsequently turned onto final via a 120 degree heading at 2000 ft approximately 7-8 mi outside novae (6.9 DME) and cleared the ILS to runway 9L. Approaching novae we received clearance and changed to tower at fll. Tower cleared us to land and advised us of a flight of 6 aircraft in front of us on final. We had both the airport and flight in sight as we proceeded down final. The flight appeared to be turning onto final as a 6- ship formation from a left base. Once they were lined up on final they turned their demonstration smoke on and we assumed they would be making a low pass and then coming back around to set up for landing. Spacing at this point between our aircraft and the flight looked good (4-5 mi). However, instead of proceeding straight ahead as a flight, the 6-SHIP started to pitch out to the north for landing. Now there were 6 aircraft strung out on a downwind north of the airport going nose to nose with our aircraft. At this point tower abruptly/excitedly gave us a turn to 360 degrees and told us to climb to 2000 ft. Our current position was approximately 800-1000 ft AGL and about 2 1/2 - 3 mi from the runway. We initiated the go around at this point starting a turning climb. Because we were making a turn into the landing flight of 6 we were concerned about their position as our turn blocked out the 6 aircraft. As a result, we overshot 2000 ft going to 2400 ft before stopping our climb. Once we were stabilized on the 360 degree heading and no conflict was imminent, we were starting back down to 2000 ft when were subsequently cleared to 3200 ft and then 4000 ft. During the go around tower handed us off to approach control and this added to the confusion as we were trying to avoid the 6 aircraft. Once back with approach control we were vectored for an uneventful approach and landing to runway 9L at fll. WX was not a factor at the time, reported 2500 ft scattered, 15 mi visibility, winds 110 degrees 15 KTS. The problem it appeared to us was confusion as to what the flight was going to do. Obviously tower did not expect the flight to pitch out for landing or they would not have let us be cleared for approach and landing. I thought the demonstration flts had liaison officers preceding a team's arrival to coordinate arrival times, airspace, and other special requirements. A liaison officer in the tower would have probably eliminated the mass confusion we experienced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AERIAL DEMONSTRATION TEAM MADE A MIL STYLE OVERHEAD PATTERN WITHOUT COORDINATING WITH THE TWR. CONSEQUENTLY, THE RPTR IN THE FOLLOWING ACFT WAS TOLD TO GAR AND DIRECTED IN THE DIRECTION AND IN CONFLICT WITH THE DEMONSTRATION FLT OVERHEAD PATTERN.

Narrative: DURING A MODIFIED DOWNWIND ON APCH TO FLL WE HEARD APCH CTL TALK TO FLT A AND FLT F. THEY APPEARED TO BE SETTING UP FOR A STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 9L AND WE COULDN'T DETERMINE IF THERE WERE 2 SINGLE ACFT OR A FLT OF SEVERAL ACFT. FLT A EVENTUALLY CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED BY APCH FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 9L. OUR ACFT (ACR XYZ) WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED ONTO FINAL VIA A 120 DEG HDG AT 2000 FT APPROX 7-8 MI OUTSIDE NOVAE (6.9 DME) AND CLRED THE ILS TO RWY 9L. APCHING NOVAE WE RECEIVED CLRNC AND CHANGED TO TWR AT FLL. TWR CLRED US TO LAND AND ADVISED US OF A FLT OF 6 ACFT IN FRONT OF US ON FINAL. WE HAD BOTH THE ARPT AND FLT IN SIGHT AS WE PROCEEDED DOWN FINAL. THE FLT APPEARED TO BE TURNING ONTO FINAL AS A 6- SHIP FORMATION FROM A L BASE. ONCE THEY WERE LINED UP ON FINAL THEY TURNED THEIR DEMONSTRATION SMOKE ON AND WE ASSUMED THEY WOULD BE MAKING A LOW PASS AND THEN COMING BACK AROUND TO SET UP FOR LNDG. SPACING AT THIS POINT BTWN OUR ACFT AND THE FLT LOOKED GOOD (4-5 MI). HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF PROCEEDING STRAIGHT AHEAD AS A FLT, THE 6-SHIP STARTED TO PITCH OUT TO THE N FOR LNDG. NOW THERE WERE 6 ACFT STRUNG OUT ON A DOWNWIND N OF THE ARPT GOING NOSE TO NOSE WITH OUR ACFT. AT THIS POINT TWR ABRUPTLY/EXCITEDLY GAVE US A TURN TO 360 DEGS AND TOLD US TO CLB TO 2000 FT. OUR CURRENT POS WAS APPROX 800-1000 FT AGL AND ABOUT 2 1/2 - 3 MI FROM THE RWY. WE INITIATED THE GAR AT THIS POINT STARTING A TURNING CLB. BECAUSE WE WERE MAKING A TURN INTO THE LNDG FLT OF 6 WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR POS AS OUR TURN BLOCKED OUT THE 6 ACFT. AS A RESULT, WE OVERSHOT 2000 FT GOING TO 2400 FT BEFORE STOPPING OUR CLB. ONCE WE WERE STABILIZED ON THE 360 DEG HDG AND NO CONFLICT WAS IMMINENT, WE WERE STARTING BACK DOWN TO 2000 FT WHEN WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO 3200 FT AND THEN 4000 FT. DURING THE GAR TWR HANDED US OFF TO APCH CTL AND THIS ADDED TO THE CONFUSION AS WE WERE TRYING TO AVOID THE 6 ACFT. ONCE BACK WITH APCH CTL WE WERE VECTORED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 9L AT FLL. WX WAS NOT A FACTOR AT THE TIME, RPTED 2500 FT SCATTERED, 15 MI VISIBILITY, WINDS 110 DEGS 15 KTS. THE PROB IT APPEARED TO US WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHAT THE FLT WAS GOING TO DO. OBVIOUSLY TWR DID NOT EXPECT THE FLT TO PITCH OUT FOR LNDG OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE LET US BE CLRED FOR APCH AND LNDG. I THOUGHT THE DEMONSTRATION FLTS HAD LIAISON OFFICERS PRECEDING A TEAM'S ARR TO COORDINATE ARR TIMES, AIRSPACE, AND OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS. A LIAISON OFFICER IN THE TWR WOULD HAVE PROBABLY ELIMINATED THE MASS CONFUSION WE EXPERIENCED.

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.