Narrative:

While flying in formation with a flight of 4 and executing a break left procedure to initiate a left downwind to runway 23, I lost sight to my lead plane during the break left procedure and flew too close to my lead plane causing a near miss. In the future I will be more careful to not lose sight of my lead. In addition, I will get further instruction on formation flying. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot said that he probably closed to within 75 ft of the lead aircraft during the turn to the downwind leg after the break. That was because the lead did not follow the briefed procedure of maintaining a 30 degree bank and instead used a 15 degree or less bank and slowed his aircraft without announcing that he was doing so. The reporter had momentarily glanced at the gear handle in preparation to lowering it and when he looked up he was closing on the lead aircraft so he extended his gear and slowed his aircraft and then flew a normal pattern. After landing, the lead pilot became very excited and angry about the formation situation and particularly about his pattern work. Later the lead told the group that he did not like formation and he would not do it again. The other pilots apparently told the reporter that they did understand what the lead was upset about since they had been flying a 25 ft separation in formation and they had actually widened this separation during the pattern procedure. The reporter discussed taking formal training in the aircraft rather than rely on the brief chkout he received from its former owner. I recommended that he attend a school for T6 pilots, either from one of the T6 organizations or from one of the war bird training ctrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A T6 PLT RPTS THAT DURING A FORMATION BREAKUP IN THE PATTERN HE WAS ACCUSED OF FLYING TOO CLOSE TO HIS LEAD ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING IN FORMATION WITH A FLT OF 4 AND EXECUTING A BREAK L PROC TO INITIATE A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 23, I LOST SIGHT TO MY LEAD PLANE DURING THE BREAK L PROC AND FLEW TOO CLOSE TO MY LEAD PLANE CAUSING A NEAR MISS. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE MORE CAREFUL TO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF MY LEAD. IN ADDITION, I WILL GET FURTHER INSTRUCTION ON FORMATION FLYING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT SAID THAT HE PROBABLY CLOSED TO WITHIN 75 FT OF THE LEAD ACFT DURING THE TURN TO THE DOWNWIND LEG AFTER THE BREAK. THAT WAS BECAUSE THE LEAD DID NOT FOLLOW THE BRIEFED PROC OF MAINTAINING A 30 DEG BANK AND INSTEAD USED A 15 DEG OR LESS BANK AND SLOWED HIS ACFT WITHOUT ANNOUNCING THAT HE WAS DOING SO. THE RPTR HAD MOMENTARILY GLANCED AT THE GEAR HANDLE IN PREPARATION TO LOWERING IT AND WHEN HE LOOKED UP HE WAS CLOSING ON THE LEAD ACFT SO HE EXTENDED HIS GEAR AND SLOWED HIS ACFT AND THEN FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN. AFTER LNDG, THE LEAD PLT BECAME VERY EXCITED AND ANGRY ABOUT THE FORMATION SIT AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT HIS PATTERN WORK. LATER THE LEAD TOLD THE GROUP THAT HE DID NOT LIKE FORMATION AND HE WOULD NOT DO IT AGAIN. THE OTHER PLTS APPARENTLY TOLD THE RPTR THAT THEY DID UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LEAD WAS UPSET ABOUT SINCE THEY HAD BEEN FLYING A 25 FT SEPARATION IN FORMATION AND THEY HAD ACTUALLY WIDENED THIS SEPARATION DURING THE PATTERN PROC. THE RPTR DISCUSSED TAKING FORMAL TRAINING IN THE ACFT RATHER THAN RELY ON THE BRIEF CHKOUT HE RECEIVED FROM ITS FORMER OWNER. I RECOMMENDED THAT HE ATTEND A SCHOOL FOR T6 PLTS, EITHER FROM ONE OF THE T6 ORGANIZATIONS OR FROM ONE OF THE WAR BIRD TRAINING CTRS.

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.