Narrative:

I was flight lead (#1) for a 3-AIRPLANE formation flight whose mission was to overfly a 9 yr old leukemia victim's probable last birthday party. The location of the birthday party was about 1 1/2 - 2 mi northeast of cable airport (ccb) in upland, ca. The flight entered the area by flying a left downwind entry, communicating on intercom 123.00. The flight continued on a left base, proceeding north prior to making a right turn over the party area. My target altitude was 2500 ft MSL (1600 ft AGL) while orbiting the area and maintaining radio communication and separation with aircraft in cable's pattern operating on the south side of the field. The flight had flown 2 r-hand orbits, then reversed directions and was flying the first of 2 orbits in a left turn. The #2 plane radioed that #3 plane had a large fuel leak on the left wing. #3 pilot shortly radioed he had fuel smell in the cockpit. I asked #3 if he would like to land at ccb or ral. He elected ral. We finished the 4TH orbit and departed the area to the northeast. #3 had sufficient fuel in the right tank to safely return to base. The formation dropped #3 at ral on an expedited arrival and had a fire extinguisher equipped truck waiting upon his arrival. #1 and #2 proceeded to the departure airport, chino, ca (cno). After landing, #3 discovered the cause of fuel leaking being a bullet hole in the underside of the left wing which ruptured a fuel bladder. The bullet did not penetrate the top of the wing. Police were summoned. On review of this flight, perhaps 4 orbits were excessive due to possible noise issues on the ground. On future such flts perhaps orbits should be limited to 2-3 revolutions maximum.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT OF 3 T-6 ACFT WERE SHOT AT, AND HIT, BY SOMEONE ON THE GND 1-2 MI NE OF CCB.

Narrative: I WAS FLT LEAD (#1) FOR A 3-AIRPLANE FORMATION FLT WHOSE MISSION WAS TO OVERFLY A 9 YR OLD LEUKEMIA VICTIM'S PROBABLE LAST BIRTHDAY PARTY. THE LOCATION OF THE BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 - 2 MI NE OF CABLE ARPT (CCB) IN UPLAND, CA. THE FLT ENTERED THE AREA BY FLYING A L DOWNWIND ENTRY, COMMUNICATING ON INTERCOM 123.00. THE FLT CONTINUED ON A L BASE, PROCEEDING N PRIOR TO MAKING A R TURN OVER THE PARTY AREA. MY TARGET ALT WAS 2500 FT MSL (1600 FT AGL) WHILE ORBITING THE AREA AND MAINTAINING RADIO COM AND SEPARATION WITH ACFT IN CABLE'S PATTERN OPERATING ON THE S SIDE OF THE FIELD. THE FLT HAD FLOWN 2 R-HAND ORBITS, THEN REVERSED DIRECTIONS AND WAS FLYING THE FIRST OF 2 ORBITS IN A L TURN. THE #2 PLANE RADIOED THAT #3 PLANE HAD A LARGE FUEL LEAK ON THE L WING. #3 PLT SHORTLY RADIOED HE HAD FUEL SMELL IN THE COCKPIT. I ASKED #3 IF HE WOULD LIKE TO LAND AT CCB OR RAL. HE ELECTED RAL. WE FINISHED THE 4TH ORBIT AND DEPARTED THE AREA TO THE NE. #3 HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL IN THE R TANK TO SAFELY RETURN TO BASE. THE FORMATION DROPPED #3 AT RAL ON AN EXPEDITED ARR AND HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER EQUIPPED TRUCK WAITING UPON HIS ARR. #1 AND #2 PROCEEDED TO THE DEP ARPT, CHINO, CA (CNO). AFTER LNDG, #3 DISCOVERED THE CAUSE OF FUEL LEAKING BEING A BULLET HOLE IN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE L WING WHICH RUPTURED A FUEL BLADDER. THE BULLET DID NOT PENETRATE THE TOP OF THE WING. POLICE WERE SUMMONED. ON REVIEW OF THIS FLT, PERHAPS 4 ORBITS WERE EXCESSIVE DUE TO POSSIBLE NOISE ISSUES ON THE GND. ON FUTURE SUCH FLTS PERHAPS ORBITS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO 2-3 REVOLUTIONS MAX.

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.