Narrative:

I was the lead aircraft in a flight of 2 returning to a class D tower controled airport. Second aircraft did not have a radio. I reported 5 mi out as a flight of 2 for landing. We were cleared to enter class D airspace and told to report a 2 mi final. There were 2 other aircraft in the pattern, a military helicopter on right downwind and a military transport on left downwind. Tower called out our position to both aircraft and instructed them to continue downwind. At 4.5 mi, I offered to allow the helicopter traffic to land in front of my flight but was told it would not be a problem and to continue. I reported a 2 mi final and was cleared to land but told that flight was not in sight. Almost immediately tower reported that lead aircraft was in sight but not the wing man. At that point I began looking for second aircraft and considered breaking off approach to look for him, but because of approaching sunset, I hesitated to make request. At that time, tower reported that second aircraft was in sight, however, he was well behind me and maneuvering through the final approach course. Tower asked if I knew what he was doing and I replied that I did not but that he may be experiencing some type of problem. At that time, both military aircraft and tower were concerned about the maneuvering of the second aircraft. Tower instructed both to maintain separation and continue on downwind until he could determine what was going on. I continued and landed as cleared and second aircraft landed just as I was clearing the runway. I then called for taxi to parking as a flight. I apologized to tower for the confusion and said that I would find out what happened and telephone as soon as possible. As it happens, second aircraft experienced an engine malfunction that limited his ability to reduce power and slow for landing. His maneuvering was s-turns in an attempt to increase distance and ensure that the required faster than normal touchdown did not result in a ground collision of our aircraft. I have flown many hours in formation with the second aircraft PIC, which is why I believed he was experiencing a mechanical problem when he was not in the proper position for landing. In hindsight, I believe that because of our formation flight experience we became complacent regarding our prebrief for actions in the event of an emergency. That, coupled with his lack of a radio, resulted in confusion and great concern on the part of the tower controller and the other aircraft in the pattern. Also, because of approaching darkness, and the lack of lights on my aircraft, I put myself in position that I would not have been able to look for him had he been forced to make an off-field landing while en route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA OPERATING AS NORDO FORMATION ACFT INTO A CLASS D FACILITY SUFFERED ENG THROTTLE FAILURE AND HAD TO TAKE EMER ACTION TO CTL ACFT SPD AND MAKE A SAFE ARR.

Narrative: I WAS THE LEAD ACFT IN A FLT OF 2 RETURNING TO A CLASS D TWR CTLED ARPT. SECOND ACFT DID NOT HAVE A RADIO. I RPTED 5 MI OUT AS A FLT OF 2 FOR LNDG. WE WERE CLRED TO ENTER CLASS D AIRSPACE AND TOLD TO RPT A 2 MI FINAL. THERE WERE 2 OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN, A MIL HELI ON R DOWNWIND AND A MIL TRANSPORT ON L DOWNWIND. TWR CALLED OUT OUR POS TO BOTH ACFT AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO CONTINUE DOWNWIND. AT 4.5 MI, I OFFERED TO ALLOW THE HELI TFC TO LAND IN FRONT OF MY FLT BUT WAS TOLD IT WOULD NOT BE A PROB AND TO CONTINUE. I RPTED A 2 MI FINAL AND WAS CLRED TO LAND BUT TOLD THAT FLT WAS NOT IN SIGHT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TWR RPTED THAT LEAD ACFT WAS IN SIGHT BUT NOT THE WING MAN. AT THAT POINT I BEGAN LOOKING FOR SECOND ACFT AND CONSIDERED BREAKING OFF APCH TO LOOK FOR HIM, BUT BECAUSE OF APCHING SUNSET, I HESITATED TO MAKE REQUEST. AT THAT TIME, TWR RPTED THAT SECOND ACFT WAS IN SIGHT, HOWEVER, HE WAS WELL BEHIND ME AND MANEUVERING THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE. TWR ASKED IF I KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING AND I REPLIED THAT I DID NOT BUT THAT HE MAY BE EXPERIENCING SOME TYPE OF PROB. AT THAT TIME, BOTH MIL ACFT AND TWR WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MANEUVERING OF THE SECOND ACFT. TWR INSTRUCTED BOTH TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION AND CONTINUE ON DOWNWIND UNTIL HE COULD DETERMINE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I CONTINUED AND LANDED AS CLRED AND SECOND ACFT LANDED JUST AS I WAS CLRING THE RWY. I THEN CALLED FOR TAXI TO PARKING AS A FLT. I APOLOGIZED TO TWR FOR THE CONFUSION AND SAID THAT I WOULD FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED AND TELEPHONE ASAP. AS IT HAPPENS, SECOND ACFT EXPERIENCED AN ENG MALFUNCTION THAT LIMITED HIS ABILITY TO REDUCE PWR AND SLOW FOR LNDG. HIS MANEUVERING WAS S-TURNS IN AN ATTEMPT TO INCREASE DISTANCE AND ENSURE THAT THE REQUIRED FASTER THAN NORMAL TOUCHDOWN DID NOT RESULT IN A GND COLLISION OF OUR ACFT. I HAVE FLOWN MANY HRS IN FORMATION WITH THE SECOND ACFT PIC, WHICH IS WHY I BELIEVED HE WAS EXPERIENCING A MECHANICAL PROB WHEN HE WAS NOT IN THE PROPER POS FOR LNDG. IN HINDSIGHT, I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF OUR FORMATION FLT EXPERIENCE WE BECAME COMPLACENT REGARDING OUR PREBRIEF FOR ACTIONS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER. THAT, COUPLED WITH HIS LACK OF A RADIO, RESULTED IN CONFUSION AND GREAT CONCERN ON THE PART OF THE TWR CTLR AND THE OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. ALSO, BECAUSE OF APCHING DARKNESS, AND THE LACK OF LIGHTS ON MY ACFT, I PUT MYSELF IN POS THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOOK FOR HIM HAD HE BEEN FORCED TO MAKE AN OFF-FIELD LNDG WHILE ENRTE.

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.