Narrative:

I contacted TRACON requesting class B clearance and that we were flight of two. TRACON advised that we had clearance to enter class B at 5500 ft direct fresno. As a flight of 2 we did a ground briefing before departure. The second aircraft was supposed to follow in trail approximately 1 mi and was to monitor the same frequency lead aircraft was on. Backup frequency was given in the event of loss radio communication. Within approximately 5 mins I received a call from TRACON stating the second aircraft was 2 mi behind. The next call from TRACON requested that I contact him and tell him to squawk 1200 and then stated that the second aircraft entered in the wrong transponder code. I tried to contact the second aircraft but no response; I then tried backup frequency with still no response. TRACON then contacted me again stating that the aircraft was now 10 mi in trail. TRACON then gave me a handoff to the new controller who asked me if I was in communication with the next aircraft. I advised the controller that I lost communication with the second aircraft. TRACON asked me to contact their office by phone after landing. The controller stated we did in fact have clearance to enter class B but he did not have positive contact with the second aircraft in trail and caused 10 mins of confusion. He further stated this would not be filed against us. The TRACON supervisor wanted the controller to contact us and notify accordingly. Controller stated please don't let this discourage us from doing flts of two as he is a pilot himself and does do flts of two frequently himself and felt that TRACON was partly in the wrong too for not positively identifying the second aircraft. In retrospect; before we embarked on this flight of two; we did a safety briefing but it was not enough: I was lead; he was trail. Keep approximately 1 mi distance. Maintain same airspeed; altitude; same frequency along with backup frequency and direction of flight. Change altitude; speed or direction per flight direction given from controllers or as necessary to maintain safe flight at all times. Although second aircraft's radio appeared to be operating correctly; during the course of confusion the radio calls from TRACON and lead aircraft were simply missed. Human error; no further flts of two will be made by this pilot until greater information knowledge of information is required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BONANZA PLT WAS LEAD ACFT IN FLIGHT OF TWO AND RECEIVED CLRNC INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. TRAILING ACFT; PIPER ARROW; FELL 10 MILES BEHIND AND LOST COM WITH BOTH ATC AND LEAD ACFT.

Narrative: I CONTACTED TRACON REQUESTING CLASS B CLRNC AND THAT WE WERE FLT OF TWO. TRACON ADVISED THAT WE HAD CLRNC TO ENTER CLASS B AT 5500 FT DIRECT FRESNO. AS A FLT OF 2 WE DID A GND BRIEFING BEFORE DEP. THE SECOND ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW IN TRAIL APPROX 1 MI AND WAS TO MONITOR THE SAME FREQ LEAD ACFT WAS ON. BACKUP FREQ WAS GIVEN IN THE EVENT OF LOSS RADIO COM. WITHIN APPROX 5 MINS I RECEIVED A CALL FROM TRACON STATING THE SECOND ACFT WAS 2 MI BEHIND. THE NEXT CALL FROM TRACON REQUESTED THAT I CONTACT HIM AND TELL HIM TO SQUAWK 1200 AND THEN STATED THAT THE SECOND ACFT ENTERED IN THE WRONG XPONDER CODE. I TRIED TO CONTACT THE SECOND ACFT BUT NO RESPONSE; I THEN TRIED BACKUP FREQ WITH STILL NO RESPONSE. TRACON THEN CONTACTED ME AGAIN STATING THAT THE ACFT WAS NOW 10 MI IN TRAIL. TRACON THEN GAVE ME A HDOF TO THE NEW CTLR WHO ASKED ME IF I WAS IN COM WITH THE NEXT ACFT. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I LOST COM WITH THE SECOND ACFT. TRACON ASKED ME TO CONTACT THEIR OFFICE BY PHONE AFTER LNDG. THE CTLR STATED WE DID IN FACT HAVE CLRNC TO ENTER CLASS B BUT HE DID NOT HAVE POSITIVE CONTACT WITH THE SECOND ACFT IN TRAIL AND CAUSED 10 MINS OF CONFUSION. HE FURTHER STATED THIS WOULD NOT BE FILED AGAINST US. THE TRACON SUPVR WANTED THE CTLR TO CONTACT US AND NOTIFY ACCORDINGLY. CTLR STATED PLEASE DON'T LET THIS DISCOURAGE US FROM DOING FLTS OF TWO AS HE IS A PLT HIMSELF AND DOES DO FLTS OF TWO FREQUENTLY HIMSELF AND FELT THAT TRACON WAS PARTLY IN THE WRONG TOO FOR NOT POSITIVELY IDENTIFYING THE SECOND ACFT. IN RETROSPECT; BEFORE WE EMBARKED ON THIS FLT OF TWO; WE DID A SAFETY BRIEFING BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH: I WAS LEAD; HE WAS TRAIL. KEEP APPROX 1 MI DISTANCE. MAINTAIN SAME AIRSPD; ALT; SAME FREQ ALONG WITH BACKUP FREQ AND DIRECTION OF FLT. CHANGE ALT; SPD OR DIRECTION PER FLT DIRECTION GIVEN FROM CTLRS OR AS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN SAFE FLT AT ALL TIMES. ALTHOUGH SECOND ACFT'S RADIO APPEARED TO BE OPERATING CORRECTLY; DURING THE COURSE OF CONFUSION THE RADIO CALLS FROM TRACON AND LEAD ACFT WERE SIMPLY MISSED. HUMAN ERROR; NO FURTHER FLTS OF TWO WILL BE MADE BY THIS PLT UNTIL GREATER INFO KNOWLEDGE OF INFO IS REQUIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.