RPTING PLT OF THE #1 P51 MUSTANGS; OF A FLT OF 2; OBSERVED #2 DOING AEROBATICS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF AN AIRWAY. IN ADDITION; WHEN RPTING IN TO HOME BASE TWR; RPTR #1; WAS ACCUSED OF NOT CONTACTING TWR SOONER BEFORE ENTERING CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Date: 1998-11 · Aircraft: Mustang (P51) · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

RPTING PLT OF THE #1 P51 MUSTANGS; OF A FLT OF 2; OBSERVED #2 DOING AEROBATICS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF AN AIRWAY. IN ADDITION; WHEN RPTING IN TO HOME BASE TWR; RPTR #1; WAS ACCUSED OF NOT CONTACTING TWR SOONER BEFORE ENTERING CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative

ON THE DATE IN QUESTION; BOTH ACFT DEPARTED CENTENNIAL WITH A PREARRANGED PREBRIEFED PLAN TO FORM UP AFTER DEPARTING THE ARPT AREA AND TO CONDUCT FORMATION FLT OPS. HAVING FLOWN IN FORMATION FOR SEVERAL MINS; IT WAS AGREED; VIA AIR-TO-AIR COM; THAT THE ACFT WOULD BREAK FORMATION AND CONTINUE OPS AS SINGLE SHIPS; TO FORM UP THEREAFTER PRIOR TO RETURNING TO CENTENNIAL. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY UPON BREAKING FORMATION; ACFT #2 COMMENCED VIGOROUS AEROBATIC MANEUVERS; WITHOUT FIRST CLRING THE AIRSPACE AND; GENERALLY; IN WHAT WAS REGARDED BY THE PLT AND PAX IN ACFT #1 AS OP WITHOUT REGARD TO DUE CONSIDERATION TO SAFETY; OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA; AND AIRWAY/CTLED AIRSPACE. ACFT #2 CONTINUED WITH AN ERRATIC AND RATHER COMPLETE AEROBATIC PROFILE FOR 20-30 MINS; WHEREUPON; AT THE PERSISTENT REQUEST OF ACFT #1; IT FINALLY REFORMED WITH ACFT #1 IN A LOOSE FORMATION; FOR RETURN TO CENTENNIAL. MOST OF THE AEROBATIC MANEUVERS PERFORMED BY ACFT #2 WERE OBSERVED TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE VICINITY OF THE COLORADO SPRINGS ARPT; ON THE AIRWAY BTWN DENVER AND COLORADO SPRINGS. IN PREFLT; ACFT #1 HAD REQUESTED THAT ACFT #2 MAINTAIN VOICE COM WITH ACFT #1 AND APPROPRIATE ATC FACILITIES AT ALL TIMES. CONTRARY TO THE BRIEFING; ACFT #2 DID NOT DO SO. UPON RETURNING TO CENTENNIAL IN 'VERY LOOSE' FORMATION (WITH ACFT #1 IN CONTACT WITH DEN APCH; AND CONTRARY TO DIRECTION FROM ACFT #1); ACFT #2 ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL. THEREAFTER; ACFT #2 WAS OBSERVED 'BUZZING' THE 'PINERY;' A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY JUST S OF THE CENTENNIAL ARPT. FOLLOWING THE LOW HIGH SPD PASS OVER THE PINERY; ACFT #2 ABRUPTLY PITCHED UP AND TURNED TOWARD THE CENTENNIAL ATA. MOST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED OCCURRED; AT ONE TIME OR OTHER WITHIN THE CONFINES OF CLASS B AND OR C AND OR D AND OR E AIRSPACE. (THIS IS INCLUSIVE OF THE AEROBATIC AND FORMATION 'FLYING' ATTEMPTED BY THE 2 ACFT.) AS THE ACFT APCHED CENTENNIAL ON THE RETURN FROM THE 'MISSION;' ACFT #1; UNABLE TO EVOKE ANY RESPONSE FROM ACFT #2 PRIOR TO THE LATTER'S HIGH SPD LOW APCH OVER THE 'PINERY;' ADVISED DEN APCH THAT HE (ACFT #1) WOULD CONTINUE INBOUND AS A SINGLE SHIP FOR LNDG AT CENTENNIAL. UPON RETURNING TO CENTENNIAL; HAVING BEEN RATHER 'RATTLED' WITH THIS ENTIRE EXPERIENCE; AND ALTHOUGH I WAS HANDED OFF BY APCH TO CENTENNIAL TWR; THE TWR SUGGESTED THAT I HAD NOT MADE 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WITH IT; SOON ENOUGH; PRIOR TO RE-ENTERING ITS AIRSPACE. IN FACT; I THOUGHT THE TWR HAD GOTTEN QUITE 'TESTY' WITH ME. I RETURNED THE FAVOR WITH AN 'EXCHANGE OF WORDS.' WHAT I HAVE RELEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE IS; FIRST; THAT THE COCKPIT IS NO PLACE FOR THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES; PARTICULARLY WITH ATC. (SUCH MATTERS CAN AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AT ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE. FOR EXAMPLE; ON THE GND AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE FLT.) IN THIS INSTANCE; I LOST SIGHT OF THESE PRINCIPLES. CANDIDLY; I AM ASHAMED OF MY LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM AS A PLT; IN HAVING DONE SO. SECONDLY; AND ALSO IN THE RELEARNED CATEGORY; THE WISDOM OF THE AXIOM OF NEVER ATTEMPTING FORMATION FLT WITH SOMEONE WHOSE FLYING SKILLS AND ATTITUDE ARE UNKNOWN TO YOU; WAS ONCE AGAIN IMPRESSED UPON ME. ALTHOUGH THE FOREGOING MIGHT BE VIEWED AS RELATING PRINCIPALLY TO THE OPS OF ACFT #2; I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT OUT OF CONCERN THAT I MIGHT BE VIEWED AS HAVING SOME COMPLICITY IN; AND/OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR; SAID OPS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.