Narrative:

I was instructed to contact temporary tower 126.7. Contacted tower and reported 10.9 ssw for landing. Instructed to fly left downwind for 15, and acknowledged same. Thought it somewhat unusual, due to the fact that those instructions would mean to overfly the field to enter the left downwind. In my experience in the past, ATC usually says overfly the field to enter left downwind for 15. I thought it a little unusual that ATC did not include that in the instructions, but figured he was just busy. 1 1/2 mi ssw of the field I encountered 5 war birds at 1-2 and 3 O'clock. I called tower, reported ssw 1 1/2 to overfly field for left downwind. The war birds flew over, under and in front of me and below me. Some of the war birds called tower about the same time and were instructed to fly right downwind for 15. I had no reply from tower. Entered left downwind and reported to tower. Still no reply. I also heard several other aircraft call tower with no reply. As I was flying left downwind, I had several aircraft on right downwind and an small aircraft in front on left downwind. The small aircraft turned base and called tower as reply, then turned final and was cleared to land behind traffic in final. Next a twin appeared on long final and was cleared behind small aircraft. I tried to make contact, then turned left base. Made several attempts to contact tower. Other calls to tower were also unanswered. As I continued on final at .6 NM out and 800', a twin war bird appeared on a close left base at 400-500' altitude with no tower communication. They turned toward me. I put in climb power as I had both left and downwind traffic. There were several frightful moments that passed as I lost sight of traffic by pulling up to nose, no other choice. Meanwhile, the twin war bird turned back out to my left and I descended and landed. I also witnessed numerous xings between takeoffs and landing, or cars and vans crossing the active runway with no communication with anyone. My observation is that the controller was overwhelmed and lost control. I have been to sun-north-fun 6 times, oshkosh, mc dill and several uncontrolled fly-INS at leeward air ranch. This was by far the most uncontrolled, unsafe event I have attended. I have seen other controllers have traffic remain outside the traffic area to remain in control. There were dozens of calls unanswered by the controllers, and yet there was available time on the frequency 126.7. The airport was closed by NOTAM at noon and I believe the war birds were taking off, flying around the patterns before 12 contributed greatly to the problems as many GA aircraft were attempting to arrive before the airport closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA HAD TRAFFIC ENCOUNTER IN TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH TEMPORARY TWR FOR AIR SHOW.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TEMPORARY TWR 126.7. CONTACTED TWR AND RPTED 10.9 SSW FOR LNDG. INSTRUCTED TO FLY LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 15, AND ACKNOWLEDGED SAME. THOUGHT IT SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THOSE INSTRUCTIONS WOULD MEAN TO OVERFLY THE FIELD TO ENTER THE LEFT DOWNWIND. IN MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST, ATC USUALLY SAYS OVERFLY THE FIELD TO ENTER LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 15. I THOUGHT IT A LITTLE UNUSUAL THAT ATC DID NOT INCLUDE THAT IN THE INSTRUCTIONS, BUT FIGURED HE WAS JUST BUSY. 1 1/2 MI SSW OF THE FIELD I ENCOUNTERED 5 WAR BIRDS AT 1-2 AND 3 O'CLOCK. I CALLED TWR, RPTED SSW 1 1/2 TO OVERFLY FIELD FOR LEFT DOWNWIND. THE WAR BIRDS FLEW OVER, UNDER AND IN FRONT OF ME AND BELOW ME. SOME OF THE WAR BIRDS CALLED TWR ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO FLY RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR 15. I HAD NO REPLY FROM TWR. ENTERED LEFT DOWNWIND AND RPTED TO TWR. STILL NO REPLY. I ALSO HEARD SEVERAL OTHER ACFT CALL TWR WITH NO REPLY. AS I WAS FLYING LEFT DOWNWIND, I HAD SEVERAL ACFT ON RIGHT DOWNWIND AND AN SMA IN FRONT ON LEFT DOWNWIND. THE SMA TURNED BASE AND CALLED TWR AS REPLY, THEN TURNED FINAL AND WAS CLRED TO LAND BEHIND TFC IN FINAL. NEXT A TWIN APPEARED ON LONG FINAL AND WAS CLRED BEHIND SMA. I TRIED TO MAKE CONTACT, THEN TURNED LEFT BASE. MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT TWR. OTHER CALLS TO TWR WERE ALSO UNANSWERED. AS I CONTINUED ON FINAL AT .6 NM OUT AND 800', A TWIN WAR BIRD APPEARED ON A CLOSE LEFT BASE AT 400-500' ALT WITH NO TWR COM. THEY TURNED TOWARD ME. I PUT IN CLB PWR AS I HAD BOTH LEFT AND DOWNWIND TFC. THERE WERE SEVERAL FRIGHTFUL MOMENTS THAT PASSED AS I LOST SIGHT OF TFC BY PULLING UP TO NOSE, NO OTHER CHOICE. MEANWHILE, THE TWIN WAR BIRD TURNED BACK OUT TO MY LEFT AND I DSNDED AND LANDED. I ALSO WITNESSED NUMEROUS XINGS BTWN TKOFS AND LNDG, OR CARS AND VANS XING THE ACTIVE RWY WITH NO COM WITH ANYONE. MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THE CTLR WAS OVERWHELMED AND LOST CTL. I HAVE BEEN TO SUN-N-FUN 6 TIMES, OSHKOSH, MC DILL AND SEVERAL UNCONTROLLED FLY-INS AT LEEWARD AIR RANCH. THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST UNCONTROLLED, UNSAFE EVENT I HAVE ATTENDED. I HAVE SEEN OTHER CTLRS HAVE TFC REMAIN OUTSIDE THE TFC AREA TO REMAIN IN CTL. THERE WERE DOZENS OF CALLS UNANSWERED BY THE CTLRS, AND YET THERE WAS AVAILABLE TIME ON THE FREQ 126.7. THE ARPT WAS CLOSED BY NOTAM AT NOON AND I BELIEVE THE WAR BIRDS WERE TAKING OFF, FLYING AROUND THE PATTERNS BEFORE 12 CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE PROBS AS MANY GA ACFT WERE ATTEMPTING TO ARRIVE BEFORE THE ARPT CLOSED.

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.