Narrative:

I was the lead of a flight of 2 varga kachina's. Due to traffic volume we had been instructed to circle 3 times north of the power plant at 3000 ft prior to entering class D. There was a broken layer over the airport and to the south. North and east were scattered to clear. We descended VFR on the 45 degrees to right downwind for runway 24. On the downwind I requested the overhead break. Tower approved sequencing us behind a hawker jet on a 9 mi final. Tower then attempted to contact the hawker who must have been with socal. The hawker called up a short time after that and was cleared to land. I reported the traffic in sight when we were about 1 1/2 mi downwind. Tower instructed me to keep it in tight to the hawker; as another jet was behind it. I acknowledged. At about 2 mi downwind; it looked like the hawker was doing about 140 KTS and was on GS. I began our turn to base when it was in about the 2 O'clock position; estimating the jet would be well past as we approached final; but also complying with the instruction to stay in close. At the closest point it appeared we were about 300 ft above and 1/4 mi horizontally to the jet. We were level at 1500 ft and 90-100 mph (75-85 KTS) the speed fluctuating due to light turbulence. There was then a radio transmission probably from the hawker stating his TCAS had someone 100 ft from him. There were then many overlapping xmissions. After the controller was able to clear the frequency; the pilot said he would call the tower once on the ground. When we turned final the hawker was well west of us and lower. There was never a hazard of collision or conflict. In debriefing with my wingman on the ground; it was learned that both of us had our xponders on. It is not known if this would cause TCAS to alert; or show us closer than it visually appeared we were. In retrospect; due to the traffic volume I should have canceled my request for the overhead break. I also should have waited a few more seconds prior to turning base to give a little more horizontal clearance. I knew that at 2 mi the hawker would be down and off the runway by the time I was on short final. The controllers in the tower at palomar are very good at handling the heavy volume if the pilots can help out. Perhaps I felt too compelled and kept it in tighter than necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT OF 2 VARGA KACHINA'S ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT CRQ; CLRED TO FOLLOW HAWKER JET ON FINAL; CAUSED A TCAS EVENT.

Narrative: I WAS THE LEAD OF A FLT OF 2 VARGA KACHINA'S. DUE TO TFC VOLUME WE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO CIRCLE 3 TIMES N OF THE PWR PLANT AT 3000 FT PRIOR TO ENTERING CLASS D. THERE WAS A BROKEN LAYER OVER THE ARPT AND TO THE S. N AND E WERE SCATTERED TO CLR. WE DSNDED VFR ON THE 45 DEGS TO R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24. ON THE DOWNWIND I REQUESTED THE OVERHEAD BREAK. TWR APPROVED SEQUENCING US BEHIND A HAWKER JET ON A 9 MI FINAL. TWR THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE HAWKER WHO MUST HAVE BEEN WITH SOCAL. THE HAWKER CALLED UP A SHORT TIME AFTER THAT AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I RPTED THE TFC IN SIGHT WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 1 1/2 MI DOWNWIND. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO KEEP IT IN TIGHT TO THE HAWKER; AS ANOTHER JET WAS BEHIND IT. I ACKNOWLEDGED. AT ABOUT 2 MI DOWNWIND; IT LOOKED LIKE THE HAWKER WAS DOING ABOUT 140 KTS AND WAS ON GS. I BEGAN OUR TURN TO BASE WHEN IT WAS IN ABOUT THE 2 O'CLOCK POS; ESTIMATING THE JET WOULD BE WELL PAST AS WE APCHED FINAL; BUT ALSO COMPLYING WITH THE INSTRUCTION TO STAY IN CLOSE. AT THE CLOSEST POINT IT APPEARED WE WERE ABOUT 300 FT ABOVE AND 1/4 MI HORIZLY TO THE JET. WE WERE LEVEL AT 1500 FT AND 90-100 MPH (75-85 KTS) THE SPD FLUCTUATING DUE TO LIGHT TURB. THERE WAS THEN A RADIO XMISSION PROBABLY FROM THE HAWKER STATING HIS TCAS HAD SOMEONE 100 FT FROM HIM. THERE WERE THEN MANY OVERLAPPING XMISSIONS. AFTER THE CTLR WAS ABLE TO CLR THE FREQ; THE PLT SAID HE WOULD CALL THE TWR ONCE ON THE GND. WHEN WE TURNED FINAL THE HAWKER WAS WELL W OF US AND LOWER. THERE WAS NEVER A HAZARD OF COLLISION OR CONFLICT. IN DEBRIEFING WITH MY WINGMAN ON THE GND; IT WAS LEARNED THAT BOTH OF US HAD OUR XPONDERS ON. IT IS NOT KNOWN IF THIS WOULD CAUSE TCAS TO ALERT; OR SHOW US CLOSER THAN IT VISUALLY APPEARED WE WERE. IN RETROSPECT; DUE TO THE TFC VOLUME I SHOULD HAVE CANCELED MY REQUEST FOR THE OVERHEAD BREAK. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE WAITED A FEW MORE SECONDS PRIOR TO TURNING BASE TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE HORIZ CLRNC. I KNEW THAT AT 2 MI THE HAWKER WOULD BE DOWN AND OFF THE RWY BY THE TIME I WAS ON SHORT FINAL. THE CTLRS IN THE TWR AT PALOMAR ARE VERY GOOD AT HANDLING THE HVY VOLUME IF THE PLTS CAN HELP OUT. PERHAPS I FELT TOO COMPELLED AND KEPT IT IN TIGHTER THAN NECESSARY.

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.