Narrative:

This was an instructional flight under part 91. My aircraft was in the traffic pattern doing touch-and-goes for training. We were landing for the third time when the incident occurred. We were downline for runway xx (and had made a TA announcement) when a pair of T-6 airplanes (not sure about the make/model) approached the airport from the northwest and entered the upwind for the traffic pattern (they were about 1 mi from the end of the runway). They announced that they were approaching the field. I do not recall exactly what that T-6's stated about their intentions; but both of us (in my aircraft) believed the T-6's would be doing a low pass. We turned base (and made a TA announcement) for runway xx when we were abeam the other 2 aircraft and continued our descent to a landing. As we turned final; I looked ahead and saw both of the T-6's ahead of us and directly over the airport. One of the T-6's (T-6 #1) turned crosswind (looked like he broke off to start his landing). At this time; the other T-6 aircraft (T-6 #2) stated a reminder to T-6 #1 that we were in the pattern. We announced turning final and were about 3/4 mi from touchdown at this point. When we were about 1/4 mi from touchdown; we heard T-6 #2 announce to the T-6 #1 to go around (and that we were beneath him about to land). Shortly thereafter; T-6 #1 flew over us (about 300 ft higher) on an upwind. We did not take evasive action and continued to land with a touch-and-go. I figured that T-6 #2 was in the pattern and would be landing right after us. T-6 #1 proceeded to enter the traffic pattern to land. We extended our upwind to provide sufficient spacing in the traffic pattern. Once we turned downwind for runway xx; I observed that T-6 #1 had already landed and was about to turn off the runway. We continued practicing takeoffs and lndgs (total of 5 for the flight). At the time; it did not seem like it was a close encounter. Upon further reflection; it does appear that it could have led to a severe accident. T-6 #1 apparently was about to land on top of us. Some contributing factors: 1) a low wing airplane above was approaching a high wing airplane below. Both aircraft were unable to see each other. 2) T-6 #1 did not make any radio calls that I was aware of. 3) we were not aware of how fast the T-6 would be in the pattern. It was a very short time from the moment I saw T-6 #1 break off until he went around. 4) we were not clear about what the T-6's stated when then first approached the airport. Some possible corrections: 1) maintain vigilance at all times; especially when a high wing airplane is flying below a low wing airplane. 2) at airports where high performance vintage military aircraft are based; encourage dialogue to inform operators and pilots of small GA aircraft of the speed/performance of vintage military aircraft. Emphasis should be placed on the speed at which these aircraft operate in the traffic pattern. 3) encourage pilots to make position announcements on all pattern legs when other aircraft are in the pattern. 4) be sure to ask for clarification if you are uncertain about another aircraft's intentions.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES RPTS CRITICAL CONFLICT WITH T6 MAKING NONSTANDARD CIVILIAN PATTERN ENTRY FOR LNDG.

Narrative: THIS WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT UNDER PART 91. MY ACFT WAS IN THE TFC PATTERN DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES FOR TRAINING. WE WERE LNDG FOR THE THIRD TIME WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. WE WERE DOWNLINE FOR RWY XX (AND HAD MADE A TA ANNOUNCEMENT) WHEN A PAIR OF T-6 AIRPLANES (NOT SURE ABOUT THE MAKE/MODEL) APCHED THE ARPT FROM THE NW AND ENTERED THE UPWIND FOR THE TFC PATTERN (THEY WERE ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE END OF THE RWY). THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE APCHING THE FIELD. I DO NOT RECALL EXACTLY WHAT THAT T-6'S STATED ABOUT THEIR INTENTIONS; BUT BOTH OF US (IN MY ACFT) BELIEVED THE T-6'S WOULD BE DOING A LOW PASS. WE TURNED BASE (AND MADE A TA ANNOUNCEMENT) FOR RWY XX WHEN WE WERE ABEAM THE OTHER 2 ACFT AND CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO A LNDG. AS WE TURNED FINAL; I LOOKED AHEAD AND SAW BOTH OF THE T-6'S AHEAD OF US AND DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT. ONE OF THE T-6'S (T-6 #1) TURNED XWIND (LOOKED LIKE HE BROKE OFF TO START HIS LNDG). AT THIS TIME; THE OTHER T-6 ACFT (T-6 #2) STATED A REMINDER TO T-6 #1 THAT WE WERE IN THE PATTERN. WE ANNOUNCED TURNING FINAL AND WERE ABOUT 3/4 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN AT THIS POINT. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN; WE HEARD T-6 #2 ANNOUNCE TO THE T-6 #1 TO GO AROUND (AND THAT WE WERE BENEATH HIM ABOUT TO LAND). SHORTLY THEREAFTER; T-6 #1 FLEW OVER US (ABOUT 300 FT HIGHER) ON AN UPWIND. WE DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AND CONTINUED TO LAND WITH A TOUCH-AND-GO. I FIGURED THAT T-6 #2 WAS IN THE PATTERN AND WOULD BE LNDG RIGHT AFTER US. T-6 #1 PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN TO LAND. WE EXTENDED OUR UPWIND TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SPACING IN THE TFC PATTERN. ONCE WE TURNED DOWNWIND FOR RWY XX; I OBSERVED THAT T-6 #1 HAD ALREADY LANDED AND WAS ABOUT TO TURN OFF THE RWY. WE CONTINUED PRACTICING TKOFS AND LNDGS (TOTAL OF 5 FOR THE FLT). AT THE TIME; IT DID NOT SEEM LIKE IT WAS A CLOSE ENCOUNTER. UPON FURTHER REFLECTION; IT DOES APPEAR THAT IT COULD HAVE LED TO A SEVERE ACCIDENT. T-6 #1 APPARENTLY WAS ABOUT TO LAND ON TOP OF US. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) A LOW WING AIRPLANE ABOVE WAS APCHING A HIGH WING AIRPLANE BELOW. BOTH ACFT WERE UNABLE TO SEE EACH OTHER. 2) T-6 #1 DID NOT MAKE ANY RADIO CALLS THAT I WAS AWARE OF. 3) WE WERE NOT AWARE OF HOW FAST THE T-6 WOULD BE IN THE PATTERN. IT WAS A VERY SHORT TIME FROM THE MOMENT I SAW T-6 #1 BREAK OFF UNTIL HE WENT AROUND. 4) WE WERE NOT CLR ABOUT WHAT THE T-6'S STATED WHEN THEN FIRST APCHED THE ARPT. SOME POSSIBLE CORRECTIONS: 1) MAINTAIN VIGILANCE AT ALL TIMES; ESPECIALLY WHEN A HIGH WING AIRPLANE IS FLYING BELOW A LOW WING AIRPLANE. 2) AT ARPTS WHERE HIGH PERFORMANCE VINTAGE MIL ACFT ARE BASED; ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE TO INFORM OPERATORS AND PLTS OF SMALL GA ACFT OF THE SPD/PERFORMANCE OF VINTAGE MIL ACFT. EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE SPD AT WHICH THESE ACFT OPERATE IN THE TFC PATTERN. 3) ENCOURAGE PLTS TO MAKE POS ANNOUNCEMENTS ON ALL PATTERN LEGS WHEN OTHER ACFT ARE IN THE PATTERN. 4) BE SURE TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION IF YOU ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT ANOTHER ACFT'S INTENTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.