Narrative:

I was leading a formation flight of two to ZZZ to drop the second aircraft off for some radio maintenance work. I contacted tower out approximately 20 mi and reported my n-number and reported 'warbird flight of two inbound with ATIS.' I was south so they had me report 2 mi left downwind for runway xxr. I requested an overhead approach and tower accepted by replying I had the option. As our flight got closer; I asked if they preferred to have a r-hand break or l-hand break and if they wanted to call it. (I heard other traffic inbound so I was curious if they needed me to break one way or another for spacing.) they said it was my option so I replied we would do a l-hand break. I had a normal descent to the airport with my wingman tucked tight on my r-hand side. I reported the downwind position and they cleared us to land. As we turned from base to final for the overhead approach; I continued to hear more traffic inbound and I must have felt some concern because I asked to verify clearance to land. Again I received clearance to land. Our flight of two flew the overhead approach normally and approximately 1/3 the way down the runway I broke left to begin the landing sequence; with my wingman continuing on for a (as briefed by us) 3 or 4 count for his break due to spacing requirements. I landed normally. As I was taxiing and turning off of the runway to my left; the tower asked me where was my wingman? I looked left to get a visual on him and replied 'he's on final.' then the tower began to berate me as to why my wingman was not with me and if we were going to fly as a flight of two; he needed to stay with me. I was a bit puzzled by not only the questioning of why my wingman was not with me but now I notice my wingman is going around due to another aircraft below him landing on the same runway. This other aircraft I believe was a straight-in type approach. The tower asked me for the wingman's name and n-number and I complied with their request. After that; my wingman called tower to advise of his go around and they cleared him to the left downwind and another approach. I then switched to ground control and again was berated on not having my wingman with me on the landing. I did not respond to any of their comments. I received taxi instructions and arrived at my destination. My wingman landed normally on the second attempt on runway xxr. My wingman phoned the tower upon landing to discuss the situation. The tower controllers who handled our flight had left for the day already and so a conversation was held with the tower supervisor. This event ended uneventful but it could have been much different. I believe that tower controllers lost sight of my wingman. He; of course; was in a dissimilar aircraft (P51) so there was no possible way for us to 'land together' as the tower had incorrectly assumed. I also felt that it was not appropriate to be discussing this with me on the tower frequency and then again on the ground frequency. I felt they had other duties to perform at that critical time rather than elaborate on the fact that my wingman was not with me upon landing. It might have helped for me to specify that we were dissimilar aircraft and we would need extended spacing but that is not SOP as far as I know. I am not aware of clearance for more than 1 aircraft to 'land together' on the runway at the same time in tight proximity. Supplemental information from acn 808425: with clearance to land runway xxr ZZZ; I initiated a go around (abort) of my final approach to land when a small jet was turning on final in front of me in too close proximity to effect a safe landing following him. I was abeam the landing runway numbers; in landing confign; when the flight lead was approaching runway xxr on short final. I initiated my base turn shortly thereafter and passed over a light single engine aircraft on final to runway xxl; deemed no factor; so I continued my approach. I was unaware of any traffic calls to me concerning this light aircraft or the subsequent small jet from tower personnel. I now began my turn to final observing my flight lead clearing runway xxr safely but now began to hear tower and concerns as to my location and at this point I see a light jet turning on final in front of me and below me to the right. A safe landing on runway xxr could no longer be made and I initiated a go around to fly upwind parallel and to the right of runway xxr simultaneously informing tower of my intentions and that the jet was in sight. The tower personnel lost awareness to me; the wingman; after the overhead break to land and thus cleared another aircraft to land before insuring both aircraft of our flight had landed and cleared the runway. When cleared for the overhead pattern as a flight; tower personnel must be aware that spacing intervals between aircraft will vary due to many factors including runway conditions; WX; aircraft type -- all to ensure safe landing by all aircraft and thus; monitoring the aircraft in the flight is imperative.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ONE OF A FLIGHT OF TWO WAR BIRDS INITIATED A GO AROUND CONFLICTING WITH TRAFFIC ON SHORT FINAL; AFTER SEPARATING ON DOWNWIND FOLLOWING AN OVERHEAD BREAK; ATC ALLEGES AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE LANDED TOGETHER.

Narrative: I WAS LEADING A FORMATION FLT OF TWO TO ZZZ TO DROP THE SECOND ACFT OFF FOR SOME RADIO MAINT WORK. I CONTACTED TWR OUT APPROX 20 MI AND RPTED MY N-NUMBER AND RPTED 'WARBIRD FLT OF TWO INBOUND WITH ATIS.' I WAS S SO THEY HAD ME RPT 2 MI L DOWNWIND FOR RWY XXR. I REQUESTED AN OVERHEAD APCH AND TWR ACCEPTED BY REPLYING I HAD THE OPTION. AS OUR FLT GOT CLOSER; I ASKED IF THEY PREFERRED TO HAVE A R-HAND BREAK OR L-HAND BREAK AND IF THEY WANTED TO CALL IT. (I HEARD OTHER TFC INBOUND SO I WAS CURIOUS IF THEY NEEDED ME TO BREAK ONE WAY OR ANOTHER FOR SPACING.) THEY SAID IT WAS MY OPTION SO I REPLIED WE WOULD DO A L-HAND BREAK. I HAD A NORMAL DSCNT TO THE ARPT WITH MY WINGMAN TUCKED TIGHT ON MY R-HAND SIDE. I RPTED THE DOWNWIND POS AND THEY CLRED US TO LAND. AS WE TURNED FROM BASE TO FINAL FOR THE OVERHEAD APCH; I CONTINUED TO HEAR MORE TFC INBOUND AND I MUST HAVE FELT SOME CONCERN BECAUSE I ASKED TO VERIFY CLRNC TO LAND. AGAIN I RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND. OUR FLT OF TWO FLEW THE OVERHEAD APCH NORMALLY AND APPROX 1/3 THE WAY DOWN THE RWY I BROKE L TO BEGIN THE LNDG SEQUENCE; WITH MY WINGMAN CONTINUING ON FOR A (AS BRIEFED BY US) 3 OR 4 COUNT FOR HIS BREAK DUE TO SPACING REQUIREMENTS. I LANDED NORMALLY. AS I WAS TAXIING AND TURNING OFF OF THE RWY TO MY L; THE TWR ASKED ME WHERE WAS MY WINGMAN? I LOOKED L TO GET A VISUAL ON HIM AND REPLIED 'HE'S ON FINAL.' THEN THE TWR BEGAN TO BERATE ME AS TO WHY MY WINGMAN WAS NOT WITH ME AND IF WE WERE GOING TO FLY AS A FLT OF TWO; HE NEEDED TO STAY WITH ME. I WAS A BIT PUZZLED BY NOT ONLY THE QUESTIONING OF WHY MY WINGMAN WAS NOT WITH ME BUT NOW I NOTICE MY WINGMAN IS GOING AROUND DUE TO ANOTHER ACFT BELOW HIM LNDG ON THE SAME RWY. THIS OTHER ACFT I BELIEVE WAS A STRAIGHT-IN TYPE APCH. THE TWR ASKED ME FOR THE WINGMAN'S NAME AND N-NUMBER AND I COMPLIED WITH THEIR REQUEST. AFTER THAT; MY WINGMAN CALLED TWR TO ADVISE OF HIS GAR AND THEY CLRED HIM TO THE L DOWNWIND AND ANOTHER APCH. I THEN SWITCHED TO GND CTL AND AGAIN WAS BERATED ON NOT HAVING MY WINGMAN WITH ME ON THE LNDG. I DID NOT RESPOND TO ANY OF THEIR COMMENTS. I RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND ARRIVED AT MY DEST. MY WINGMAN LANDED NORMALLY ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT ON RWY XXR. MY WINGMAN PHONED THE TWR UPON LNDG TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION. THE TWR CTLRS WHO HANDLED OUR FLT HAD LEFT FOR THE DAY ALREADY AND SO A CONVERSATION WAS HELD WITH THE TWR SUPVR. THIS EVENT ENDED UNEVENTFUL BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT. I BELIEVE THAT TWR CTLRS LOST SIGHT OF MY WINGMAN. HE; OF COURSE; WAS IN A DISSIMILAR ACFT (P51) SO THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY FOR US TO 'LAND TOGETHER' AS THE TWR HAD INCORRECTLY ASSUMED. I ALSO FELT THAT IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE TO BE DISCUSSING THIS WITH ME ON THE TWR FREQ AND THEN AGAIN ON THE GND FREQ. I FELT THEY HAD OTHER DUTIES TO PERFORM AT THAT CRITICAL TIME RATHER THAN ELABORATE ON THE FACT THAT MY WINGMAN WAS NOT WITH ME UPON LNDG. IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED FOR ME TO SPECIFY THAT WE WERE DISSIMILAR ACFT AND WE WOULD NEED EXTENDED SPACING BUT THAT IS NOT SOP AS FAR AS I KNOW. I AM NOT AWARE OF CLRNC FOR MORE THAN 1 ACFT TO 'LAND TOGETHER' ON THE RWY AT THE SAME TIME IN TIGHT PROX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 808425: WITH CLRNC TO LAND RWY XXR ZZZ; I INITIATED A GAR (ABORT) OF MY FINAL APCH TO LAND WHEN A SMALL JET WAS TURNING ON FINAL IN FRONT OF ME IN TOO CLOSE PROX TO EFFECT A SAFE LNDG FOLLOWING HIM. I WAS ABEAM THE LNDG RWY NUMBERS; IN LNDG CONFIGN; WHEN THE FLT LEAD WAS APCHING RWY XXR ON SHORT FINAL. I INITIATED MY BASE TURN SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND PASSED OVER A LIGHT SINGLE ENG ACFT ON FINAL TO RWY XXL; DEEMED NO FACTOR; SO I CONTINUED MY APCH. I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY TFC CALLS TO ME CONCERNING THIS LIGHT ACFT OR THE SUBSEQUENT SMALL JET FROM TWR PERSONNEL. I NOW BEGAN MY TURN TO FINAL OBSERVING MY FLT LEAD CLEARING RWY XXR SAFELY BUT NOW BEGAN TO HEAR TWR AND CONCERNS AS TO MY LOCATION AND AT THIS POINT I SEE A LIGHT JET TURNING ON FINAL IN FRONT OF ME AND BELOW ME TO THE R. A SAFE LNDG ON RWY XXR COULD NO LONGER BE MADE AND I INITIATED A GAR TO FLY UPWIND PARALLEL AND TO THE R OF RWY XXR SIMULTANEOUSLY INFORMING TWR OF MY INTENTIONS AND THAT THE JET WAS IN SIGHT. THE TWR PERSONNEL LOST AWARENESS TO ME; THE WINGMAN; AFTER THE OVERHEAD BREAK TO LAND AND THUS CLRED ANOTHER ACFT TO LAND BEFORE INSURING BOTH ACFT OF OUR FLT HAD LANDED AND CLRED THE RWY. WHEN CLRED FOR THE OVERHEAD PATTERN AS A FLT; TWR PERSONNEL MUST BE AWARE THAT SPACING INTERVALS BTWN ACFT WILL VARY DUE TO MANY FACTORS INCLUDING RWY CONDITIONS; WX; ACFT TYPE -- ALL TO ENSURE SAFE LNDG BY ALL ACFT AND THUS; MONITORING THE ACFT IN THE FLT IS IMPERATIVE.

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.