Narrative:

I departed hyannis airport, hyannis, ma, in small aircraft X en route to penyan, ny. I was accompanied by a retired air force pilot who was piloting small aircraft Y. We went direct providence VOR, direct putnam VOR, direct bannes VOR, direct chester VOR. It became apparent we could not stay VFR because of mountain obstruction and low ceilings and also snow showers. Therefore, we turned to a heading of approximately 200 degrees, trying to pick up pawling VOR. Due to increasing obstruction and turbulence in the lower mountain areas, we decided to land at bdl. I contacted approach on 125.8 and was told that I was on the wrong frequency (bdl approach) or some words to that effect. (Other aircraft were heard in the area on this frequency calling bdl approach.) the only other frequency I believed I could use (effectively) was 120.3, which is bdl tower. I advised bdl tower of my position and advised them that I had the current ATIS. They advised me of departing aircraft on runway 24, and cleared me for a left downwind to runway 33. I then spoke with small aircraft Y on frequency 122.95 and advised him to contact the tower on 120.3. Thinking he was breaking off, I then entered a left downwind and was vectored to a heading of 280 degrees to give clearance to an approaching jet. I was cleared to be #2 for landing. At no time during my downwind leg to runway 33 did I observe small aircraft Y in formation flight. During my base leg on final approach, I did not observe him to be in a formation flight. After taxiing down the runway to the third taxiway to the left, the tower advised me, in a questioning manner, that a second plane had landed behind me and they asked if we were together. I believe I answered in the affirmative. Other conversation ensured as to my calling the tower when I reached the FBO. I did call the tower and made my explanation re my arrival. Small aircraft Y pilot also subsequently spoke with the tower following his arrival. It should be noted that from the departure at hyannis airport, this pilot in small aircraft Y did not request and was not cleared for a formation departure. As, in the case of the arrival at windsor locks, I did not request and was not cleared for a formation arrival. Further, in any preflight conversation between said pilots, there was no understanding, or determination, that either departures or arrs would be in formation flight. I was advised by the supervisor in the tower that my violations were as follows: formation flying to a landing and violation an arsa. As far as the violation of the arsa is concerned, I thought by contacting approach I would be allowed to proceed. I had no other frequency to call but the tower. The turbulence at this time was very strong and I was having a hard time getting an exact fix on my position. I had no DME to tell me just how far out I was from the bdl VOR. I have flown many times into logan airport using approach control and I thought my procedures were correct. I must have been wrong, and it won't happen again. Supplemental information from acn 86126: I was given the ok to departure hya as 1 of a flight of 2. I was in communication with the lead plane on 122.95. I was having difficulty hearing the other plane. Ten mins or thereabouts northwest of bdl, audible communication with the other plane was very poor. In the best interest of safety, I elected to stay with the lead plane to a safe landing. I followed the lead plane at a close, but safe, distance at all times. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: report was sent because west/O radio reporter stayed with lead aircraft, but lead aircraft did not tell bdl that there was a flight of 2, so technically reporter feels he entered air traffic area west/O clearance. Has had no communications from FAA, so appears bdl was not too upset because he did stay close to lead aircraft. Because of WX they diverted to bdl.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA-SMA IN FORMATION WITH GA-SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE AND UNAUTH FORMATION APCH LNDG.

Narrative: I DEPARTED HYANNIS ARPT, HYANNIS, MA, IN SMA X ENRTE TO PENYAN, NY. I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A RETIRED AIR FORCE PLT WHO WAS PILOTING SMA Y. WE WENT DIRECT PROVIDENCE VOR, DIRECT PUTNAM VOR, DIRECT BANNES VOR, DIRECT CHESTER VOR. IT BECAME APPARENT WE COULD NOT STAY VFR BECAUSE OF MOUNTAIN OBSTRUCTION AND LOW CEILINGS AND ALSO SNOW SHOWERS. THEREFORE, WE TURNED TO A HDG OF APPROX 200 DEGS, TRYING TO PICK UP PAWLING VOR. DUE TO INCREASING OBSTRUCTION AND TURB IN THE LOWER MOUNTAIN AREAS, WE DECIDED TO LAND AT BDL. I CONTACTED APCH ON 125.8 AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ (BDL APCH) OR SOME WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. (OTHER ACFT WERE HEARD IN THE AREA ON THIS FREQ CALLING BDL APCH.) THE ONLY OTHER FREQ I BELIEVED I COULD USE (EFFECTIVELY) WAS 120.3, WHICH IS BDL TWR. I ADVISED BDL TWR OF MY POS AND ADVISED THEM THAT I HAD THE CURRENT ATIS. THEY ADVISED ME OF DEPARTING ACFT ON RWY 24, AND CLRED ME FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND TO RWY 33. I THEN SPOKE WITH SMA Y ON FREQ 122.95 AND ADVISED HIM TO CONTACT THE TWR ON 120.3. THINKING HE WAS BREAKING OFF, I THEN ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND AND WAS VECTORED TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS TO GIVE CLRNC TO AN APCHING JET. I WAS CLRED TO BE #2 FOR LNDG. AT NO TIME DURING MY DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY 33 DID I OBSERVE SMA Y IN FORMATION FLT. DURING MY BASE LEG ON FINAL APCH, I DID NOT OBSERVE HIM TO BE IN A FORMATION FLT. AFTER TAXIING DOWN THE RWY TO THE THIRD TXWY TO THE LEFT, THE TWR ADVISED ME, IN A QUESTIONING MANNER, THAT A SECOND PLANE HAD LANDED BEHIND ME AND THEY ASKED IF WE WERE TOGETHER. I BELIEVE I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. OTHER CONVERSATION ENSURED AS TO MY CALLING THE TWR WHEN I REACHED THE FBO. I DID CALL THE TWR AND MADE MY EXPLANATION RE MY ARR. SMA Y PLT ALSO SUBSEQUENTLY SPOKE WITH THE TWR FOLLOWING HIS ARR. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT FROM THE DEP AT HYANNIS ARPT, THIS PLT IN SMA Y DID NOT REQUEST AND WAS NOT CLRED FOR A FORMATION DEP. AS, IN THE CASE OF THE ARR AT WINDSOR LOCKS, I DID NOT REQUEST AND WAS NOT CLRED FOR A FORMATION ARR. FURTHER, IN ANY PREFLT CONVERSATION BTWN SAID PLTS, THERE WAS NO UNDERSTANDING, OR DETERMINATION, THAT EITHER DEPS OR ARRS WOULD BE IN FORMATION FLT. I WAS ADVISED BY THE SUPVR IN THE TWR THAT MY VIOLATIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS: FORMATION FLYING TO A LNDG AND VIOLATION AN ARSA. AS FAR AS THE VIOLATION OF THE ARSA IS CONCERNED, I THOUGHT BY CONTACTING APCH I WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED. I HAD NO OTHER FREQ TO CALL BUT THE TWR. THE TURB AT THIS TIME WAS VERY STRONG AND I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING AN EXACT FIX ON MY POS. I HAD NO DME TO TELL ME JUST HOW FAR OUT I WAS FROM THE BDL VOR. I HAVE FLOWN MANY TIMES INTO LOGAN ARPT USING APCH CTL AND I THOUGHT MY PROCS WERE CORRECT. I MUST HAVE BEEN WRONG, AND IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 86126: I WAS GIVEN THE OK TO DEP HYA AS 1 OF A FLT OF 2. I WAS IN COM WITH THE LEAD PLANE ON 122.95. I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY HEARING THE OTHER PLANE. TEN MINS OR THEREABOUTS NW OF BDL, AUDIBLE COM WITH THE OTHER PLANE WAS VERY POOR. IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SAFETY, I ELECTED TO STAY WITH THE LEAD PLANE TO A SAFE LNDG. I FOLLOWED THE LEAD PLANE AT A CLOSE, BUT SAFE, DISTANCE AT ALL TIMES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPT WAS SENT BECAUSE W/O RADIO RPTR STAYED WITH LEAD ACFT, BUT LEAD ACFT DID NOT TELL BDL THAT THERE WAS A FLT OF 2, SO TECHNICALLY RPTR FEELS HE ENTERED ATA W/O CLRNC. HAS HAD NO COMS FROM FAA, SO APPEARS BDL WAS NOT TOO UPSET BECAUSE HE DID STAY CLOSE TO LEAD ACFT. BECAUSE OF WX THEY DIVERTED TO BDL.

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