A near midair collision occurred between an small aircraft which had inadvertently entered an MOA wh...

Attributes
ACN	110795
Time
Date	198905
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gus
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gus
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Fighter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 3584 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	110795
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 50 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was operating an small aircraft x-country VFR, on a true course of 055 degrees, 3500' MSL squawking 1200 on the altitude encoding transponder. Earlier in the flight an arsa controller had trouble reading my xmissions and at his request I flew around the arsa rather than through it. As I approached the '12 mi' MOA about 45 mins later, and influenced by my transmission difficulties, I decided to pass just south of the MOA and monitor grissom approach west/O attempting to make radio contact. Grissom approach reported fgt aircraft active in the MOA and my head was on a swivel looking for them. But there was no way I could have spotted the military jet (probably an fgt, but I don't know the models that well) which came in above me from directly behind the small aircraft, making a sharp descending turn to the left as it went over and circling in about 1 mi behind me. The aircraft then gingerly came along side at less than 50' sep before pulling up and away to the right. I didn't consider this a near miss buzz job, but rather a positive identify procedure. As best I could calculate at the time, I had drifted about 4 NM north of intended course and traversed the southern corner of the MOA for up to about 6 mins. I didn't believe at the time that I had committed an airspace violation by operating in the MOA, although unintentionally I have since further researched different sources and am satisfied that there's no airspace violation here-- but! The XXXX has convinced me that flying in or near MOA's west/O controller traffic advisories are sheer folly from the standpoint of safety. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter states that he intended to remain clear of the MOA because he was aware that it was in use and he was unable to contact ATC because of radio communication problems. He further states that the military fgt made 2 passes on his aircraft and appeared to be using aerial identify techniques. He feels that this action was unwarranted and dangerous and that the military aircraft actually passed within 20' of his aircraft at a much greater airspeed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NMAC OCCURRED BETWEEN AN SMA WHICH HAD INADVERTENTLY ENTERED AN MOA WHILE ON VFR FLT AND AN FGT THAT APPEARED TO INTENTIONALLY FLY BY THE SMA.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING AN SMA X-COUNTRY VFR, ON A TRUE COURSE OF 055 DEGS, 3500' MSL SQUAWKING 1200 ON THE ALT ENCODING XPONDER. EARLIER IN THE FLT AN ARSA CTLR HAD TROUBLE READING MY XMISSIONS AND AT HIS REQUEST I FLEW AROUND THE ARSA RATHER THAN THROUGH IT. AS I APCHED THE '12 MI' MOA ABOUT 45 MINS LATER, AND INFLUENCED BY MY XMISSION DIFFICULTIES, I DECIDED TO PASS JUST S OF THE MOA AND MONITOR GRISSOM APCH W/O ATTEMPTING TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT. GRISSOM APCH RPTED FGT ACFT ACTIVE IN THE MOA AND MY HEAD WAS ON A SWIVEL LOOKING FOR THEM. BUT THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE SPOTTED THE MIL JET (PROBABLY AN FGT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE MODELS THAT WELL) WHICH CAME IN ABOVE ME FROM DIRECTLY BEHIND THE SMA, MAKING A SHARP DSNDING TURN TO THE LEFT AS IT WENT OVER AND CIRCLING IN ABOUT 1 MI BEHIND ME. THE ACFT THEN GINGERLY CAME ALONG SIDE AT LESS THAN 50' SEP BEFORE PULLING UP AND AWAY TO THE RIGHT. I DIDN'T CONSIDER THIS A NEAR MISS BUZZ JOB, BUT RATHER A POSITIVE IDENT PROC. AS BEST I COULD CALCULATE AT THE TIME, I HAD DRIFTED ABOUT 4 NM N OF INTENDED COURSE AND TRAVERSED THE SOUTHERN CORNER OF THE MOA FOR UP TO ABOUT 6 MINS. I DIDN'T BELIEVE AT THE TIME THAT I HAD COMMITTED AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION BY OPERATING IN THE MOA, ALTHOUGH UNINTENTIONALLY I HAVE SINCE FURTHER RESEARCHED DIFFERENT SOURCES AND AM SATISFIED THAT THERE'S NO AIRSPACE VIOLATION HERE-- BUT! THE XXXX HAS CONVINCED ME THAT FLYING IN OR NEAR MOA'S W/O CTLR TFC ADVISORIES ARE SHEER FOLLY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF SAFETY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATES THAT HE INTENDED TO REMAIN CLR OF THE MOA BECAUSE HE WAS AWARE THAT IT WAS IN USE AND HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ATC BECAUSE OF RADIO COM PROBS. HE FURTHER STATES THAT THE MIL FGT MADE 2 PASSES ON HIS ACFT AND APPEARED TO BE USING AERIAL IDENT TECHNIQUES. HE FEELS THAT THIS ACTION WAS UNWARRANTED AND DANGEROUS AND THAT THE MIL ACFT ACTUALLY PASSED WITHIN 20' OF HIS ACFT AT A MUCH GREATER AIRSPD.

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.

A near midair collision occurred between an small aircraft which had inadvertently entered an MOA while on VFR flight and an fgt that appeared to intentionally fly by the small aircraft.