Narrative:

Flight of 2 fgt's (X) returning from mission, about to land. On short final request was made, and approved, for a low approach followed by a climbing right turn to reenter a visual straight-in approach for the full stop landing. Upon departure, aircraft entered a very slow right turn and a slow climb to 2000'. Due to turn rate and rate of climb, climb-out placed them in the same airspace as a GA twin (Y) leaving the air traffic area, then 3 1/2 mi from the airport at 1500'. The fgt's are based at adw and were flying a typical maneuver for this fighter unit. This contributed to controller attention being directed elsewhere, rather than monitoring a climbout that would cause the flight to conflict with traffic and leave the air traffic area. Usually, when these same aircraft perform an identical maneuver, they are never more than 2 mi from the departure end of the airport. Perhaps another factor was the last minute decision of the flight leader to change the type landing to a low approach instead of a full stop. Had this request been made earlier fgt flight may have been given a different heading providing more separation. Controller action could have ensured full stop lndgs if traffic was perceived to have been a problem. Flight pilots could have informed the tower that a nonstandard climbout would be flown. Due to staffing, controllers on duty were working multiple positions. More people would have made it possible to direct each controller's attention to primary duties (ensure separation).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN FLT OF 2 MIL FGT AND GA TWIN. ALSO OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: FLT OF 2 FGT'S (X) RETURNING FROM MISSION, ABOUT TO LAND. ON SHORT FINAL REQUEST WAS MADE, AND APPROVED, FOR A LOW APCH FOLLOWED BY A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN TO REENTER A VISUAL STRAIGHT-IN APCH FOR THE FULL STOP LNDG. UPON DEP, ACFT ENTERED A VERY SLOW RIGHT TURN AND A SLOW CLIMB TO 2000'. DUE TO TURN RATE AND RATE OF CLIMB, CLIMB-OUT PLACED THEM IN THE SAME AIRSPACE AS A GA TWIN (Y) LEAVING THE ATA, THEN 3 1/2 MI FROM THE ARPT AT 1500'. THE FGT'S ARE BASED AT ADW AND WERE FLYING A TYPICAL MANEUVER FOR THIS FIGHTER UNIT. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO CTLR ATTN BEING DIRECTED ELSEWHERE, RATHER THAN MONITORING A CLIMBOUT THAT WOULD CAUSE THE FLT TO CONFLICT WITH TFC AND LEAVE THE ATA. USUALLY, WHEN THESE SAME ACFT PERFORM AN IDENTICAL MANEUVER, THEY ARE NEVER MORE THAN 2 MI FROM THE DEP END OF THE ARPT. PERHAPS ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE LAST MINUTE DECISION OF THE FLT LEADER TO CHANGE THE TYPE LNDG TO A LOW APCH INSTEAD OF A FULL STOP. HAD THIS REQUEST BEEN MADE EARLIER FGT FLT MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN A DIFFERENT HDG PROVIDING MORE SEPARATION. CTLR ACTION COULD HAVE ENSURED FULL STOP LNDGS IF TFC WAS PERCEIVED TO HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM. FLT PLTS COULD HAVE INFORMED THE TWR THAT A NONSTANDARD CLIMBOUT WOULD BE FLOWN. DUE TO STAFFING, CTLRS ON DUTY WERE WORKING MULTIPLE POSITIONS. MORE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE TO DIRECT EACH CTLR'S ATTN TO PRIMARY DUTIES (ENSURE SEPARATION).

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.