Small aircraft Y had airborn conflict with MTR Y.

Attributes
ACN	150537
Time
Date	199007
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mxf
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mgm
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Trainer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 5
ASRS Report	150537
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

MTR X was on 5 NM final to runway 15 at maxwell AFB and an small aircraft X xed in front of him at same altitude. Approach tracked aircraft and tried to get identify but could not. Close proximity of prattville and wetumpka airports to maxwell can cause frequent intrusions by careless pilots. Maxwell tower as well as montgomery tower do not have alpha numerics on their BRITE scopes. Had maxwell seen the VFR squawk by the small aircraft they might have been able to call traffic in a timely manner. Lack of alphanumerics on the BRITE scope in my opinion is a safety concern that should be addressed. Both maxwell and montgomery are forced to work with obsolete equipment. Radar is of very poor quality. It frequently does not detect traffic that is there. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter experience, 5 yrs radar. The pilot of MTR X called the TRACON. The pilot said he had the small aircraft in sight and did not take evasive action. He did not want to file a near midair collision. The reporter stated he and the approach controller were socializing when the approach controller issued the small aircraft Y as traffic to MTR X. Reporter saw the targets merge. MTR X pilot said they missed by 1/2 mi horizontal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA Y HAD AIRBORN CONFLICT WITH MTR Y.

Narrative: MTR X WAS ON 5 NM FINAL TO RWY 15 AT MAXWELL AFB AND AN SMA X XED IN FRONT OF HIM AT SAME ALT. APCH TRACKED ACFT AND TRIED TO GET IDENT BUT COULD NOT. CLOSE PROX OF PRATTVILLE AND WETUMPKA ARPTS TO MAXWELL CAN CAUSE FREQUENT INTRUSIONS BY CARELESS PLTS. MAXWELL TWR AS WELL AS MONTGOMERY TWR DO NOT HAVE ALPHA NUMERICS ON THEIR BRITE SCOPES. HAD MAXWELL SEEN THE VFR SQUAWK BY THE SMA THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CALL TFC IN A TIMELY MANNER. LACK OF ALPHANUMERICS ON THE BRITE SCOPE IN MY OPINION IS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. BOTH MAXWELL AND MONTGOMERY ARE FORCED TO WORK WITH OBSOLETE EQUIP. RADAR IS OF VERY POOR QUALITY. IT FREQUENTLY DOES NOT DETECT TFC THAT IS THERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR EXPERIENCE, 5 YRS RADAR. THE PLT OF MTR X CALLED THE TRACON. THE PLT SAID HE HAD THE SMA IN SIGHT AND DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. HE DID NOT WANT TO FILE A NMAC. THE RPTR STATED HE AND THE APCH CTLR WERE SOCIALIZING WHEN THE APCH CTLR ISSUED THE SMA Y AS TFC TO MTR X. RPTR SAW THE TARGETS MERGE. MTR X PLT SAID THEY MISSED BY 1/2 MI HORIZ.

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