Narrative:

2/91, during a military air command mission in support of the multinational war effort in the middle east, our flight departed from a military air base in northeast saudi arabia. While flying the special ATR arwy as cleared, we were reclred to climb to FL350 by jeddah control 40 NM east of dafinah (N2317.0 east 041432). After establishing our new altitude with jeddah control, this flight level was entered in each of the 3 mandatory reporting positions within jeddah control airspace along amber #411 arwy. Just after crossing pasam intersection, which is an international fir between jeddah and egyptian airspace, we experienced a near miss with an aircraft that was overtaking us in the same direction of flight. I immediately slowed and descended my aircraft to the right of course to FL340 while maintaining visibility sep. After a safe distance was established between the 2 aircraft, I rejoined the arwy and climbed to FL350. We then contacted cairo control and gave our pasam position report. They reclred our flight to FL360 as they began sorting out the sep conflict. I informed cairo control that jeddah control had reclred our flight to FL350 50 mi east of dafinah. After a long pause the cairo controller then instructed the other conflicting aircraft to descend to FL310 and instructed out flight to descend and maintain FL350, our original flight level. There was no further incident or inquiry as both aircraft proceeded through egyptian airspace. In summary, it is my opinion that jeddah control had cleared both aircraft to the same altitude (flight level) west/O inquiring to the speed assignments of both aircraft. We were assigned mach .78(lrc) while the conflicting aircraft which was behind us was cruising at mach.80. This would indicate a communication breakdown between riyadh control and jeddah control. I attribute this entire situation to the complexity and often confusing operation desert shield conflict. As in any wartime situation, men and machines are called upon to perform far beyond normal civilian peace-time parameters I believe this sort of incident will always remain a risk to reckon with. My only suggestion in this altitude/mach no # case would be 'all' mach.78 aircraft operate at the same altitudes and the same goes for aircraft operating at mach.80 and so on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 MLT ACFT SAME AIRWAY SAME ALT SAME DIRECTION DIFFERENT CRUISE SPEED.

Narrative: 2/91, DURING A MIL AIR COMMAND MISSION IN SUPPORT OF THE MULTINATIONAL WAR EFFORT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, OUR FLT DEPARTED FROM A MIL AIR BASE IN NE SAUDI ARABIA. WHILE FLYING THE SPECIAL ATR ARWY AS CLRED, WE WERE RECLRED TO CLB TO FL350 BY JEDDAH CTL 40 NM E OF DAFINAH (N2317.0 E 041432). AFTER ESTABLISHING OUR NEW ALT WITH JEDDAH CTL, THIS FLT LEVEL WAS ENTERED IN EACH OF THE 3 MANDATORY RPTING POSITIONS WITHIN JEDDAH CTL AIRSPACE ALONG AMBER #411 ARWY. JUST AFTER XING PASAM INTXN, WHICH IS AN INTL FIR BTWN JEDDAH AND EGYPTIAN AIRSPACE, WE EXPERIENCED A NEAR MISS WITH AN ACFT THAT WAS OVERTAKING US IN THE SAME DIRECTION OF FLT. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED AND DSNDED MY ACFT TO THE RIGHT OF COURSE TO FL340 WHILE MAINTAINING VIS SEP. AFTER A SAFE DISTANCE WAS ESTABLISHED BTWN THE 2 ACFT, I REJOINED THE ARWY AND CLBED TO FL350. WE THEN CONTACTED CAIRO CTL AND GAVE OUR PASAM POS RPT. THEY RECLRED OUR FLT TO FL360 AS THEY BEGAN SORTING OUT THE SEP CONFLICT. I INFORMED CAIRO CTL THAT JEDDAH CTL HAD RECLRED OUR FLT TO FL350 50 MI E OF DAFINAH. AFTER A LONG PAUSE THE CAIRO CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED THE OTHER CONFLICTING ACFT TO DSND TO FL310 AND INSTRUCTED OUT FLT TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL350, OUR ORIGINAL FLT LEVEL. THERE WAS NO FURTHER INCIDENT OR INQUIRY AS BOTH ACFT PROCEEDED THROUGH EGYPTIAN AIRSPACE. IN SUMMARY, IT IS MY OPINION THAT JEDDAH CTL HAD CLRED BOTH ACFT TO THE SAME ALT (FLT LEVEL) W/O INQUIRING TO THE SPD ASSIGNMENTS OF BOTH ACFT. WE WERE ASSIGNED MACH .78(LRC) WHILE THE CONFLICTING ACFT WHICH WAS BEHIND US WAS CRUISING AT MACH.80. THIS WOULD INDICATE A COM BREAKDOWN BTWN RIYADH CTL AND JEDDAH CTL. I ATTRIBUTE THIS ENTIRE SITUATION TO THE COMPLEXITY AND OFTEN CONFUSING OPERATION DESERT SHIELD CONFLICT. AS IN ANY WARTIME SITUATION, MEN AND MACHINES ARE CALLED UPON TO PERFORM FAR BEYOND NORMAL CIVILIAN PEACE-TIME PARAMETERS I BELIEVE THIS SORT OF INCIDENT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN A RISK TO RECKON WITH. MY ONLY SUGGESTION IN THIS ALT/MACH NO # CASE WOULD BE 'ALL' MACH.78 ACFT OPERATE AT THE SAME ALTS AND THE SAME GOES FOR ACFT OPERATING AT MACH.80 AND SO ON.

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.