Narrative:

A flight of 2 fgt X was inbound to cos from the southwest VFR at approximately 15000'. I advised the fgt's to cross over the airport at or above 13000', then enter left downwind for runway 17. At the same time I was working numerous other aircraft, including an IFR small aircraft Y at 11000' with no transponder. After the fgt's crossed the airport, I gave them a vector for downwind and advised them they could begin a descent to pattern altitude (7700'). The primary target (IFR small aircraft Y) was weak at best and I was having some difficulty keeping him in radar contact. The last position he was at was north of the VORTAC, and as I planned to turn the fgt's before the VORTAC, I didn't feel that sep was going to be a problem. In making other xmissions, I let the fgt's get too far north. They advised me that there was an small aircraft just north of the VORTAC around their altitude. Since the VORTAC is very close to an uncontrolled airport which conducts soaring operations, I at first thought it must have been a VFR aircraft I was not talking to. I advised the fgt's of such, told them to turn inbound to the airport and contact tower. Then the IFR small aircraft advised me he had descended because he saw 2 military aircraft coming toward him, but that he was climbing back up to his assigned altitude. Bottom: 1) when working an IFR primary target, best to protect the altitude rather than vectoring around it, especially a weak primary target! 2) as a minimum, positive control and traffic advisories should have been used. 3) if the person working handoff is doing his job, he should help in avoiding these kinds of errors--it's part of teamwork. 4) accepting a primary intermittent target at a prime at right through the heart of the airspace may not be a really good idea.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAFFIC CONFLICT BETWEEN FLT OF 2 MIL FGT AND SMA. POSSIBLY OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: A FLT OF 2 FGT X WAS INBND TO COS FROM THE SW VFR AT APPROX 15000'. I ADVISED THE FGT'S TO CROSS OVER THE ARPT AT OR ABOVE 13000', THEN ENTER LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS WORKING NUMEROUS OTHER ACFT, INCLUDING AN IFR SMA Y AT 11000' WITH NO XPONDER. AFTER THE FGT'S CROSSED THE ARPT, I GAVE THEM A VECTOR FOR DOWNWIND AND ADVISED THEM THEY COULD BEGIN A DSNT TO PATTERN ALT (7700'). THE PRIMARY TARGET (IFR SMA Y) WAS WEAK AT BEST AND I WAS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY KEEPING HIM IN RADAR CONTACT. THE LAST POS HE WAS AT WAS N OF THE VORTAC, AND AS I PLANNED TO TURN THE FGT'S BEFORE THE VORTAC, I DIDN'T FEEL THAT SEP WAS GOING TO BE A PROB. IN MAKING OTHER XMISSIONS, I LET THE FGT'S GET TOO FAR N. THEY ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS AN SMA JUST N OF THE VORTAC AROUND THEIR ALT. SINCE THE VORTAC IS VERY CLOSE TO AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT WHICH CONDUCTS SOARING OPS, I AT FIRST THOUGHT IT MUST HAVE BEEN A VFR ACFT I WAS NOT TALKING TO. I ADVISED THE FGT'S OF SUCH, TOLD THEM TO TURN INBND TO THE ARPT AND CONTACT TWR. THEN THE IFR SMA ADVISED ME HE HAD DSNDED BECAUSE HE SAW 2 MIL ACFT COMING TOWARD HIM, BUT THAT HE WAS CLBING BACK UP TO HIS ASSIGNED ALT. BOTTOM: 1) WHEN WORKING AN IFR PRIMARY TARGET, BEST TO PROTECT THE ALT RATHER THAN VECTORING AROUND IT, ESPECIALLY A WEAK PRIMARY TARGET! 2) AS A MINIMUM, POSITIVE CTL AND TFC ADVISORIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED. 3) IF THE PERSON WORKING HDOF IS DOING HIS JOB, HE SHOULD HELP IN AVOIDING THESE KINDS OF ERRORS--IT'S PART OF TEAMWORK. 4) ACCEPTING A PRIMARY INTERMITTENT TARGET AT A PRIME AT RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART OF THE AIRSPACE MAY NOT BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA.

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.