Narrative:

There appeared to be a conflict between air carrier flight going from mem to chicago and a single fgt maneuvering in the hilltop MOA. The reason I mention that there appeared to be a conflict instead of an actual conflict is because there was 6000 ft vertical separation. I was operating in the hilltop MOA as a single ship fgt. My mission was to perform an ahc mission which stands for aircraft handling mission. Also operating in the MOA was a 3 ship of fgts doing an intercept mission. In addition, 2 mlts were orbiting in the area to accomplish an air refueling mission with all 4 fgts later. I was told by the leader of the 3 ship of fgts to stay in the corner of the area until we air refuel. In addition to trying to stay in the area, I was trying to go from air to air TACAN, to INS mode, to normal TACAN, trying to accomplish my mission and keep everyone else on my radar. I was also trying to talk to the tanker, talk to the 3-SHIP of fgts and talk to ATC. With this workload and being forced in a corner, I spilled out of the hilltop MOA approximately 7 mi according to ZAU. I tried to contact ATC and tell them my altitude which was slightly below FL180. Several calls were not acknowledged. In fact, earlier in the mission en route to the hilltop MOA, I had to pass a message through fgts on intercom radio that I was trying to call ATC. Also, for some reason, ATC was not picking up my mode C altitude reporting. I had also asked tanker of his position on the kokomo TACAN at least 5 times, in which he replied but did not state his position off kokomo. I honestly feel that, if ATC had picked up my mode C, or through communications passed on my altitude to air carrier, there would have not been a concern of conflict. Air carrier flight was at FL240 and I was below FL180 in VMC conditions. Air carrier did not have any TCASII indications. I feel corrective action should be not to overload a military operating area with 3 different missions. Sometimes, because of a lack of airspace, we tend to split areas to get the mission accomplished. I can completely understand the air carrier concern with traffic at 12 O'clock with no altitude. Our unit is presently looking at this situation and dealing with not overloading an area, as well as the lack of communications when possible conflicts may arise. There were too many radio calls not acknowledged. There should have been a knock it off call to straighten things out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL FGT HAS SPILLOUT OF MOA DURING MANEUVERS.

Narrative: THERE APPEARED TO BE A CONFLICT BTWN ACR FLT GOING FROM MEM TO CHICAGO AND A SINGLE FGT MANEUVERING IN THE HILLTOP MOA. THE REASON I MENTION THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A CONFLICT INSTEAD OF AN ACTUAL CONFLICT IS BECAUSE THERE WAS 6000 FT VERT SEPARATION. I WAS OPERATING IN THE HILLTOP MOA AS A SINGLE SHIP FGT. MY MISSION WAS TO PERFORM AN AHC MISSION WHICH STANDS FOR ACFT HANDLING MISSION. ALSO OPERATING IN THE MOA WAS A 3 SHIP OF FGTS DOING AN INTERCEPT MISSION. IN ADDITION, 2 MLTS WERE ORBITING IN THE AREA TO ACCOMPLISH AN AIR REFUELING MISSION WITH ALL 4 FGTS LATER. I WAS TOLD BY THE LEADER OF THE 3 SHIP OF FGTS TO STAY IN THE CORNER OF THE AREA UNTIL WE AIR REFUEL. IN ADDITION TO TRYING TO STAY IN THE AREA, I WAS TRYING TO GO FROM AIR TO AIR TACAN, TO INS MODE, TO NORMAL TACAN, TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH MY MISSION AND KEEP EVERYONE ELSE ON MY RADAR. I WAS ALSO TRYING TO TALK TO THE TANKER, TALK TO THE 3-SHIP OF FGTS AND TALK TO ATC. WITH THIS WORKLOAD AND BEING FORCED IN A CORNER, I SPILLED OUT OF THE HILLTOP MOA APPROX 7 MI ACCORDING TO ZAU. I TRIED TO CONTACT ATC AND TELL THEM MY ALT WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW FL180. SEVERAL CALLS WERE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. IN FACT, EARLIER IN THE MISSION ENRTE TO THE HILLTOP MOA, I HAD TO PASS A MESSAGE THROUGH FGTS ON INTERCOM RADIO THAT I WAS TRYING TO CALL ATC. ALSO, FOR SOME REASON, ATC WAS NOT PICKING UP MY MODE C ALT RPTING. I HAD ALSO ASKED TANKER OF HIS POS ON THE KOKOMO TACAN AT LEAST 5 TIMES, IN WHICH HE REPLIED BUT DID NOT STATE HIS POS OFF KOKOMO. I HONESTLY FEEL THAT, IF ATC HAD PICKED UP MY MODE C, OR THROUGH COMS PASSED ON MY ALT TO ACR, THERE WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN A CONCERN OF CONFLICT. ACR FLT WAS AT FL240 AND I WAS BELOW FL180 IN VMC CONDITIONS. ACR DID NOT HAVE ANY TCASII INDICATIONS. I FEEL CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD BE NOT TO OVERLOAD A MIL OPERATING AREA WITH 3 DIFFERENT MISSIONS. SOMETIMES, BECAUSE OF A LACK OF AIRSPACE, WE TEND TO SPLIT AREAS TO GET THE MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. I CAN COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE ACR CONCERN WITH TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK WITH NO ALT. OUR UNIT IS PRESENTLY LOOKING AT THIS SIT AND DEALING WITH NOT OVERLOADING AN AREA, AS WELL AS THE LACK OF COMS WHEN POSSIBLE CONFLICTS MAY ARISE. THERE WERE TOO MANY RADIO CALLS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A KNOCK IT OFF CALL TO STRAIGHTEN THINGS OUT.

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.