Narrative:

The floor of navy whidbey airspace over anacortes, wa, airport is 2000 ft. Then as you proceed on a 245-250 degree heading toward san juan islands, the floor of the airspace drops to 1300 ft. When A-6 jet aircraft are vectored for final approach at whidbey, they let down over anacortes airport at exactly this airspace change, juncture. While flying at 1900 ft R-22 helicopter over anacortes airport and at this exact point some 2 mi west of the airport, an A-6 came by my window, gear and flaps down. I don't know if I was in his direct path or he was flying by me to get my numbers. I was monitoring 118.2 whidbey approach, but not talking to them. So I never heard any discussion. This situation in my opinion is very dangerous -- I'm finally aware of navy whidbey's approach procedure. And use flight following all the time. I was also aware of my exact location in relation to their airspace. I believe their procedure of vectoring fast military aircraft over a civilian field at this precise airspace changeover point will create problems. I've observed this procedure for over 10 yrs. The other problem that leads to this potential conflict is: between anacortes and decatur island is a lot of open water. Most people want to climb to a minimum of 2000 ft to cross this water in case of a dead engine (in light singles). There are a lot of localizer people commuting from the islands to anacortes. Whidbey approach has gotten very busy over the yrs. The potential for conflict at this airspace juncture is real. It makes no sense to me why whidbey approach can't hold their A-6 traffic 500 ft higher coming over this civilian airport. I would think changing whidbey's approach letdown procedure would take traffic slightly out of this island crossing corridor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CIVILIAN HELI PLT RPTS AN NMAC WITH A MIL ATTACK ACFT.

Narrative: THE FLOOR OF NAVY WHIDBEY AIRSPACE OVER ANACORTES, WA, ARPT IS 2000 FT. THEN AS YOU PROCEED ON A 245-250 DEG HDG TOWARD SAN JUAN ISLANDS, THE FLOOR OF THE AIRSPACE DROPS TO 1300 FT. WHEN A-6 JET ACFT ARE VECTORED FOR FINAL APCH AT WHIDBEY, THEY LET DOWN OVER ANACORTES ARPT AT EXACTLY THIS AIRSPACE CHANGE, JUNCTURE. WHILE FLYING AT 1900 FT R-22 HELI OVER ANACORTES ARPT AND AT THIS EXACT POINT SOME 2 MI W OF THE ARPT, AN A-6 CAME BY MY WINDOW, GEAR AND FLAPS DOWN. I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS IN HIS DIRECT PATH OR HE WAS FLYING BY ME TO GET MY NUMBERS. I WAS MONITORING 118.2 WHIDBEY APCH, BUT NOT TALKING TO THEM. SO I NEVER HEARD ANY DISCUSSION. THIS SIT IN MY OPINION IS VERY DANGEROUS -- I'M FINALLY AWARE OF NAVY WHIDBEY'S APCH PROC. AND USE FLT FOLLOWING ALL THE TIME. I WAS ALSO AWARE OF MY EXACT LOCATION IN RELATION TO THEIR AIRSPACE. I BELIEVE THEIR PROC OF VECTORING FAST MIL ACFT OVER A CIVILIAN FIELD AT THIS PRECISE AIRSPACE CHANGEOVER POINT WILL CREATE PROBS. I'VE OBSERVED THIS PROC FOR OVER 10 YRS. THE OTHER PROB THAT LEADS TO THIS POTENTIAL CONFLICT IS: BTWN ANACORTES AND DECATUR ISLAND IS A LOT OF OPEN WATER. MOST PEOPLE WANT TO CLB TO A MINIMUM OF 2000 FT TO CROSS THIS WATER IN CASE OF A DEAD ENG (IN LIGHT SINGLES). THERE ARE A LOT OF LOC PEOPLE COMMUTING FROM THE ISLANDS TO ANACORTES. WHIDBEY APCH HAS GOTTEN VERY BUSY OVER THE YRS. THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT AT THIS AIRSPACE JUNCTURE IS REAL. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME WHY WHIDBEY APCH CAN'T HOLD THEIR A-6 TFC 500 FT HIGHER COMING OVER THIS CIVILIAN ARPT. I WOULD THINK CHANGING WHIDBEY'S APCH LETDOWN PROC WOULD TAKE TFC SLIGHTLY OUT OF THIS ISLAND XING CORRIDOR.

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.