Narrative:

I was flying as observer for a civil air patrol counter drug flight (airborne release) around the northern half of wayne county, nc. Airport serving this area is the goldsboro wayne county airport. During these missions the aircraft is flown at 500-1000 ft AGL to spot marijuana plants. At one point the aircraft did overfly and circle an area at approximately 700 ft AGL. I reminded the pilot we should be higher as which time he initiated a climb to 1200 ft AGL. This area was near united states highway 70 on western side of goldsboro, nc. The aircraft then proceeded north. While working this area north and west of wayne-siegoldsboro airport, a C-17 globemaster III from charleston AFB, sc, entered the pattern for low approach and high speed passes. The crew stated to the airport unicom that they like to use this airport because its runway size gives them a 'tactical' situation. The crew was doing a good job of communicating their intentions on unicom as they switched between runway 5 and 23. Overall I commend the crew (C-17) for a good job of radio work and working with a couple of GA aircraft as they entered the airport area for landing. As we approached to land from the west, we announced our intentions to land on runway 5. The C-17 coming off of an approach to runway 5 announced they wanted to do a high speed run down runway 23 followed by low approach runway 5 then exit to the north. We advised that we would move to 5 south of airport and await their departure. While moving to 5 south the C-17 coming off its high speed 23 run overflew our aircraft at an altitude estimated at 500-700 ft. We immediately entered a dive and turned right descending from 1500 ft AGL to 1000 ft. Fortunately, we did not encounter a wake from the C-17. He executed a 180 degree turn and completed a low approach to runway 5 and departed. We completed our turn and entered a left downwind for runway 5, completing the landing without incident. In retrospect from our runway 5 downwind position moving directly west to northwest of the airport would have been smarter than moving south. We chose south because the C-17 was making patterns to the north. He changed patterns to the south and his faster speed did not allow us to completely move south enough to avoid his flight path. Overall, I think military and GA can operate together, but it would help if traffic stayed to approachs on the same runway during the periods when there are multiple aircraft in the immediate airport area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL FLT BY AN SMA SEL GOV ACFT DURING TAC OBSERVATION AND AN NMAC WITH AN MLT OVER AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS OBSERVER FOR A CIVIL AIR PATROL COUNTER DRUG FLT (AIRBORNE RELEASE) AROUND THE NORTHERN HALF OF WAYNE COUNTY, NC. ARPT SERVING THIS AREA IS THE GOLDSBORO WAYNE COUNTY ARPT. DURING THESE MISSIONS THE ACFT IS FLOWN AT 500-1000 FT AGL TO SPOT MARIJUANA PLANTS. AT ONE POINT THE ACFT DID OVERFLY AND CIRCLE AN AREA AT APPROX 700 FT AGL. I REMINDED THE PLT WE SHOULD BE HIGHER AS WHICH TIME HE INITIATED A CLB TO 1200 FT AGL. THIS AREA WAS NEAR UNITED STATES HWY 70 ON WESTERN SIDE OF GOLDSBORO, NC. THE ACFT THEN PROCEEDED N. WHILE WORKING THIS AREA N AND W OF WAYNE-SIEGOLDSBORO ARPT, A C-17 GLOBEMASTER III FROM CHARLESTON AFB, SC, ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR LOW APCH AND HIGH SPD PASSES. THE CREW STATED TO THE ARPT UNICOM THAT THEY LIKE TO USE THIS ARPT BECAUSE ITS RWY SIZE GIVES THEM A 'TACTICAL' SIT. THE CREW WAS DOING A GOOD JOB OF COMMUNICATING THEIR INTENTIONS ON UNICOM AS THEY SWITCHED BTWN RWY 5 AND 23. OVERALL I COMMEND THE CREW (C-17) FOR A GOOD JOB OF RADIO WORK AND WORKING WITH A COUPLE OF GA ACFT AS THEY ENTERED THE ARPT AREA FOR LNDG. AS WE APCHED TO LAND FROM THE W, WE ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND ON RWY 5. THE C-17 COMING OFF OF AN APCH TO RWY 5 ANNOUNCED THEY WANTED TO DO A HIGH SPD RUN DOWN RWY 23 FOLLOWED BY LOW APCH RWY 5 THEN EXIT TO THE N. WE ADVISED THAT WE WOULD MOVE TO 5 S OF ARPT AND AWAIT THEIR DEP. WHILE MOVING TO 5 S THE C-17 COMING OFF ITS HIGH SPD 23 RUN OVERFLEW OUR ACFT AT AN ALT ESTIMATED AT 500-700 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY ENTERED A DIVE AND TURNED R DSNDING FROM 1500 FT AGL TO 1000 FT. FORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT ENCOUNTER A WAKE FROM THE C-17. HE EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN AND COMPLETED A LOW APCH TO RWY 5 AND DEPARTED. WE COMPLETED OUR TURN AND ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5, COMPLETING THE LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN RETROSPECT FROM OUR RWY 5 DOWNWIND POS MOVING DIRECTLY W TO NW OF THE ARPT WOULD HAVE BEEN SMARTER THAN MOVING S. WE CHOSE S BECAUSE THE C-17 WAS MAKING PATTERNS TO THE N. HE CHANGED PATTERNS TO THE S AND HIS FASTER SPD DID NOT ALLOW US TO COMPLETELY MOVE S ENOUGH TO AVOID HIS FLT PATH. OVERALL, I THINK MIL AND GA CAN OPERATE TOGETHER, BUT IT WOULD HELP IF TFC STAYED TO APCHS ON THE SAME RWY DURING THE PERIODS WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE ACFT IN THE IMMEDIATE ARPT AREA.

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.