Narrative:

Air carrier X at cruise altitude of 10000 ft on an IFR clearance and with assigned heading of 240 degree talking to spokane departure. At approximately 10 mi west of fairchild airport, the captain (PF) saw 1 KC135 tanker on takeoff roll at fairchild airport. The controller told us about the traffic just prior to the captain seeing the aircraft on the runway. The controller also told us there will be 2 tankers taking off. The captain said he only saw 1. The controller was also talking to the KC135 who was on the UHF frequency. We could only hear the controller's xmissions and not the KC135's reply since they were on a different frequency. At some points I thought the controller was talking to me and I answered only to discover he was talking to the KC135. The controller again pointed out the traffic and this time the captain said he had both aircraft in sight (they were on climb out just off the runway). The controller asked us if we could maintain a visual and the captain replied yes. The controller was communicating back and forth between us and the KC135. He was letting them know of our position as well. The controller said we could fly any heading to stay behind them and 'caution wake turbulence' as they continued their climb. Just as he said that the first KC135 turned sharply to the right as he continued his climb turning right towards our flight path. The captain quickly made a sharp climbing left turn to get out of the way of the aircraft. We shot through our assigned heading of 180 degree to about 150 degree and we were 500 ft higher than our assigned altitude. The problem here was that the KC135 was on a different frequency therefore we were not getting the whole picture. We didn't know he was going to make the sharp right turn until he did. It would also have helped if both us were equipped with TCASII because it's hard to judge how far away an aircraft is until it's really close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VISUAL SEPARATION IN USE ACR X HAD NMAC EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN FROM KC135. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: ACR X AT CRUISE ALT OF 10000 FT ON AN IFR CLRNC AND WITH ASSIGNED HDG OF 240 DEG TALKING TO SPOKANE DEP. AT APPROX 10 MI W OF FAIRCHILD ARPT, THE CAPT (PF) SAW 1 KC135 TANKER ON TKOF ROLL AT FAIRCHILD ARPT. THE CTLR TOLD US ABOUT THE TFC JUST PRIOR TO THE CAPT SEEING THE ACFT ON THE RWY. THE CTLR ALSO TOLD US THERE WILL BE 2 TANKERS TAKING OFF. THE CAPT SAID HE ONLY SAW 1. THE CTLR WAS ALSO TALKING TO THE KC135 WHO WAS ON THE UHF FREQ. WE COULD ONLY HEAR THE CTLR'S XMISSIONS AND NOT THE KC135'S REPLY SINCE THEY WERE ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. AT SOME POINTS I THOUGHT THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO ME AND I ANSWERED ONLY TO DISCOVER HE WAS TALKING TO THE KC135. THE CTLR AGAIN POINTED OUT THE TFC AND THIS TIME THE CAPT SAID HE HAD BOTH ACFT IN SIGHT (THEY WERE ON CLBOUT JUST OFF THE RWY). THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE COULD MAINTAIN A VISUAL AND THE CAPT REPLIED YES. THE CTLR WAS COMMUNICATING BACK AND FORTH BTWN US AND THE KC135. HE WAS LETTING THEM KNOW OF OUR POS AS WELL. THE CTLR SAID WE COULD FLY ANY HDG TO STAY BEHIND THEM AND 'CAUTION WAKE TURB' AS THEY CONTINUED THEIR CLB. JUST AS HE SAID THAT THE FIRST KC135 TURNED SHARPLY TO THE R AS HE CONTINUED HIS CLB TURNING R TOWARDS OUR FLT PATH. THE CAPT QUICKLY MADE A SHARP CLBING L TURN TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE ACFT. WE SHOT THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED HDG OF 180 DEG TO ABOUT 150 DEG AND WE WERE 500 FT HIGHER THAN OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE PROB HERE WAS THAT THE KC135 WAS ON A DIFFERENT FREQ THEREFORE WE WERE NOT GETTING THE WHOLE PICTURE. WE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS GOING TO MAKE THE SHARP R TURN UNTIL HE DID. IT WOULD ALSO HAVE HELPED IF BOTH US WERE EQUIPPED WITH TCASII BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO JUDGE HOW FAR AWAY AN ACFT IS UNTIL IT'S REALLY CLOSE.

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.