Narrative:

The flight in which the incident occurred was a sortie for the student to obtain qualification in the BE45. Both the instructor and the student were fairly experienced aviators with approximately 1700 and 1300 hours respectively. We launched VFR out of NAS lemoore to the east towards visalia to do both high work (stalls, spins, and acrobatics) as well as low altitude simulated engine failures. We initially had flight following from lemoore approach with a handoff to fresno approach. After several attempts, we were not able to make contact with fresno approach and continued with our syllabus sortie. While doing spins, an aircraft on V-23 reported seeing us doing acrobatics within the constraints of the victor route to fresno approach. He reportedly saw us do a total of 2 spin maneuvers. (Note that after watching the radar tape at a later time, it was determined by myself that we did not come to within close proximity of this or any other aircraft on the victor route or in the vicinity of the victor route while performing any acrobatic maneuvers). The incident was then reported to lemoore approach and we were subsequently notified after landing. Fresno approach knew it was our aircraft because they had apparently tagged our call sign on their radar expecting a handoff from lemoore approach. When we were notified of an incident involving us as we were taxiing to our ramp area after landing (before we knew what the incident was) we honestly had no idea what, if anything, we had done wrong. In retrospect, the biggest mistake in headwork that we made was our failure to try harder to contact fresno approach to continue VFR flight following. They probably would have given us a vector to a clear area with less traffic. Also, better knowledge of local high volume air traffic areas and victor rtes would have prevented us from using this area for training sorties of this nature. As a result of this incident, all BE45 pilots in this command have been briefed by myself to use an area west of NAS lemoore with significantly lower air traffic volume, no victor rtes, and under the control of lemoore approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE INSTRUCTOR PLT AND HIS STUDENT WERE OBSERVED DOING ACROBATICS -- SPINS ON THE AIRWAY V-23.

Narrative: THE FLT IN WHICH THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WAS A SORTIE FOR THE STUDENT TO OBTAIN QUALIFICATION IN THE BE45. BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT WERE FAIRLY EXPERIENCED AVIATORS WITH APPROX 1700 AND 1300 HRS RESPECTIVELY. WE LAUNCHED VFR OUT OF NAS LEMOORE TO THE E TOWARDS VISALIA TO DO BOTH HIGH WORK (STALLS, SPINS, AND ACROBATICS) AS WELL AS LOW ALT SIMULATED ENG FAILURES. WE INITIALLY HAD FLT FOLLOWING FROM LEMOORE APCH WITH A HDOF TO FRESNO APCH. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH FRESNO APCH AND CONTINUED WITH OUR SYLLABUS SORTIE. WHILE DOING SPINS, AN ACFT ON V-23 RPTED SEEING US DOING ACROBATICS WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE VICTOR RTE TO FRESNO APCH. HE REPORTEDLY SAW US DO A TOTAL OF 2 SPIN MANEUVERS. (NOTE THAT AFTER WATCHING THE RADAR TAPE AT A LATER TIME, IT WAS DETERMINED BY MYSELF THAT WE DID NOT COME TO WITHIN CLOSE PROX OF THIS OR ANY OTHER ACFT ON THE VICTOR RTE OR IN THE VICINITY OF THE VICTOR RTE WHILE PERFORMING ANY ACROBATIC MANEUVERS). THE INCIDENT WAS THEN RPTED TO LEMOORE APCH AND WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY NOTIFIED AFTER LNDG. FRESNO APCH KNEW IT WAS OUR ACFT BECAUSE THEY HAD APPARENTLY TAGGED OUR CALL SIGN ON THEIR RADAR EXPECTING A HDOF FROM LEMOORE APCH. WHEN WE WERE NOTIFIED OF AN INCIDENT INVOLVING US AS WE WERE TAXIING TO OUR RAMP AREA AFTER LNDG (BEFORE WE KNEW WHAT THE INCIDENT WAS) WE HONESTLY HAD NO IDEA WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WE HAD DONE WRONG. IN RETROSPECT, THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IN HEADWORK THAT WE MADE WAS OUR FAILURE TO TRY HARDER TO CONTACT FRESNO APCH TO CONTINUE VFR FLT FOLLOWING. THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GIVEN US A VECTOR TO A CLR AREA WITH LESS TFC. ALSO, BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF LCL HIGH VOLUME AIR TFC AREAS AND VICTOR RTES WOULD HAVE PREVENTED US FROM USING THIS AREA FOR TRAINING SORTIES OF THIS NATURE. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, ALL BE45 PLTS IN THIS COMMAND HAVE BEEN BRIEFED BY MYSELF TO USE AN AREA W OF NAS LEMOORE WITH SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER AIR TFC VOLUME, NO VICTOR RTES, AND UNDER THE CTL OF LEMOORE APCH.

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.