Narrative:

On the morning of jun/xx/96, at approximately XX00 am local time, I was flying back from a sight-seeing trip to barnegate lighthouse nj to my home airport N73. I was tracking LORAN direct to coyle VOR (cyn) from the lighthouse and was just about to track the 300 degree radial outbound for N73. I was flying at 3000 ft MSL. As I looked to my right, I saw the first of 3 military A10 aircraft pass off my right wing about 1500 ft away and a fourth one pass below me off the left wing. The A10's accelerated in a climbing left turn across my path. I would like to say that at no time did I feel we were in danger of colliding, but I was startled by their sudden appearance. Approximately 30 seconds later one of the A10's was flying formation with me off my right wing about 1500 ft horizontal and 100 ft higher. We flew straight ahead for about 15 seconds and then he accelerated in a climbing left turn just as before until disappearing out of sight. I was monitoring 122.8 and then also listened in on 120.25 (mcguire approach). At no time was radio communication established nor was any hand signals or any other type signal observed. I was both excited and concerned about this close flying. I feel the military pilots should have approached more cautiously and safely from my left (the pilot side of the aircraft). I also feel that if they were trying to get my attention, one aircraft would have been more than sufficient. I want to stress that their approach was slow and deliberate, their aircraft appearing to be only 10-20 KTS faster than my 100 KTS. I know they saw me from a long way off and they had planned their approach accordingly. We all share the skies and take responsibility for the safe transit of all aircraft in it. Coyle VOR is used extensively by all the flight schools in the area for VOR navigational practice. I cannot help wonder how a less experienced or a student pilot might have reacted to this aerial surprise!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL COMPLAINS ABOUT 3 MIL A10 ACFT FLYING ALONGSIDE APPROX 1500 FT AWAY FOR A BRIEF TIME AND THEN LEAVING.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JUN/XX/96, AT APPROX XX00 AM LCL TIME, I WAS FLYING BACK FROM A SIGHT-SEEING TRIP TO BARNEGATE LIGHTHOUSE NJ TO MY HOME ARPT N73. I WAS TRACKING LORAN DIRECT TO COYLE VOR (CYN) FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO TRACK THE 300 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND FOR N73. I WAS FLYING AT 3000 FT MSL. AS I LOOKED TO MY R, I SAW THE FIRST OF 3 MIL A10 ACFT PASS OFF MY R WING ABOUT 1500 FT AWAY AND A FOURTH ONE PASS BELOW ME OFF THE L WING. THE A10'S ACCELERATED IN A CLBING L TURN ACROSS MY PATH. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT AT NO TIME DID I FEEL WE WERE IN DANGER OF COLLIDING, BUT I WAS STARTLED BY THEIR SUDDEN APPEARANCE. APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER ONE OF THE A10'S WAS FLYING FORMATION WITH ME OFF MY R WING ABOUT 1500 FT HORIZ AND 100 FT HIGHER. WE FLEW STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS AND THEN HE ACCELERATED IN A CLBING L TURN JUST AS BEFORE UNTIL DISAPPEARING OUT OF SIGHT. I WAS MONITORING 122.8 AND THEN ALSO LISTENED IN ON 120.25 (MCGUIRE APCH). AT NO TIME WAS RADIO COM ESTABLISHED NOR WAS ANY HAND SIGNALS OR ANY OTHER TYPE SIGNAL OBSERVED. I WAS BOTH EXCITED AND CONCERNED ABOUT THIS CLOSE FLYING. I FEEL THE MIL PLTS SHOULD HAVE APCHED MORE CAUTIOUSLY AND SAFELY FROM MY L (THE PLT SIDE OF THE ACFT). I ALSO FEEL THAT IF THEY WERE TRYING TO GET MY ATTN, ONE ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN SUFFICIENT. I WANT TO STRESS THAT THEIR APCH WAS SLOW AND DELIBERATE, THEIR ACFT APPEARING TO BE ONLY 10-20 KTS FASTER THAN MY 100 KTS. I KNOW THEY SAW ME FROM A LONG WAY OFF AND THEY HAD PLANNED THEIR APCH ACCORDINGLY. WE ALL SHARE THE SKIES AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFE TRANSIT OF ALL ACFT IN IT. COYLE VOR IS USED EXTENSIVELY BY ALL THE FLT SCHOOLS IN THE AREA FOR VOR NAVIGATIONAL PRACTICE. I CANNOT HELP WONDER HOW A LESS EXPERIENCED OR A STUDENT PLT MIGHT HAVE REACTED TO THIS AERIAL SURPRISE!

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.