Narrative:

While climbing on the dawnn 1 departure from indianapolis we had a climb clearance to FL230 from center. At about 10300 ft traffic appeared on the TCASII and center called this traffic as VFR at 10 O'clock climbing through 8000 ft. Within seconds the TCASII commanded 'monitor vertical speed.' then the TCASII showed traffic about 700 ft below us as we passed through about 11300 ft. Again a quick visual check for the traffic. At this time I visually picked up traffic. A gaggle of 3 F16's, less than 2 mi away horizontally, rapidly climbing from below. Our TCASII then commanded a descent. I realized at this time unless we took more evasive action a midair was imminent. Not only was a descent required but an aggressive turn to the right was required to avoid the midair. This turn also helped by increasing our rate of descent and preventing possible overstress to the aircraft from negative G's. The F16 flight passed within several hundred ft from us never once changing their collision course or stopping their climb. We advised ATC of the deviation and conflict. They requested we continue our descent to 10000 ft for other traffic. Had we not taken the aggressive evasive action the result would have been disastrous. I do not understand why the F16's did not turn away from us or stop their climb until clear of us. Nor do I understand why such high performance aircraft are permitted to depart a restr area across another high performance departure route with so many lives at risk. With closure rates in excess of 1000 mph, this whole scenario took less than 1 min 30 seconds. It should be mandatory for all military aircraft to have a departure point from all restr areas -- away from sids/STAR rtes before someone is killed. This was way too close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC OCCURRED WHEN A FLT OF 3 F16'S CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO AN ACR B737. TCASII RA EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN BY THE B737. TFC HAD BEEN ISSUED BY ATC.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING ON THE DAWNN 1 DEP FROM INDIANAPOLIS WE HAD A CLB CLRNC TO FL230 FROM CTR. AT ABOUT 10300 FT TFC APPEARED ON THE TCASII AND CTR CALLED THIS TFC AS VFR AT 10 O'CLOCK CLBING THROUGH 8000 FT. WITHIN SECONDS THE TCASII COMMANDED 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' THEN THE TCASII SHOWED TFC ABOUT 700 FT BELOW US AS WE PASSED THROUGH ABOUT 11300 FT. AGAIN A QUICK VISUAL CHK FOR THE TFC. AT THIS TIME I VISUALLY PICKED UP TFC. A GAGGLE OF 3 F16'S, LESS THAN 2 MI AWAY HORIZLY, RAPIDLY CLBING FROM BELOW. OUR TCASII THEN COMMANDED A DSCNT. I REALIZED AT THIS TIME UNLESS WE TOOK MORE EVASIVE ACTION A MIDAIR WAS IMMINENT. NOT ONLY WAS A DSCNT REQUIRED BUT AN AGGRESSIVE TURN TO THE R WAS REQUIRED TO AVOID THE MIDAIR. THIS TURN ALSO HELPED BY INCREASING OUR RATE OF DSCNT AND PREVENTING POSSIBLE OVERSTRESS TO THE ACFT FROM NEGATIVE G'S. THE F16 FLT PASSED WITHIN SEVERAL HUNDRED FT FROM US NEVER ONCE CHANGING THEIR COLLISION COURSE OR STOPPING THEIR CLB. WE ADVISED ATC OF THE DEV AND CONFLICT. THEY REQUESTED WE CONTINUE OUR DSCNT TO 10000 FT FOR OTHER TFC. HAD WE NOT TAKEN THE AGGRESSIVE EVASIVE ACTION THE RESULT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE F16'S DID NOT TURN AWAY FROM US OR STOP THEIR CLB UNTIL CLR OF US. NOR DO I UNDERSTAND WHY SUCH HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT ARE PERMITTED TO DEPART A RESTR AREA ACROSS ANOTHER HIGH PERFORMANCE DEP RTE WITH SO MANY LIVES AT RISK. WITH CLOSURE RATES IN EXCESS OF 1000 MPH, THIS WHOLE SCENARIO TOOK LESS THAN 1 MIN 30 SECONDS. IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY FOR ALL MIL ACFT TO HAVE A DEP POINT FROM ALL RESTR AREAS -- AWAY FROM SIDS/STAR RTES BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THIS WAS WAY TOO 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.