<< >> NASA ASRS Report 369370, May 1997

A flight of 4 F15's took off in 2 sections from a parallel runway as an air carrier B737 was departing and the departure controller turned the F15's across the B737's path. The departure controller had not been briefed that there were 2 sections of F15's and only the lead had a transponder on. The second section passed very close in front of the B737.

Attributes
ACN	369370
Time
Date	199705
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cos
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cos tower : cos tower : ord
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Eagle (F-15)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller non radar : 10
ASRS Report	369370
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Error

Narrative:

A flight of 4 F15's requested a non standard formation departure from runway 17R. I taxied the flight into position to hold, and then cleared them for takeoff on runway 17R. The first 2 aircraft began takeoff roll. A B737 requested to depart and was cleared for takeoff on runway 17L with a left turn to a heading of 150 degrees. I called the radar associate position and advised him of both departures. In my mind, the B737 heading 150 degrees, and the flight of 4 F15's heading 170 degrees were appropriately separated. When the flight of F15's checked onto the departure frequency the controller issued a turn to a heading of 080 degrees. The second set of F15's were abeam the B737 and turned across its flight path. The departure controller was not aware of the non standard formation flight.

Related reports:

• Departing flight given clearance with acknowledgement by tra...
• ARTCC radar controller issued same transponder code to 2 air...
• C172 CFI did not observe student pilot had failed to fully a...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT OF 4 F15'S TOOK OFF IN 2 SECTIONS FROM A PARALLEL RWY AS AN ACR B737 WAS DEPARTING AND THE DEP CTLR TURNED THE F15'S ACROSS THE B737'S PATH. THE DEP CTLR HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED THAT THERE WERE 2 SECTIONS OF F15'S AND ONLY THE LEAD HAD A XPONDER ON. THE SECOND SECTION PASSED VERY CLOSE IN FRONT OF THE B737.

Narrative: A FLT OF 4 F15'S REQUESTED A NON STANDARD FORMATION DEP FROM RWY 17R. I TAXIED THE FLT INTO POS TO HOLD, AND THEN CLRED THEM FOR TKOF ON RWY 17R. THE FIRST 2 ACFT BEGAN TKOF ROLL. A B737 REQUESTED TO DEPART AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 17L WITH A L TURN TO A HDG OF 150 DEGS. I CALLED THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS AND ADVISED HIM OF BOTH DEPS. IN MY MIND, THE B737 HDG 150 DEGS, AND THE FLT OF 4 F15'S HDG 170 DEGS WERE APPROPRIATELY SEPARATED. WHEN THE FLT OF F15'S CHKED ONTO THE DEP FREQ THE CTLR ISSUED A TURN TO A HDG OF 080 DEGS. THE SECOND SET OF F15'S WERE ABEAM THE B737 AND TURNED ACROSS ITS FLT PATH. THE DEP CTLR WAS NOT AWARE OF THE NON STANDARD FORMATION FLT.

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.