Narrative:

Summary of incident between flying club aircraft and highway patrol aircraft. I was providing basic flight instruction for a student pilot in a C152, operating between 900-1200 ft AGL and approximately 8-10 NM northwest of NAS nip at approximately AD15Z on may/xa/97. The airspace involved is class east airspace. While supervising my student during level medium banked turns, I observed another aircraft operating in the same general area and near the same altitude. I pointed out the other aircraft to my student and coached him through turns to avoid flying close to the other aircraft. However, the other aircraft appeared to be maneuvering so as to get closer to us rather than to avoid a conflict. After several mins of maneuvering to avoid this other aircraft, my student and I observed that it had joined on us in loose formation flight, behind and to the right of our aircraft. It then maneuvered to a trail position directly behind us, and finally to an abeam position on our left side. It was close enough to easily read the side number, and was at our altitude. I was uncertain of the other pilot's intentions and concerned about the danger of flying in such close proximity. I contacted jax approach control on frequency 118.0 and asked if they were working with aircraft Y. Jax approach informed me that they knew who he was and that he was forming up on me to get my side number! The pilot of aircraft Y stated over the radio that he was working a law enforcement mission and had his head down! Jax approach forwarded a request from the other pilot that I move to another area to conduct my training. I voiced my concern to jax approach that it was unsafe for the other pilot to be operating VFR with his head down, and then I departed the area without further incident. I later learned that the law enforcement mission was a florida highway patrol speed trap for cars traveling on I-295 near jacksonville, fl. I also learned (not confirmed) that the pilot in question is relying on TCASII for collision avoidance and flies with his head down (presumably watching cars). I am concerned about several safety issues, as listed here: 1) the other pilot conducted unbriefed formation flight. 2) jax approach knew about the unbriefed formation flight and appeared to condone it. 3) the other pilot admitted flying with his head down (no see-and-avoid). 4) the other pilot had no reason to get my side number and jax approach should not have needed it because I was talking to them and identing myself. 5) the other pilot seems to be using intimidation tactics to run other traffic out of the area he is trying to work. He is flying in formation and recording side numbers of aircraft that are operating in class east airspace under VFR conditions. His mission is not covered by NOTAM, and pilots are not required to contact approach prior to operating in that area. 6) I called the jax approach facility by telephone after the incident and the controller took the position that it is busy airspace and I should consider training elsewhere. He told me that if I had called for flight following there would not have been a problem (we all know how hard that can be during pilot training flts with new students). I told him the other pilot flew in formation with my aircraft and he became defensive, saying 'that's your opinion.' I believe the highway patrol is operating under unsafe procedures in an area that is known to be used by many area flight schools for pilot training. This incident has been briefed to the FSDO in orlando.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A POLICE ACFT SETTING UP A SPD TRAP AND A C152 IN TRAINING ACTIVITY. POLICE PLT WAS USING TCASI OR TCASII AS A WARNING DEVICE OF OTHER ACFT SINCE HE WAS FLYING 'WITH HIS HEAD DOWN.' ACFT Y WAS, ESSENTIALLY, IN A FORMATION FLT WITH ACFT X.

Narrative: SUMMARY OF INCIDENT BTWN FLYING CLUB ACFT AND HWY PATROL ACFT. I WAS PROVIDING BASIC FLT INSTRUCTION FOR A STUDENT PLT IN A C152, OPERATING BTWN 900-1200 FT AGL AND APPROX 8-10 NM NW OF NAS NIP AT APPROX AD15Z ON MAY/XA/97. THE AIRSPACE INVOLVED IS CLASS E AIRSPACE. WHILE SUPERVISING MY STUDENT DURING LEVEL MEDIUM BANKED TURNS, I OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT OPERATING IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA AND NEAR THE SAME ALT. I POINTED OUT THE OTHER ACFT TO MY STUDENT AND COACHED HIM THROUGH TURNS TO AVOID FLYING CLOSE TO THE OTHER ACFT. HOWEVER, THE OTHER ACFT APPEARED TO BE MANEUVERING SO AS TO GET CLOSER TO US RATHER THAN TO AVOID A CONFLICT. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF MANEUVERING TO AVOID THIS OTHER ACFT, MY STUDENT AND I OBSERVED THAT IT HAD JOINED ON US IN LOOSE FORMATION FLT, BEHIND AND TO THE R OF OUR ACFT. IT THEN MANEUVERED TO A TRAIL POS DIRECTLY BEHIND US, AND FINALLY TO AN ABEAM POS ON OUR L SIDE. IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO EASILY READ THE SIDE NUMBER, AND WAS AT OUR ALT. I WAS UNCERTAIN OF THE OTHER PLT'S INTENTIONS AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGER OF FLYING IN SUCH CLOSE PROX. I CONTACTED JAX APCH CTL ON FREQ 118.0 AND ASKED IF THEY WERE WORKING WITH ACFT Y. JAX APCH INFORMED ME THAT THEY KNEW WHO HE WAS AND THAT HE WAS FORMING UP ON ME TO GET MY SIDE NUMBER! THE PLT OF ACFT Y STATED OVER THE RADIO THAT HE WAS WORKING A LAW ENFORCEMENT MISSION AND HAD HIS HEAD DOWN! JAX APCH FORWARDED A REQUEST FROM THE OTHER PLT THAT I MOVE TO ANOTHER AREA TO CONDUCT MY TRAINING. I VOICED MY CONCERN TO JAX APCH THAT IT WAS UNSAFE FOR THE OTHER PLT TO BE OPERATING VFR WITH HIS HEAD DOWN, AND THEN I DEPARTED THE AREA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT MISSION WAS A FLORIDA HWY PATROL SPD TRAP FOR CARS TRAVELING ON I-295 NEAR JACKSONVILLE, FL. I ALSO LEARNED (NOT CONFIRMED) THAT THE PLT IN QUESTION IS RELYING ON TCASII FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND FLIES WITH HIS HEAD DOWN (PRESUMABLY WATCHING CARS). I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SEVERAL SAFETY ISSUES, AS LISTED HERE: 1) THE OTHER PLT CONDUCTED UNBRIEFED FORMATION FLT. 2) JAX APCH KNEW ABOUT THE UNBRIEFED FORMATION FLT AND APPEARED TO CONDONE IT. 3) THE OTHER PLT ADMITTED FLYING WITH HIS HEAD DOWN (NO SEE-AND-AVOID). 4) THE OTHER PLT HAD NO REASON TO GET MY SIDE NUMBER AND JAX APCH SHOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED IT BECAUSE I WAS TALKING TO THEM AND IDENTING MYSELF. 5) THE OTHER PLT SEEMS TO BE USING INTIMIDATION TACTICS TO RUN OTHER TFC OUT OF THE AREA HE IS TRYING TO WORK. HE IS FLYING IN FORMATION AND RECORDING SIDE NUMBERS OF ACFT THAT ARE OPERATING IN CLASS E AIRSPACE UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. HIS MISSION IS NOT COVERED BY NOTAM, AND PLTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CONTACT APCH PRIOR TO OPERATING IN THAT AREA. 6) I CALLED THE JAX APCH FACILITY BY TELEPHONE AFTER THE INCIDENT AND THE CTLR TOOK THE POS THAT IT IS BUSY AIRSPACE AND I SHOULD CONSIDER TRAINING ELSEWHERE. HE TOLD ME THAT IF I HAD CALLED FOR FLT FOLLOWING THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB (WE ALL KNOW HOW HARD THAT CAN BE DURING PLT TRAINING FLTS WITH NEW STUDENTS). I TOLD HIM THE OTHER PLT FLEW IN FORMATION WITH MY ACFT AND HE BECAME DEFENSIVE, SAYING 'THAT'S YOUR OPINION.' I BELIEVE THE HWY PATROL IS OPERATING UNDER UNSAFE PROCS IN AN AREA THAT IS KNOWN TO BE USED BY MANY AREA FLT SCHOOLS FOR PLT TRAINING. THIS INCIDENT HAS BEEN BRIEFED TO THE FSDO IN ORLANDO.

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.