37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 396281 |
Time | |
Date | 199803 |
Day | Wed |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : pxr |
State Reference | AZ |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | Beech 1900 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
Navigation In Use | Other |
Flight Phase | cruise other |
Route In Use | arrival other arrival star : star |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Aircraft 2 | |
Operator | other |
Make Model Name | Fighting Falcon F16 |
Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
Navigation In Use | Other Other |
Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
Flight Plan | VFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1600 |
ASRS Report | 396281 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 3500 |
ASRS Report | 396374 |
Events | |
Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation |
Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | other |
Consequence | Other |
Miss Distance | horizontal : 5000 vertical : 0 |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
We were on the fossel 3 arrival into php level at 11000 ft when the tcasi gave a TA. Traffic was indicated at our 3-4 O'clock position within 1000 ft of our altitude. Approaching rapidly, I looked, located a faint exhaust/smoke trail and then visually located the aircraft. It appeared to be maneuvering directly toward us at a high rate of closure. It then banked (broke) to the left in excess of 60 degree of bank angle. The F16 then rolled inverted and descend at a high rate of descent. This was the point when I was able to distinctly make out the aircraft as an F16. Center then handed us off to php approach. Prior to switching we let him know that an F16 had come close to us, we had received a tcasi TA and that the traffic had rolled inverted and maneuvered out away from us. The captain had been talking (PNF) but because I had seen the F16 I wanted to say something to center to describe the situation. He had a target on his screen in our vicinity but by now was 2000-4000 ft below our altitude. I believe center felt there was nothing he could do so he did not pursue the matter beyond saying there was a target down low. It is my belief that the F16 was targeting and tracking us. I would imagine that with TCASII we would have gotten an RA. The encounter was pointless and uncalled for in very busy airspace. While this caused some excitement it had no affect on our performance as a crew.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BE02 CREW RECEIVES A TCASI TA FROM AN F16 CHARGING IN FROM THE 4 TO 5 O'CLOCK POS, SAME ALT. F16 DOES A WING OVER AND DIVES AWAY FROM THE BE02. ZAB ADMITTED TO NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE INCIDENT OTHER THAN RPTING LOWER TFC.
Narrative: WE WERE ON THE FOSSEL 3 ARR INTO PHP LEVEL AT 11000 FT WHEN THE TCASI GAVE A TA. TFC WAS INDICATED AT OUR 3-4 O'CLOCK POS WITHIN 1000 FT OF OUR ALT. APCHING RAPIDLY, I LOOKED, LOCATED A FAINT EXHAUST/SMOKE TRAIL AND THEN VISUALLY LOCATED THE ACFT. IT APPEARED TO BE MANEUVERING DIRECTLY TOWARD US AT A HIGH RATE OF CLOSURE. IT THEN BANKED (BROKE) TO THE L IN EXCESS OF 60 DEG OF BANK ANGLE. THE F16 THEN ROLLED INVERTED AND DSND AT A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT. THIS WAS THE POINT WHEN I WAS ABLE TO DISTINCTLY MAKE OUT THE ACFT AS AN F16. CTR THEN HANDED US OFF TO PHP APCH. PRIOR TO SWITCHING WE LET HIM KNOW THAT AN F16 HAD COME CLOSE TO US, WE HAD RECEIVED A TCASI TA AND THAT THE TFC HAD ROLLED INVERTED AND MANEUVERED OUT AWAY FROM US. THE CAPT HAD BEEN TALKING (PNF) BUT BECAUSE I HAD SEEN THE F16 I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING TO CTR TO DESCRIBE THE SIT. HE HAD A TARGET ON HIS SCREEN IN OUR VICINITY BUT BY NOW WAS 2000-4000 FT BELOW OUR ALT. I BELIEVE CTR FELT THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO SO HE DID NOT PURSUE THE MATTER BEYOND SAYING THERE WAS A TARGET DOWN LOW. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE F16 WAS TARGETING AND TRACKING US. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WITH TCASII WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN RA. THE ENCOUNTER WAS POINTLESS AND UNCALLED FOR IN VERY BUSY AIRSPACE. WHILE THIS CAUSED SOME EXCITEMENT IT HAD NO AFFECT ON OUR PERFORMANCE AS A CREW.
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.