Narrative:

I was acting as flight instructor and working with a flight instructor candidate on the spin training required for the rating. We were at an altitude of approximately 4500 ft MSL and had just completed a 180 degree clearing turn from north to south. Neither the student nor myself spotted any traffic so I directed the student to execute a one-turn spin to the right. As we recovered from the spin at an altitude of approximately 3500 ft MSL we spotted a KC135 at our altitude and a range of approximately 1000 ft. I immediately took control of the aircraft and executed a steep turn to the left away from the tanker. I observed the tanker also roll into a turn to the left and can only assume that he also saw us. The aircraft may have passed as close as 600 ft horizontally from each other. I feel that the primary cause of this incident was the failure of myself and the student to acquire the tanker visually before initiating the spin. The only explanation I can offer for this is that from our perspective the tanker would have been well below the horizon as we cleared the area at 4500 ft and the low visibility paint scheme may have made the aircraft blend in with the ground. Additionally, the airspace in which this incident occurred is relatively busy and has a variety of different types of traffic operating at different speeds. In the future I will conduct spin training further from wichita where the traffic density is lower. One final note: after this incident I carefully studied the airspace we were operating in and I may have inadvertently been operating too close of a federal airway (my best estimate of my position puts me right at the 4 NM limit). However, I do not believe this to be a factor in this incident because neither the tanker nor my aircraft were navigating on the airway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING SPIN PRACTICE, THE PLT OF A C150 CAME WITHIN 600 FT OF A MIL KC135 TANKER UPON RECOVERING FROM A SPIN. THE MIL TANKER WAS OBSERVED 1000 FT AWAY AT THE SAME ALT WHEN BOTH ACFT TOOK EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS FLT INSTRUCTOR AND WORKING WITH A FLT INSTRUCTOR CANDIDATE ON THE SPIN TRAINING REQUIRED FOR THE RATING. WE WERE AT AN ALT OF APPROX 4500 FT MSL AND HAD JUST COMPLETED A 180 DEG CLRING TURN FROM N TO S. NEITHER THE STUDENT NOR MYSELF SPOTTED ANY TFC SO I DIRECTED THE STUDENT TO EXECUTE A ONE-TURN SPIN TO THE R. AS WE RECOVERED FROM THE SPIN AT AN ALT OF APPROX 3500 FT MSL WE SPOTTED A KC135 AT OUR ALT AND A RANGE OF APPROX 1000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND EXECUTED A STEEP TURN TO THE L AWAY FROM THE TANKER. I OBSERVED THE TANKER ALSO ROLL INTO A TURN TO THE L AND CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT HE ALSO SAW US. THE ACFT MAY HAVE PASSED AS CLOSE AS 600 FT HORIZLY FROM EACH OTHER. I FEEL THAT THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF MYSELF AND THE STUDENT TO ACQUIRE THE TANKER VISUALLY BEFORE INITIATING THE SPIN. THE ONLY EXPLANATION I CAN OFFER FOR THIS IS THAT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE THE TANKER WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL BELOW THE HORIZON AS WE CLRED THE AREA AT 4500 FT AND THE LOW VISIBILITY PAINT SCHEME MAY HAVE MADE THE ACFT BLEND IN WITH THE GND. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRSPACE IN WHICH THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IS RELATIVELY BUSY AND HAS A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TFC OPERATING AT DIFFERENT SPDS. IN THE FUTURE I WILL CONDUCT SPIN TRAINING FURTHER FROM WICHITA WHERE THE TFC DENSITY IS LOWER. ONE FINAL NOTE: AFTER THIS INCIDENT I CAREFULLY STUDIED THE AIRSPACE WE WERE OPERATING IN AND I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY BEEN OPERATING TOO CLOSE OF A FEDERAL AIRWAY (MY BEST ESTIMATE OF MY POS PUTS ME RIGHT AT THE 4 NM LIMIT). HOWEVER, I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE NEITHER THE TANKER NOR MY ACFT WERE NAVING ON THE AIRWAY.

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.