Narrative:

Shortly after departure from vld, the approach controller gave us a northwest heading and a climb to 4000 ft MSL. About 2 mins after leveling at 4000 ft, the approach controller issued us a TA '11 O'clock and 8 mi.' the controller further stated that the traffic was a flight of 3 F16's that were going to cross in front of us. We issued a 'traffic in sight call' followed by a request if the F16 traffic had us in sight. The approach controller stated 'stand by.' in the next 25 seconds the 3 ship formation crossed our flight path at high speed. 2 of the 3 jets were approximately 500 ft above us and 500 ft horizontal of us. The third jet was lower than the other jets and had in trail spacing. The third jet crossed in front of us with about 400 ft vertical and horizontal separation. We had a continuous visual on the jets, but their high rate of speed caused the closure rate to be tremendous. After the jets went past us, the approach controller said, 'traffic does not have you in sight.' too little, too late. The approach controller had never told us to maintain visual separation, even though we had no choice and since we were both in radar contact and on an IFR flight plan approach control should have supplied proper separation. Had it not been VMC, there is no telling how close this could have gotten.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR E120 HAD AN NMAC WITH AN F16 FORMATION WHILE BOTH WERE ON DEPS IN VISUAL CONDITIONS.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER DEP FROM VLD, THE APCH CTLR GAVE US A NW HDG AND A CLB TO 4000 FT MSL. ABOUT 2 MINS AFTER LEVELING AT 4000 FT, THE APCH CTLR ISSUED US A TA '11 O'CLOCK AND 8 MI.' THE CTLR FURTHER STATED THAT THE TFC WAS A FLT OF 3 F16'S THAT WERE GOING TO CROSS IN FRONT OF US. WE ISSUED A 'TFC IN SIGHT CALL' FOLLOWED BY A REQUEST IF THE F16 TFC HAD US IN SIGHT. THE APCH CTLR STATED 'STAND BY.' IN THE NEXT 25 SECONDS THE 3 SHIP FORMATION CROSSED OUR FLT PATH AT HIGH SPD. 2 OF THE 3 JETS WERE APPROX 500 FT ABOVE US AND 500 FT HORIZ OF US. THE THIRD JET WAS LOWER THAN THE OTHER JETS AND HAD IN TRAIL SPACING. THE THIRD JET CROSSED IN FRONT OF US WITH ABOUT 400 FT VERT AND HORIZ SEPARATION. WE HAD A CONTINUOUS VISUAL ON THE JETS, BUT THEIR HIGH RATE OF SPD CAUSED THE CLOSURE RATE TO BE TREMENDOUS. AFTER THE JETS WENT PAST US, THE APCH CTLR SAID, 'TFC DOES NOT HAVE YOU IN SIGHT.' TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. THE APCH CTLR HAD NEVER TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD NO CHOICE AND SINCE WE WERE BOTH IN RADAR CONTACT AND ON AN IFR FLT PLAN APCH CTL SHOULD HAVE SUPPLIED PROPER SEPARATION. HAD IT NOT BEEN VMC, THERE IS NO TELLING HOW CLOSE THIS COULD HAVE GOTTEN.

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.