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A united states customs king air 200 reports an near midair collision with an F18 northwest of tus at 16500 ft MSL.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 436402 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199905 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : tus.vortac |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Super King Air 200 HDC |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : v66.airway |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Hornet (F-18) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 436402 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : zab.artcc |
Narrative:
We had just began our descent from cruise altitude of 17500 ft, when a military FA18 hornet passed directly from behind, descending in front of and over the top of our aircraft. The PF maneuvered our aircraft laterally to avoid wake turbulence and to deconflict with a possible wingman that might have been in trail of the FA18. No further incident occurred and we landed normally. After subsequent investigation and phone calls with the FAA (ZAB) it was discovered that the FA18 was operating under IFR, under the control of ZAB. Both aircraft were observed on FAA radar but no traffic alert was issued to the FA18. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated on callback that he was not on ZAB frequency, rather he was on his company customs frequency. He was VFR on V66 tus to gbn descending from 17500 ft, and at 16500 ft is when the near midair collision occurred. Reporter further states that he saw the F18 after he approached from behind and descended from over the top and below in front of them. The customs supervisor called ZAB and was told that the F18 reported a 100 ft - 200 ft near midair collision.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A UNITED STATES CUSTOMS KING AIR 200 RPTS AN NMAC WITH AN F18 NW OF TUS AT 16500 FT MSL.
Narrative: WE HAD JUST BEGAN OUR DSCNT FROM CRUISE ALT OF 17500 FT, WHEN A MIL FA18 HORNET PASSED DIRECTLY FROM BEHIND, DSNDING IN FRONT OF AND OVER THE TOP OF OUR ACFT. THE PF MANEUVERED OUR ACFT LATERALLY TO AVOID WAKE TURB AND TO DECONFLICT WITH A POSSIBLE WINGMAN THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN TRAIL OF THE FA18. NO FURTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED AND WE LANDED NORMALLY. AFTER SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION AND PHONE CALLS WITH THE FAA (ZAB) IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FA18 WAS OPERATING UNDER IFR, UNDER THE CTL OF ZAB. BOTH ACFT WERE OBSERVED ON FAA RADAR BUT NO TFC ALERT WAS ISSUED TO THE FA18. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED ON CALLBACK THAT HE WAS NOT ON ZAB FREQ, RATHER HE WAS ON HIS COMPANY CUSTOMS FREQ. HE WAS VFR ON V66 TUS TO GBN DSNDING FROM 17500 FT, AND AT 16500 FT IS WHEN THE NMAC OCCURRED. RPTR FURTHER STATES THAT HE SAW THE F18 AFTER HE APCHED FROM BEHIND AND DSNDED FROM OVER THE TOP AND BELOW IN FRONT OF THEM. THE CUSTOMS SUPVR CALLED ZAB AND WAS TOLD THAT THE F18 RPTED A 100 FT - 200 FT NMAC.
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.