Narrative:

We completed our last drop for the day on the fire. A flare-up had occurred and we were dropping in a bowl-type area in high terrain, with low visibility. Visibility ranged from several mi over the fire to estimated 1/2 mi south and east of the fire. Upon completing final deployment of retardant, we initiated a climb to the north in preparation for a turn eastbound for fresno (fat). Upon reaching 5000 ft MSL (an altitude which cleared surrounding terrain) we turned east. Initial attempts to contact ZOA were unsuccessful, possibly in part due to radio traffic and to altitude. Contact was made, and a squawk code assigned. As I copied the code to my kneeboard, I saw a brasilia in air carrier colors pass under the nose of the airplane, through the forward lower panel windows. We were climbing through 7000 ft at the time. I do not know if the brasilia ever saw us. Visibility at the time was low in smoke. We were contacting ZOA for the purpose of flight following in order to place ourselves in the system and take advantage of radar advisories. We were squawking fire code at the time, and were just receiving a discrete code. Operation of aircraft, be it air carrier, GA, military, or otherwise, in close proximity to fire operations can be hazardous. Fire fighting airplanes operate under many circumstances which hamper the ability to interact with non participating airplanes. Heavy smoke, terrain, frequent turbulence, heavy loaded weights and severely reduced performance, increased workload due to proximity to terrain and special operational requirements, reduce a crew's opportunities to see and avoid. Airplanes electing to operate in or near fire areas without direct contact with the fire agency, place themselves in jeopardy, the air operation in jeopardy, and risk the lives of those on the ground who depend on air support. This was a close call. In 15 yrs of high risk flying, this was one of the closer events I've experienced to a disaster.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C130 FO, DEPARTING FROM A FIRE RETARDANT DROP, EXPERIENCED AN NMAC WITH AN ACR EMB120.

Narrative: WE COMPLETED OUR LAST DROP FOR THE DAY ON THE FIRE. A FLARE-UP HAD OCCURRED AND WE WERE DROPPING IN A BOWL-TYPE AREA IN HIGH TERRAIN, WITH LOW VISIBILITY. VISIBILITY RANGED FROM SEVERAL MI OVER THE FIRE TO ESTIMATED 1/2 MI S AND E OF THE FIRE. UPON COMPLETING FINAL DEPLOYMENT OF RETARDANT, WE INITIATED A CLB TO THE N IN PREPARATION FOR A TURN EBOUND FOR FRESNO (FAT). UPON REACHING 5000 FT MSL (AN ALT WHICH CLRED SURROUNDING TERRAIN) WE TURNED E. INITIAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ZOA WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, POSSIBLY IN PART DUE TO RADIO TFC AND TO ALT. CONTACT WAS MADE, AND A SQUAWK CODE ASSIGNED. AS I COPIED THE CODE TO MY KNEEBOARD, I SAW A BRASILIA IN ACR COLORS PASS UNDER THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE, THROUGH THE FORWARD LOWER PANEL WINDOWS. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 7000 FT AT THE TIME. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE BRASILIA EVER SAW US. VISIBILITY AT THE TIME WAS LOW IN SMOKE. WE WERE CONTACTING ZOA FOR THE PURPOSE OF FLT FOLLOWING IN ORDER TO PLACE OURSELVES IN THE SYS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RADAR ADVISORIES. WE WERE SQUAWKING FIRE CODE AT THE TIME, AND WERE JUST RECEIVING A DISCRETE CODE. OP OF ACFT, BE IT ACR, GA, MIL, OR OTHERWISE, IN CLOSE PROX TO FIRE OPS CAN BE HAZARDOUS. FIRE FIGHTING AIRPLANES OPERATE UNDER MANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH HAMPER THE ABILITY TO INTERACT WITH NON PARTICIPATING AIRPLANES. HVY SMOKE, TERRAIN, FREQUENT TURB, HVY LOADED WTS AND SEVERELY REDUCED PERFORMANCE, INCREASED WORKLOAD DUE TO PROX TO TERRAIN AND SPECIAL OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, REDUCE A CREW'S OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE AND AVOID. AIRPLANES ELECTING TO OPERATE IN OR NEAR FIRE AREAS WITHOUT DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE FIRE AGENCY, PLACE THEMSELVES IN JEOPARDY, THE AIR OP IN JEOPARDY, AND RISK THE LIVES OF THOSE ON THE GND WHO DEPEND ON AIR SUPPORT. THIS WAS A CLOSE CALL. IN 15 YRS OF HIGH RISK FLYING, THIS WAS ONE OF THE CLOSER EVENTS I'VE EXPERIENCED TO A DISASTER.

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.