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An air carrier flight crew descending on a STAR to slc in a B737-800 reports a TCASII RA event with a flight of 3 F16's.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 485163 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200008 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : slc.vortac |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | msl single value : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : s56.tracon tower : phl.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : bvl1 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighting Falcon F16 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 485163 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Air carrier flight en route smf-slc via BVL1 arrival. After passing knole intersection, cleared from 17000 ft to descend to 12000 ft. Soon after departing 17000 ft, TCASII announced 'traffic' and 3 targets were displayed at 1 O'clock and approximately 5 mi. After just a few seconds, TCASII RA directed us to stop descent and we leveled at 16000 ft. We observed F16 fighter passing in front of us. Queried TRACON who said traffic was pop-up. TRACON contacted control and aircraft were idented as 3 F16's transiting from south to north ranges. This event unfolded very rapidly and TCASII provided the warning that we might otherwise not have received. The fighter aircraft intruded into the arrival corridor at high speed and within the altitude range that airline arrs use during their descent. There was clear collision potential in this incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FLC DSNDING ON A STAR TO SLC IN A B737-800 RPTS A TCASII RA EVENT WITH A FLT OF 3 F16'S.
Narrative: ACR FLT ENRTE SMF-SLC VIA BVL1 ARR. AFTER PASSING KNOLE INTXN, CLRED FROM 17000 FT TO DSND TO 12000 FT. SOON AFTER DEPARTING 17000 FT, TCASII ANNOUNCED 'TFC' AND 3 TARGETS WERE DISPLAYED AT 1 O'CLOCK AND APPROX 5 MI. AFTER JUST A FEW SECONDS, TCASII RA DIRECTED US TO STOP DSCNT AND WE LEVELED AT 16000 FT. WE OBSERVED F16 FIGHTER PASSING IN FRONT OF US. QUERIED TRACON WHO SAID TFC WAS POP-UP. TRACON CONTACTED CTL AND ACFT WERE IDENTED AS 3 F16'S TRANSITING FROM S TO N RANGES. THIS EVENT UNFOLDED VERY RAPIDLY AND TCASII PROVIDED THE WARNING THAT WE MIGHT OTHERWISE NOT HAVE RECEIVED. THE FIGHTER ACFT INTRUDED INTO THE ARR CORRIDOR AT HIGH SPD AND WITHIN THE ALT RANGE THAT AIRLINE ARRS USE DURING THEIR DSCNT. THERE WAS CLR COLLISION POTENTIAL IN THIS INCIDENT.
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.